I've actually been working on something about identity politics too. I disagree with some of Yascha Mounk and Kwame Anthony Appiah's politics, though they are relatively progressive, but the latter has some interesting things to say about identity in this interview. Keep in mind they aren't using the economic definition of liberalism in the talk too.
Here's a quote from Mounk, "Is the rise of the focus on gender and race, in part, a function of the success of the fight against class as a separate category?"
One more thing. The organizers in Philly who set about protesting the Dem convention may have tried to link up w other know public activist groups but they did not go sit down and break bread w the numerous private well-organized longtime neighborhood anarchist and art collectives in Philly (all over Philly, for generations). That was beyond dumb. And that’s not the fault of infiltrators; it’s the fault of dumb white people. Thousands of people live in anarchist collectives inside the city of Philadelphia. North Philly. South Philly. West Philly. Some of these compounds take up whole neighborhoods. Most are very diverse; some are almost all black; none are white. Almost all the local anarchist collective folk in Philly saw the noisy ineffective convention protestors for the morons that they were. (I lived in Philly from ‘85 - ‘93)
Also - while occupy represented a potential threat it never became an actual threat because it failed to do any real organizing. That is almost certainly at least partially because of infiltrators using identify politics but it’s also probably mostly just stupid naive lefties not having the fortitude to do the real heavy lifting. At some point you gotta stop marching and get out of the street and spend time with all diff kinds of people in their homes and really just listen and then strategize and figure out who your core group is and then build something. You have to convert or transform the galvanizing complaining pointing out the problem energy into constructive building a new thing energy. I know you know this crow but I don’t think most folk in occupy knew this. At least not then.
Amanda Seales did a whole (hysterically funny) stand up routine on the difference btwn “white people” and “people who just happen to be white.” I’ll try to find it. Also, in a more serious vein, if you haven’t read “Other People’s Children” by Lisa Delpit, you should.
Also - I’m somehow a white guy who “passes” the other way - meaning, most people of color don’t seem to think I’m white but most white people think I’m white (tho I do see some white people lookin at me kinda sideways sometimes, like they’re wondering).
I've actually been working on something about identity politics too. I disagree with some of Yascha Mounk and Kwame Anthony Appiah's politics, though they are relatively progressive, but the latter has some interesting things to say about identity in this interview. Keep in mind they aren't using the economic definition of liberalism in the talk too.
Here's a quote from Mounk, "Is the rise of the focus on gender and race, in part, a function of the success of the fight against class as a separate category?"
https://www.persuasion.community/p/-kwame-anthony-appiah-rethinking
One more thing. The organizers in Philly who set about protesting the Dem convention may have tried to link up w other know public activist groups but they did not go sit down and break bread w the numerous private well-organized longtime neighborhood anarchist and art collectives in Philly (all over Philly, for generations). That was beyond dumb. And that’s not the fault of infiltrators; it’s the fault of dumb white people. Thousands of people live in anarchist collectives inside the city of Philadelphia. North Philly. South Philly. West Philly. Some of these compounds take up whole neighborhoods. Most are very diverse; some are almost all black; none are white. Almost all the local anarchist collective folk in Philly saw the noisy ineffective convention protestors for the morons that they were. (I lived in Philly from ‘85 - ‘93)
Finally - I do absolutely believe in and practice miscegenation. The only way through is through. We gotta mix it up all the way. Hybrid vigor, baby.
Also - while occupy represented a potential threat it never became an actual threat because it failed to do any real organizing. That is almost certainly at least partially because of infiltrators using identify politics but it’s also probably mostly just stupid naive lefties not having the fortitude to do the real heavy lifting. At some point you gotta stop marching and get out of the street and spend time with all diff kinds of people in their homes and really just listen and then strategize and figure out who your core group is and then build something. You have to convert or transform the galvanizing complaining pointing out the problem energy into constructive building a new thing energy. I know you know this crow but I don’t think most folk in occupy knew this. At least not then.
Amanda Seales did a whole (hysterically funny) stand up routine on the difference btwn “white people” and “people who just happen to be white.” I’ll try to find it. Also, in a more serious vein, if you haven’t read “Other People’s Children” by Lisa Delpit, you should.
Also - I’m somehow a white guy who “passes” the other way - meaning, most people of color don’t seem to think I’m white but most white people think I’m white (tho I do see some white people lookin at me kinda sideways sometimes, like they’re wondering).
could you link to that comedy bit? I'm a firm believer that laughter is the best medicine.
I can’t find it. But my wife will know how to. Stay tuned.
It’s from her comedy special “I Be Knowin’.” The clip is not available by itself. I’m gonna rewatch the special if I can find time.
FELICES WEAPONIZATION Y NEVERMORE