White supremacy is an extreme threat to civilization

Rampant racism and fascism is the worst

By Cazzy Lewchuk, Opinions Editor

Throughout most of recorded history—or at least since we started travelling around the world—white people have been oppressing others. Colonialism, the slave trade, the genocide of entire populations, and systematic racism all contribute to the white supremacist culture present today. While racism is generally frowned upon in society, it would be a lie to suggest that white people are not the most dominant and privileged people in Western society. Racism is still a very real and serious problem.

The belief that white people are genetically and intelligently superior to other cultures is incredibly hurtful and inaccurate. Modern genetic studies continue to assert that ethnicity and race have no real meaning at an inner level, and that your ancestor’s geographical origins have nothing to do with your merit as a human being. Sadly, discrimination and misguided beliefs between populations continue to flourish. North America is not as racist as it was 50 years ago, but prejudice is still abundant.

The new leaders of the US government are perhaps the most bizarre, ridiculous, and racist ones in recent memory. President Trump has been criticized for his alarming comments on Hispanic, Muslim, Black, Asian, and Native American people, amongst many other groups and specific people he doesn’t like (particularly women). Many of his supporters are racist, ranging from “your redneck uncle who doesn’t care for immigrants” all the way to “full-on Nazi” and “member of the Ku Klux Klan.”

Steve Bannon is the founder of Breitbart, a news platform that—in his own words—specifically caters to the “alt-right.” The “alt-right” movement was literally coined to spread white nationalist Nazi propaganda and generalized white supremacy. Bannon is heavily supported by the KKK, has praised fascism and nationalism, and repeatedly made anti-Semitic comments about Jewish people. Steve Bannon is also Chief Strategist and Assistant to Donald Trump, and is extremely influential to the president.

It’s easy to compare a bad situation to Hitler and Nazi Germany, but it’s also justified when the movements are so disturbingly similar. The Nazi’s rise to power began with talk of nationalism and directing hatred towards religious groups and immigrants. The Holocaust represented white supremacy and racism in its very worst form: the deaths of millions of people who were disliked by or disagreed with the government. Just listen to some of the things US government officials say about Muslims and replace the word “Muslims” with “Jews.” Are you concerned yet?

Obviously, I hope President Trump won’t be influenced by Steve Bannon to start constructing camps. However, that course of action wouldn’t even surprise me at this point, as the oppressive actions that have already been taken by the administration are truly terrifying. Racists and nationalists do not have anyone’s best interests at heart—particularly not non-white people’s—and they are an extremely dangerous threat to a tolerant, better world. We must learn from history and fight systemic and rampant racism, every single day.