The Woefully Myth-taken (part, the first)

 

Pilfering the term ‘myth-taken’ from Terry Pratchett’s lexicon, myth-taken can be applied to the actions of a disturbingly large demographic in the US of A.

Take the Trumpian/MAGA/Q GOP for example; they are seriously myth-taken. They are not simply mistaken on issues such as climate change, gun control and pandemic mitigation, bodily autonomy, etc., they are, more fundamentally, wrong. Yes, they espouse a contrary view to those on the ‘Left’, (or anyone slightly left of extreme right) but they also have a deeper problem; a melding of confirmation bias and cognitive dissonance. In short, they buy the lie. They are heavily invested in delusion. They take lame metaphor as truth, The delusions they cherish are many and layered, intertwined and inter-dependent.

They are myth-taken.

Offered here is an primer list of myths of the myth-taken.

One of their shared delusional myths is the one of white supremacy. The myth-taken are so invested in the myth of racial superiority that there is a separate, supporting myth called ‘The Myth of the Lost Cause’ which glorifies the Confederacy as a noble enterprise. The ‘ Cause’ was the preservation of a gentile way of life; one based on chivalry, honor and tradition. according to the myth. 

This supporting myth to the myth of white supremacy is meant to enable confirmation bias. The ‘Lost Cause’ is suffered by the perfect Southern man, a gentile and noble patriot. To assert that the Myth is not founded in truth is to deny each of them the role of ‘perfect Southern man’.

This is a regional myth, less substantial than Paul Bunyan or Johnny Appleseed and less believable. The fundamental tenet of the ‘Myth of the Lost Cause’ is that the American Civil War  - ‘War of Northern Aggression’, in the parlance of the Myth - was about the struggle for ‘states’ Rights’ and only incidentally about the issue of slavery. The Daughters of the Confederacy (arguably the initiators and propagators of the Myth) erected monuments to the glory of a seditious, treasonous, rebellious bunch of traitors so as to sow the meme-seeds of the Myth of the Lost Cause’.  Many Americans wear and display the emblems of the Lost Cause. Many consider these ensigns as ‘call-signs’ to other white supremacists and white nationalists. White supremacy groups in Germany (fascist right-wingers) have taken to displaying the Confederate battle flag, the Stars & Bars, as replacement for the banned Nazi flag.

Much has been done and written on the subject of slavery, reparations and civil rights. Constitutional Amendments were enacted, for instance. Yet much yet needs to be done. Dismantling the myth requires more than enactment of legislation. Criminalizing the display of sigils, signs and flags of the treasonous Confederacy would deprive the myth-taken of their symbols.  

Imagine a MAGA-mutt without his hat. Imagine the Jan 6 insurrection without Trump flags.