There are so many white people who are mad at the people who did not vote, and I am sick of them at this point. People are so obsessed with the idea that if the current system remains in place and keeps running, there would never be any problems with society. Black people have been discussing the issues with the imperial United States for centuries, and instead of considering that we might have a point, there has been a rabid need to shut down our voices. With all the blame and anger, I firmly believe that if nothing had happened to the majority under Trump’s reelection, everyone would still be gaslighting us, and telling us that we simply needed to “work harder” to be treated as human beings.
Beneficiaries of the dominant narrative are making the argument for torture, because it seems to be that they only recognize the problem with the current system now that they have been made to see its issues. During chattel slavery, that belief in pain manifested in some of the most traumatizing violence the world has ever seen. However, most of the beneficiaries were shielded from pain, whether physical, environmental, or financial–especially later when the middle class was created after World War II. Now, instead of being able to smirk at people and say that people need to be willing to “work,” they are realizing that everything costs too much and there is no way to become financially responsible. It seems that only expensive groceries could teach them that lesson.
Another thing to understand is that beneficiaries are not actually mad that people refused to vote, because voter participation has actually decreased since the Obama years. Through the years, the ruling class and beneficiaries never had to worry about the outcome because they had enough money to solve all their problems. Now that prices are skyrocketing and nobody has any clear picture on how to improve the economy for non-wealthy people, “suddenly” not voting is a really big problem. In this way, the beneficiaries demonstrate that they are only mad that privilege was not protected, despite several policy analysts explaining the consequences of Project 2025. Even though people claim that they want 100% participation, beneficiaries hemmed and hawed when accusations of disenfranchisement were placed before them.
One thing that is abundantly clear about beneficiaries demanding that people “come together” to restore their privilege is that once restored, they would abandon everyone who helped them regain their status. If retirement accounts went back up tomorrow, groceries came down, and property management companies charged less on rents, beneficiaries would see no reason to be out in the streets. I have known many people who have either a) appeared downtrodden and abandoned me once they were in a place of comfort, or b) continued to think themselves doing me a favor if they engaged with me after receiving my help. Beneficiaries are only “downtrodden” now because instead of being able to avoid mishap, the greed and corruption is affecting them, and they have no one to blame but themselves for not listening. If they received everything they feel they deserved, they would return to seeing marginalized stories as “entertainment,” as opposed to real warnings about the dangers of the status quo.
Sadly, beneficiaries are not acknowledging that bridges were burned through gaslighting and hoarding resources, which is step number one is rebuilding trust. When they were kept safe, they had smirks and laughter for everyone enduring hardship and working to make the world better for everyone. Policies that helped them destroyed others, but they had smug satisfaction that never quit for everyone who described any sort of struggle. Basic human decency would say that marginalized people do not appreciate beneficiaries’ dismissal of pain and hardship, and leaving such a toxic mindset is required to keep safe. No one is really looking to run back to the meetings and the marches with those who were perfectly happy to turn a blind eye as policies destroyed long-term social networks.
In all honesty, beneficiaries fail to understand a world they cannot control, which is why they keep doubling down on the “importance of institutions.” For voting to be a true equivalent of civic participation, there would need to be no barriers to participation, but when people point out barriers, we are presented with hours of justification for why things have to stay the same. There are only two parties who both get rich from the pain of others, but beneficiaries do not care about the majority of the population–just their money and status. Beneficiaries cannot comprehend that to actually validate voting, they would need to concede some of their power and level the playing field, but selfish people have no interest in vulnerability. Simply put, those obsessed with voting refuse to get out of their own way, and create a more equitable world where voting might matter.
People cannot work with people who offer next to nothing, demand everything, and retaliate when held accountable for anything. Stop obsessing about voting and demanding that BIPOCQ citizens “respect” a world where we gain nothing for your comfort. If there is a sincere interest in collaboration, the folks who have benefited from the dominant narrative will need to do most of the work coming towards the people they abandoned. “Voting” is not collaboration and it puts beneficiaries in positions of power, instead of building equality or liberation.
Chasing A Dying Empire 