As an undergraduate at a small college in St. Paul, Minnesota, I took an introduction to Anthropology class, thinking that it would be an easy grade, maybe watch some films, churn out a paper or two. However, my hubris was soon humbled, as I discovered that many of the topics covered were fascinating and enlightening, to say the least.
As my instructor led us through the study of various cultures and peoples across the globe, and various anthropological schools of thought, I got hooked on the noted cultural anthropologist, Marvin Harris. Harris was a prolific researcher and writer, and a big proponent of “cultural materialism,” the view that human cultural practices and behaviors are heavily influenced by “material” factors such as the environment or accessibility of resources. As I read through his books, Cows, Pigs, Wars and Witches, Cannibals and Kings, and Why Nothing Works, I felt myself being convinced of Harris’ theories of cultural materialism.
Harris was a master at illustrating how ecology and social practice interact. The classic example he gave in his writings was the potlatch ritual of the Kwakiutl of Vancouver Island. A chief would show his worth by throwing a big party and giving away all of his possessions. Harris argued that this practice was a “great equalizer,” where the chief, after accumulating goods and wealth, redistributed this wealth to the community. Then the cycle would begin again. He argued that in a non-centralized society, this was an adaptive practice. For the chief to remain in power, the people needed provisions. This way, Kwakiutl society was not torn apart by competition for wealth and resources, between the “haves” and “have-nots.”
Another famous example given by Harris was the sacred cow among the Hindus of India. He argued that the veneration of the cow is based on ecological principles. Hindus achieve a balance between population density and food resources that cannot be maintained if everyone ate beef.
So, what’s my point? Stay with me, I’m getting there. Perhaps Harris’ most enlightening theory is the idea of a messiah, a common concept across many cultures, and one he also saw based on the availability of resources. A messiah is seen as the chosen one, a person who will save humanity from destruction, who will make everything alright. Harris gave examples of the cargo cults of Micronesia. After suffering the ravages of WWII, Micronesians were impressed by the technology of American soldiers. The people believed that the goods brought by westerners would bring them salvation and save them from starvation and disease.
Most of us are familiar with the messiah in Judeo-Christian religions. The messianic cults of Jim Jones, David Koresh, and Sun Myung Moon promised followers prosperity, fortune, and unlimited resources.
Harris made an interesting point about messiahs; the cultural expression is usually military. That is, the homeland must be restored by war. War is seen by Harris as a way of conserving resources. It is an agent of change and a return to prosperity, led by the messiah.
This weekend, the Conservative Political Action Committee [CPAC] is holding a conference in Orlando and, by all accounts, it is a cult extravaganza pushing warlike rhetoric. Incendiary speeches by Matt Gaetz, Josh Hawley, Kimberly Guilfoyle, and Ted Cruz call for supporters to fight for America, to fight against Antifa and left-wing Democrats. Don’t be mistaken. The language used by CPAC speakers, Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, and other extremist groups all call for war.
Harris argued that to get a society to follow a messiah and go to war, there needs to be a scapegoat. A scapegoat is a very effective tool in focusing cultural anger. In Cows, Pigs, Wars, and Witches, Harris gives an example of witch hunts during the middle ages. Plague and famine ravaged the European population. Communities rallied together during these stressful times by accusing witches (mostly women) of causing all of their misfortunes. If witches were eliminated, prosperity would return. Harris said cults tend to spring up when a society is under stress, when resources are scarce.
I think Harris was right. America is under great stress, with a raging pandemic that has claimed the lives of over half a million people, record unemployment, and the rise of extremist groups and hate crimes. If we apply his theories, the stressor is that White America is afraid. Let’s face it, since the inception of this country, wealthy, white people have always held the wealth and political power. As our world becomes more diverse and we fight to embrace those who do not conform to a “Beaver Cleaver” ideal of society, many become uncomfortable. Why would legislators in Georgia and 13 other states fight so hard to suppress minority votes?
If you have any doubt, watch clips of Rand Paul bizarrely grilling Dr. Rachel Levine, the first transgender cabinet member nominee in US history, about puberty suppression for minors. During Deb Haaland’s confirmation hearings last week, Republicans labeled her a “radical” over her calls to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and address climate change. Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy (R-La) called Haaland an outright, “neo-socialist, left-of-Lenin whack job.” A photo shows freshman congresswoman Lauren Boebert (R-Co) posing with automatic weapons and friends flashing white supremacy hand signs. And let’s not forget the push-back against the Black Lives Matter movement.
The voices of diverse Americans; Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Native Americans, African Americans, Hispanics, and LGBTQ citizens grow louder. The cry for equality and respect has much of White America running scared. This evident in the cult-like following that Trump leads, from those who still fly Trump flags to Republicans in Congress who spread lies about the election, climate change, and Antifa. It’s mind-boggling that a recent poll showed three in four Republicans think Trump won the election and Biden is an illegitimate president. This is cult-thinking.
Trump has somehow emerged as the messiah for White America, and the scapegoats are Democrats. We all know his campaign slogans “Make America Great Again” and “Keep America Great.” These slogans push a false narrative of white privilege and prosperity and continue to sow division in our communities. A Confederate flag was paraded through the Capital on January 6th. It is proof that America has still not come to terms with racism, bigotry, and the oppression of minorities and those who do not fit the mold.
I can only hope as we fight back against the pandemic and unemployment, we educate Americans about racial injustice and the Trump cult eventually dissipates. Then, one day it will be just another entry in Wikipedia. However, I, for one, do not want to become complacent or dismiss the cult-of-Trump. White supremacy, preservation of the status quo, and bigotry have no place in America. We should all work to replace it with empathy and understanding.
In closing, I’d like to include a quote from Marvin Harris that applies not only to women, but to all minority groups in America.
“Like all dominant groups, men seek to promote an image of their subordinate’s nature that contributes to the preservation of the status quo. For thousands of years, males have seen women, not as women could be, but only as males want them to be.” – Marvin Harris
Many thanks to Thomas Campbell for editing this blog post.