From Washington to Westminster, the populist right needs to erase history to succeed. It's up to us to resist | Kojo Koram

"In 1955, the American columnist William F Buckley Jr declared that a conservative is someone who stands athwart history, yelling Stop'. But today's conservatives are not only trying to resist the advance of history, they are attempting to pull the train of history backwards and reopen the case on what constitutes a democratic society. Last month, the Smithsonian's secretary received a letter from the Trump administration announcing that all exhibits deemed divisive or ideological should be replaced with those labelled historical and constructive."

"At first glance, it might seem absurd for a president juggling a global trade war caused by his avalanche of tariffs, domestic economic chaos caused by his big beautiful bill and intractable conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine to be fretting over museum artefacts. But these attacks are not just distractions from the major issues; they provide the ideological justification for real material and legislative changes that will impact people's day-to-day lives."

Contemporary conservatives are attempting to reverse historical progress and reopen debates about what constitutes a democratic society. The Smithsonian was told to replace exhibits deemed divisive or ideological with ones labelled historical and constructive. The published list of offending displays largely targeted artefacts highlighting Black, Latino and LGBTQ+ experiences. Cultural attacks serve as narrative doorways that enable laws and executive actions eroding rights for poor and vulnerable communities. Executive orders terminated DEI and accessibility initiatives across federal agencies and contractors, closed racial equity programmes and offices monitoring sexual harassment, and targeted disability rights compliance and outreach in disadvantaged communities.

Read at www.theguardian.com