One of the things I have not seen explored much, is the degree to which this new crop of “Conservatives” has bought into the notion that what makes you American is not a commitment to certain ideas and institutions, but rather adherence to certain cultural practices, invariably white and either rural or hazy suburban reflections of the rural.
To somebody like J.D. Vance, it’s okay to erode democratic norms, because that doesn’t threaten America. To him, being properly American is a deeply banal cultural heritage: stupid shit like liking baseball, pickup trucks, and Diet Mountain Dew. Anything that is counter to that might be grudgingly tolerated because proper Americans are such great Volk folks, but they must know their place and not insist on any public role in the future of the country. If there’s too many un-American people doing shit like eating tacos or having drag shows or listening to rap or not going to a megachurch, then maybe a little voter suppression here and a few lynch mobs there is a small price to pay to ensure “real” Americans can continue to live without having to acknowledge neighbors that are visibly different from them. Hell, they’re such lovely Americans that they may even be okay with the color of your skin, so long as literally everything else you do comports with their expectations, Usha.
If there’s something special about America, it’s just that it has the bones and the diversity to support a pluralistic culture where everyone could be an equal contributor to what it means to be “American.” These assholes know they don’t have the raw numbers to run things any longer, so they’re using the political inertia and bullshit to try to ensconce a true apartheid state where a minority of frightened, insular white people dictate policy for everyone.
It’s gross, and it’s deeply scary. And I say that as a pretty boring cis het white guy who grew up in the suburbs of northeast Florida, kinda likes Diet Mountain Dew, and has owned two pickup trucks in his lifetime.