Moralizing Race Produces Reciprocal Tribalism

When political or cultural communities convert grievance into moral absolutes tied to racial identity, members tend to mobilize reciprocal material and reputational support for ingroup transgressions (fundraising, legal defense, and public reframing), while outsiders respond in kind—creating cycles of mutual escalation and norm erosion. — Identifying this mechanism explains why isolated incidents quickly become nationalized, why institutions lose neutral adjudicative capacity, and suggests interventions should target the signaling and fundraising dynamics that sustain tribal escalation.