In the very long term, yes, people act against their best interests. But a poor white person stands to gain something in a more racist world. A far right dictatorship sounds inherently bad to you or me. Even if we weren’t personally affected by it at all, it would be bad. But a lot of people don’t notice or don’t care. Before society completely collapses, a straight white Christian male does stand to gain from others being oppressed.
What exactly are they gaining? An authoritarian state isn’t going to make them richer or increase their personal freedoms, except to discriminate against outgroups. Which might sound fun if you’re an asshole, until you realize that you belong to one of the myriad outgroups, too (in addition to the outgroup of “people who aren’t wealthy”). And there’s always the risk of being falsely accused, which is a big deal if the state says “fuck y’all” to due process.
White person who is part of the in-group now probably doesn’t realize they won’t always be part of the in-group. They stand to gain from the relative balance of power in society shifting more toward them while it lasts. Even if their groceries are more expensive, their opportunities more limited, their freedoms curtailed, they will benefit from a higher social status of being part of the in-group and loudly supporting the oppression of the out-group. The out-group will have even more expensive groceries, even fewer opportunities and freedoms. By comparison, the in-group is elevated. I don’t think we should pretend that fascists and the complicit are not acting in their best interest. They are, for now.
In the very long term, yes, people act against their best interests. But a poor white person stands to gain something in a more racist world. A far right dictatorship sounds inherently bad to you or me. Even if we weren’t personally affected by it at all, it would be bad. But a lot of people don’t notice or don’t care. Before society completely collapses, a straight white Christian male does stand to gain from others being oppressed.
What exactly are they gaining? An authoritarian state isn’t going to make them richer or increase their personal freedoms, except to discriminate against outgroups. Which might sound fun if you’re an asshole, until you realize that you belong to one of the myriad outgroups, too (in addition to the outgroup of “people who aren’t wealthy”). And there’s always the risk of being falsely accused, which is a big deal if the state says “fuck y’all” to due process.
White person who is part of the in-group now probably doesn’t realize they won’t always be part of the in-group. They stand to gain from the relative balance of power in society shifting more toward them while it lasts. Even if their groceries are more expensive, their opportunities more limited, their freedoms curtailed, they will benefit from a higher social status of being part of the in-group and loudly supporting the oppression of the out-group. The out-group will have even more expensive groceries, even fewer opportunities and freedoms. By comparison, the in-group is elevated. I don’t think we should pretend that fascists and the complicit are not acting in their best interest. They are, for now.