I hope I’m wrong to see it as racism returning to the mainstream. Indeed, I hope that the long, agonizingly slow erosion of racial fixations from our society will continue. But I found it interesting to see a Washington Post blog post explaining a recently minted epithet—“cuckservative”—chiefly with reference to the president of a “white nationalist” organization.


Apparently, we have such things in the United States, credible enough to get online ink from a major newspaper. I’m not against reporter Dave Weigel’s use of the source. I take it as confirmation that some of our ugliest politicians have even uglier supporters.


I don’t think it’s likely, but one can imagine a situation where these currents join a worsening economic situation to sow public distemper that gives actual political power to racists. Were some growing minority of political leaders to gain by advocating for ethnic or racial policies, do not count on the “good ones” standing against them. Public choice economics teaches that politicians will prioritize election over justice, morality, or any other high-minded concept.

It is poor civic hygiene to install technologies that could someday facilitate a police state. That includes a national ID system. I’ve had little success, frankly, driving public awareness that the U.S. national ID program, REAL ID, includes tracking of race and ethnicity that could be used to single out minorities. But that’s yet another reason to oppose it.
If the future sees no U.S. national ID materialize, and no political currents to exploit such a system for base injustice and tragedy, some may credit the favorable winds of history. Others may credit the Cato Institute and its fans. We’re working to prevent power from accumulating where it can be used for evil.