It is one of those chicken or egg questions. Did tribalization of the American culture result in the various so-called diversity laws and programs? Or … are the programs the unfortunate outcome of tribalization?
Regardless of the genesis, one thing is painfully obvious. The once dominant American culture has now been Balkanized into an array of special interest groups in a state of competition for wealth and power. There is no longer an overarching dedication to a common American culture. In fact, there seems to be a profound disdain for American culture, history and exceptionalism among the radical left.
No matter the positive motivations by the proponent of the universal diversity matrix, the consequences have been destructive to the cohesive cultural bond. In every portion of American life – government, business, entertainment, news, education, religion – we see the stresses and impacts of forced diversity trumping unity.
Even when political and cultural questions rage, there can be unifying acceptance of an overarching bond of common belief. Since patriotism is the reflection of a devotion to a culture, it is the primary victim of the breakdown of a culture. We can see when e pluribus unum gave way to tribalization by the disrespect for the iconic symbols and rituals of unity Patriotism collapses.
The attacks on the flag … the National Anthem … and the Pledge of Allegiance … are indicative of the rejection of the common bond. They are the primary manifestations of unity and patriotism. Reject them, and you reject commitment to a common culture. Not feeling patriotic and proudly saluting the flag, singing the National Anthem or reciting the Pledge of Allegiance are overt rejections of a common American culture.
Fewer and fewer folks living in America display the flag on holidays. It is also used to express contempt for the American culture the flag symbolizes – it burned, stomped on and generally mistreated by those with grievances against America.
The playing or singing of the National Anthem is waning. Virtually all media outlets played the National Anthem at some point in the broadcast day. Today, only FOX News maintains that tradition. Playing the National Anthem is no longer an integral part of sports events. And when it is played, individual players and fans disrespect both the flag and the National Anthem.
The once ubiquitous Pledge of Allegiance has vanished from public schools – along with the National Anthem. They are no longer fixed features of civic and political dinners. What can be more indicative of the rejection of a belief in a common culture than to reject an expression of allegiance to it?
As devotion to a common American culture wanes, we see the symbols of tribalism rise to preeminence. In the past, the division of our citizenry subcategories — such as Italian-American or gay-American – left the emphasis on American. The gay flag and colors are seen more than the American flag or red, white and blue graphics in many places. The American Black community evolved into a tribe with its own “national anthem” and holiday, Kawanza, as a rival to Christmas. After hundreds of years on North American soil, Blacks embraced a faux African tribal culture. Muslims matriculating to America want to enforce their traditions over those of American culture and live under Sharia Law. There have been cases in which immigrants from India have engaged in “honor killing” against offspring taking up American ways.
Forced diversity is creating nonsensical situations in academia. Diversity programs in institutions of higher learning like Harvard have put the enrollment of Asians in opposition to the enrollment of Blacks. They compete based on tribal markers – skin color – and not academic excellence.
The new diversity rules in Hollywood have pitted historic reality against arbitrary standards. The Oscar for Best Picture can no longer be awarded to the best picture, but to the best picture that complies is strict diversity requirements. A director who wants the coveted Oscar would have to bend history in a movie about Henry VIII by having a royal court composed of Blacks, Asians and a transgender or two.
The crisis at the southern border is another product of tribalism. People enter America in violation of the national laws. While they seek a better life or in some cases the pursuit of crime, they are not “pledged” to the American culture. They access many of the rights of citizenship without taking on the responsibilities of citizenship. They become a special interest group and, at best, assimilate into one of the established American tribes.
While conservatives have seen America as the melting pot in which each culture contributes to America, but where a process of generational assimilation melds people into a multi-cultural individual – a cultural American. Those on the left, who make diversity an institutional prerequisite, see America as a bucket of rocks – white, black, brown, red and yellow – that permanently exist as competitive cultures.
Natural diversity and assimilation are key elements of an immigrant culture as is the United States. Conversely racial and other prejudices are rooted out by education and law. However, the progressive’s forced diversity programs have been destructive to the American culture by shattering the concepts of assimilation, unity and e pluribus unum into a land of a complex network competing tribal interests played against each other for political advantage.
Forced diversity is a byproduct of woke identity politics. Both are divisive. Both breakdown the overarching American culture into rival tribes being pitted against each other by the political puppet masters of the progressive left.
American culture is based on protecting diversity – minority protections – while promoting assimilation. Locking diverse groups into permanent political classes is, by definition, tribalization – and is contrary to the traditional American culture, American Exceptionalism and what made America great. The greatest threat to the American Republic is tribalization based on identity politics.
So, there ‘tis.