Identity Politics

[Octavious]

Because political debate has been largely killed off on this site, let's start outsourcing it...

https://youtu.be/p9_bI789Gog

[TrPrado]

The cameraman was having a lot of fun during filming.

[ssorenn]

@Oct.

There’s no debate on that video. Spot on. The revolting PC culture that exists today will not endure.

[Incrementalist]

The guy doing the ranting is complaining about "identity politics" but he's as steeped in namby-pambiness as anyone else. His main beef (before venturing off on many tangents) is that Laura Ingalls Wilder has been dis-associated from some literary prize.

It's a namby-pamby complaint.

Almost everything worth reading never won anything.

[ssorenn]

Not sure this was about Laura Ingalls Wilder

[Incrementalist]

The Laura Ingalls Wilder thing with the prize was the impetus for the rant.

If he weren't so wounded by it, he would have thanked them for breaking the association with the prize, instead of complaining about the snub. That he didn't indicates he actually craves their approval. It's namby pamby.

[ssorenn]

So , if I’m holding up my three middle fingers at you, what do you see?

[Incrementalist]

So , if I’m holding up my three middle fingers at you, what do you see?

A guy who had to count to 21 (I.e. 10 fingers, 10 toes, and the "third middle finger") a moment before, then got angry and aroused at the same time?

In any case I guess I'll go ahead and take the bait on the broader subject.

Identity politics isn't actually going to result in anyone losing anything, because it's incompatible with socialism. Nobody is going to take anyone's money because of identity politics.

Simplifying things to a nearly cartoon-level, the left is divided into socialist-leaning, and identity-politics-leaning, factions.

The socialist faction proclaims the unity of the working class, and (because this is a bit of a cartoon) they also want your money to reshape society on economic-egalitarian lines. They also are currently getting nowhere.

The identity politics faction declares that racism, rather than economic injustice, is the highest priority. And it is the ascendant philosophy in the (neoliberal) Democratic party right now, because if racism is the problem, then global capitalism isn't.

This means everyone who is making money can just continue doing so, everyone who isn't making money doesn't really end up any worse off economically; perhaps some groups of people seem "uncool", but no one should care about that.

As such I don't see why anyone who isn't a socialist should worry too much about identity politics. It's not going to cost anyone anything.

[Kingdroid]

Good breakdown incrementalist. Identity politics is rampant on the right as well, just not in a seeking equality way. Conservatives seek to divide by splitting ppl up into tiny groups and pitting them against each other

[ssorenn]

@kingdroid- conservatives only classify leftists into 2 category’s. Dumb and dumber

[ssorenn]

Identity politics, a laugh. Everyone should grow a set of balls stop whining. Parents need to kick their kids outafter high school and make them fly. Or fall on your face and learn to pick yourself up.

[Incrementalist]

Identity politics, a laugh. Everyone should grow a set of balls stop whining.

I totally agree, and include people complaining about identity politics in the "stop whining" category. The guy in the video is reacting very emotionally to something that is ultimately not costing him anything except, maybe, a semblance of "uncoolness" to attach to him.

[Octavious]

The guy in the video is a left wing political satirist. His satire is based on his Jonathon Pie character who is a disillusioned political reporter ranting against the right and the painful inadequacies of the left in fighting the right.

What he objects to most of all with regard to identity politics is that it's costing the left votes. The public listen to left wingers sprouting this crap (and it is indeed crap) and so turned off that the left loses them. The guy in the video is reacting emotionally because he is losing a hell of a lot. He is losing a chance at a centre left government, and having it replaced by a world of Brexit and Trump.

[ssorenn]

Unfortunately there is no center left. The wedge continues the divide

[TrPrado]

I thought the fact it was supposed to be humorous was kind of obvious. The way the camera drifted around, the starting over, and at the end the joke about how he’s never seen Dumbo to explain why he wouldn’t understand why someone would be afraid a live action version could have semblances of racism highlighted that this was satirical. Poe’s law I guess.

[ssorenn]

I’m not whining. You can’t hurt my feelings. I’m well past all this bullshit. All this crap that words hurt. Get yourself a tissue and BLOW.

[Incrementalist]

Having never seen this guy before I got "Poe'd" by this "Pie" fellow. It was obviously ludicrous... but then again, so is Alex Jones.

Anyway... identity politics isn't "crap", it's a tool of division, and it's meant to be.

Used skillfully, socially-liberal capitalists can have both their social liberalism and their capitalism, by keeping the lower economic echelons from uniting in support of anti-capitalist measures.

Used clumsily, as in 2016, you cleave off too much support in absolute terms, lose a vote that was closer than strategists expected, and end up with President Trump.

I just find it ironic when actual conservatives complain about "identity politics". It's an in-fight on the left, and helps the subset of the left (the neoliberal capitalist faction) that is least threatening to their status quo.

[ssorenn]

You end up with Trump because Obama was a horrific president. Bends in the continuum don’t happen like that unless the demand is SO great. Thx Obama

[Octavious]

Conservatives are against new stuff that makes the world a worse place. That's pretty much the definition. Identity Politics is pretty much what conservatism is geared to opposing. Aside from its inherent vile repulsiveness it weakens the left and a strong left is vital to a successful democracy.

[LeonWalras]

I knew it was going to be Johnathan Pie. That is all.