Chronicles of Organized Violence

We all had front-row seats at the reports of organized violence; the riots at the Capitol that reminded us that democracy, human rights and the preeminence of law are fragile.

Following the horrors of World War II, the United Nations had the objective of upholding fundamental rights. Nevertheless, the caste system persists and succeeds in shaking the temple’s foundation: democracy.

In her book “Caste,” Isabel Wilkerson recalls the presence of this system in Western societies. The author refers to the idea that social status at birth being linked to “race”* is unalterable, that the dominant white caste is “pure” and must be protected from pollution by “inferior” castes, that the members of the white caste are superior: certain positions are reserved for them, with no regard for merit.

The motivations underlying the riots at the Capitol are not new ones in the history of the United States; they are a part of a continuum linked to the American Civil War.

These riots are an indirect reaction to the election of Vice President Kamala Harris (with mixed “race” origins) after the presidency of Barack Obama, who defied the caste system. This election reactivated racist prejudice and was seen as a transgression. Otherwise, how would you explain the fact that the Republicans gave their support to a president who supported the most radical and racist elements of his country?

Obama’s presidency was attacked, along with his legitimacy and his ability to occupy such a position (according to Donald Trump, Obama was born in Kenya and couldn’t seek the presidency) and, as he was presumed to be Muslim, his objective was to undermine America. This was more than just a lie; this birtherism (the belief that Obama did not possess the right to hold the presidency) was inspired by intolerance and by upholding the exclusion of certain members of the American nation.

Trump’s entrance into the political world follows the emergence of the Tea Party. With the slogan “Make America Great Again,” Trump criticized the fact that the White House was occupied by a Black person. With this slogan, he appealed to Confederate America, to the period where the country was not besieged by immigrants and non-Christians, to the America before the civil rights movement. Trump exploited white supremacy in feeding certain fears.

An Illustration of the Caste Concept

The actions of the police toward Black Lives Matter protesters compared to those of the rioters at the Capitol is an illustration of the caste concept, which claims certain castes are targets of dehumanization and stigmatization through ignoring the human dignity of their members and subjecting them to arbitrary treatment and unjust punishment. The management of riots is not unlike racial profiling: the over-surveillance of people of color and the under-surveillance of white people. Merrick Garland, the attorney general,** stressed that the rule of law is the “very foundation of our democracy. The essence of the rule of law is that like cases are treated alike: That there not be one rule for Democrats and another for Republicans, one rule for friends, another for foes, one rule for the powerful, and another for the powerless.”

These attacks on democracy and the rule of law force us to reflect on the reach of freedom of expression when it allows the transmission of lies and misinformation, even propaganda, in the service of a political party and threatens, therefore, democracy itself.

Freedom of expression permits the exercise of other rights. Essential to political participation, this liberty protects freedom of speech and belief, as well as sharing opinions, asserting arguments and debating publicly.

The notion of a marketplace of ideas dictates that in a society with a free marketplace of ideas, we must make room for racist, sexist and offensive discourse because the competitive and normative aspects of the marketplace will see that the best idea takes priority. This reasoning neglects the privilege given to certain groups. It ignores the effects of systematic racism that act as an obstacle for people of color in this market. We cannot ignore that the current context of political discourse can eat away at both the foundations of free expression and the right to equality. What actions must be taken when we notice that such a market can no longer self-regulate?

Journalistic norms acted as guardrails, but these guardrails do not exist on social media. That is, without taking into account that the massive distribution of messages on social networks has an influence on traditional media as well.

The contexts regarding Americans, Canadians and Quebecois are different, but certain foundations are similar. We must be vigilant. The “white victimization” discourse that is disseminated in the United States echoes here too. Here, we’ve heard arguments stating that “discrimination against whites is just as grave as that against non-whites.” Here, too, we minimize or deny systematic racism while we highlight discourse that attacks certain minorities and ostracizes immigration.

It’s time to recognize such systematic problems as well as social, political and economic inequalities. The systemic approaches that have been advocated for women are effective; they have increased their presence in every sector. It is time to move on to the next social reforms so that equality may be a tangible reality. As Arnold Schwarzenegger said, serving the state is “serving something larger than yourself.”

*Race is a social and political construct.

**Editor’s note: President Joe Biden has nominated Merrick Garland to be the U.S. Attorney General, but the Senate has not yet confirmed him.