A grudging conclusion

[sabotabby]

While I don't, personally, have tons of people in my social circle who have horrid ideas, if you expand to friends-of-friends, I encounter a ton of people with horrid ideas on a shockingly frequent basis.

A few weeks ago, I was trying to convince a friend of mine, who is PoC and an academic at one of the most progressive institutions in North America, that he is underestimating the influence and popularity of white supremacy, among other reasons, because he cannot by definition hear what white people say when they talk amongst themselves. I can, and do, and trust me, it's pretty gross. The BLM action on Sunday unleashed a geyser of bile, like a burst pimple, amongst Well Meaning Concerned Straight White Folks Who Are Just Concerned About Sending the Right Message, and I'm still scraping the pus off this morning. The highlight was arguing with a (presumably Jewish, by the name) fellow who posted a Milo Yiannopoulous video about BLM and seemed unaware that he was parroting the beliefs of a misogynistic shitstain who would happily herd him—and me—to the gas chamber and then get in right after us.

It's not far under the surface, festering there. That's why the overt eruptions—PEGIDA, Trump, the alt-right, and so on—are more significant than their actual numbers imply. The vast majority of all humans can't logic worth a damn, and all it takes is the right vile viral idea for them to latch on.

Why the right has been more successful than the left on this is outside the scope of my little rant, but it has been. The fact that it's been able to infiltrate this far into my carefully cultivated echo chamber is proof of just how easy it is to slip into reactionary thinking.

Comments

[rdi.livejournal.com]

The right is more successful because it attracts people who are followers - the authoritarian personalities. You’ve probably already seen this Vox article on American authoritarianism but I’ll leave with here just in case.

[sabotabby]

Agreed (and yes, I have) but I also think that there's a critical failure on the left to understand populism and make it work for us. It's not like there haven't been and aren't currently popular leftist movements, but somehow in North America most of us have forgotten how to make it happen.

[rdi.livejournal.com]

I suspect the left actually regards populism with a degree of suspicion. (Look at what’s happening to Corbyn.) And there’s a long history in North America of concerted efforts to undermine left-wing institutions, which makes it hard to build up any kind of institutionalized leftist movement. We’ve had it better in Canada than in the US (CCF/NDP) but Jack Layton was the first charismatic and left-ish leader in a long time. And the Liberals play the “campaign from the left, govern from the right” game better than anyone.

The Thatcher (may she rot in hell) and Reagan years also fundamentally changed the rules, and it seems to me that the left has been floundering since – they’ve either tried playing by the old rules or enthusiastically adopted the new ones, but haven’t been able to present anything new and convincing.

The left is also very prone to the narcissism of minor differences. The Judean People’s Front lives on.

[sabotabby]

Agreed on all of this.

[princealberic.livejournal.com]

Honestly, I think populism (in the sense of it that is similar to the shitstain movements, not in the sense of "is very popular and is in touch with people") would only be a good short-term thing for the left. I think it would be crap if it became an actual long-term strategy of some kind. I'd be wary of anything of that kind because I can see it turning into pandering to a certain demographic.

[sabotabby]

The distinction's an important one. But retreating into a professional and academic elite has been disastrous, so I'm willing to look at any alternative whatsoever.

[princealberic.livejournal.com]

A Straight White Person really has nothing to do with BLM or Pride, so I don't know why they think their opinions matter in this case.

Wait, yes, I do know.

[sabotabby]

I know exactly why. :(

[whatifoundthere.livejournal.com]

You would probably rather have your eyes gouged out than read yet another thinkpiece about this shit, but I love George Saunders' writing SO MUCH, and his piece about Trump is moving and uncomfortable and searing, so I'm going to risk recommending it. Apropos your question, he writes:

A bully shows up, is hateful, says things so crude we liberals are taken aback. We respond moderately. We keep waiting for his supporters, helped along by how compassionately and measuredly we are responding, to be persuaded. For the bully, this is perfect. Every fresh outrage pulls the camera back to him, and meanwhile those of us moderately decrying his immoderation are a little boring and tepid, and he keeps getting out ahead of us. He has Trumpmunity: his notions are so low and have been so many times decried, and yet they keep arriving, in new and escalating varieties, and the liberal imagination wilts.

I love Tricia Lockwood's piece too, but I would walk to Yellowknife barefoot to read just about anything she writes.

[sabotabby]

Nah, I'll never tire of "I was actually there" thinkpieces. But I'm exceptionally, ludicrously drunk right now For Reasons, so I'm gonna read tomorrow.

[resonant.livejournal.com]

I act

[resonant.livejournal.com]

I actually laughed out loud when I learned of the BLM protest. John Tory had said Pride should stop being political, even though it started as a political statement, which irked me. BLM restored Pride's integrity as a means of communicating a political message.

[sabotabby]

He is the most apolitical ideologue I've ever heard of.

And agreed.