My fortnight of mindful recovery came to an abrupt end this week, by two events— first, mind-numbing boredom and secondly, the GOP’s actions.

I’ve previously written about how the GOP is an increasingly illiberal right-wing party, whose interests are not served by protecting democracy or the rule of law. Trump and the 6th January run on Capitol Hill are merely manifestations of the GOP’s positions.  

I am not writing to add my voice condemning the run on Capitol Hill: this is a given. Instead, I want you to see the world through my eyes and what I think are the Capitol Hill shit show’s ramifications for people of colour.

The bloodless coup

Our skin colour (black, white, indigo) primarily comes from skin pigment (eu)melanin. 

If the melanin (skin pigment) content of the individuals who stormed Capitol Hill were higher than some of the probable outcomes or descriptors would be:

• Mass arrests 
• Incarceration
• Domestic terrorism
• Black Lives Matter riot
• Riot
• Looting
• Bloodbath/massacre
• Trespass and
• Armed insurgency
• Crimes against the state: sedition

The outcome would not be a multi-hour standoff, with no arrests and minimal casualties. The cabal invading Capitol Hill appeared to come from all walks of American life – poor, rich, educated, uneducated, male and female. What I can say for sure is this:

• the colour of their skin appears to be uniformly white
• there were ZERO consequences to their actions.

This sh*t show was nothing more than a pure, unadulterated display of white privilege that would make any Confederate proud.

The American social construct

I have been thinking a lot about social constructs and design.

Harari describes societies’ evolution (from small hunter-gather groups to agricultural-based communities) as possible because of inter alia social constructs. 

By whatever means (violent, non-violent), a social construct is characterised by laws and informal rules that we have all agreed to abide by to ensure social order.  

I will add that most of these laws protect property rights.  

Harari adds that rights such as human rights are an evolutionary concept of social constructs. 

Within the American social construct, what is clear is this: White privilege exists and gives access to entitlement, property and wealth that no other skin colour gives. This point is uncontroversial.

As a person of colour, if you are African-American or brown (as I am), you occupy the space permitted by white privilege. You have to continually adapt to the changing perimeters of white privilege. E.g., the cancellation of HB1 visas directly affects people of colour; similarly, three strikes law infamously affects African-American men, then it does any other racial group.

The evolutionary state of the social construct

In my view, the Capitol Hill events only make things worse for people of colour. Before social constructs are established, there is a nefarious stage of herding people to agree to laws. Whomever is in charge essentially is quashing any form of dissent till there is compliance. These events are rarely without bloodshed. 

Capitol Hill’s events demonstrate this: The GOP and those exercising white privilege are attacking the American social construct from two positions. 

First, from the outside and arguing that there is no American society to which we agree to (the militia position) and secondly, from within the social construct, exercising their white privilege.

In the process, the GOP and its supports undermine democracy, the rule of law and the American way of life as we know it.

The fall-out will be borne (as it always has) by people of colour. Questions of white privilege now occupy the space in American discourse created over the summer to discuss Black Lives Matter; understanding white people’s problems, etc.

The 6th January was a bad day for America. It was an even worse day for people of colour.