Posted on 07/11/2019 12:07:33 PM PDT by Kaslin
When Mary Katharine Ham and I speak publicly about our book, End of Discussion, we often spend a fair amount of time lingering on the subject of the Left's weaponization of identity politics. Leftists very frequently seek to disqualify opposing viewpoints by claiming that those with different ideas are motivated by prejudice or bigotry, citing a parade of "-isms" as a substitute for substantive debate. This has become such a standard form of discourse, we've argued, that when internal disagreements arise, many people apply the same demagogic tactics on their fellow partisans, having effectively forgotten how to argue in good faith or on the merits.
An example we've employed in the past is the minor tempest that was stirred when the left flank of the Democratic Party opposed a trade deal that was favored by President Obama. In advancing his position, Obama referred to one of his critics on this issue -- Senator Elizabeth Warren (who has other identity issues of her own making) -- as "Liz" in an interview. This touched off criticism within the party among some who charged that Obama's use of a nickname was dismissive and therefore sexist. Others, offended that Obama was being given the Republican treatment on that front, wondered whether lobbing false claims of sexism at the first black president might have some problematic racial undertones. Welcome to the Woke Whirlwind, Democrats.
Joe Biden has now been victimized by this same toxic environment, in which his (popular) 1970's stance on mandatory school busing has been turned into a cudgel to portray him as racially insensitive...by a woman of color who turns out to basically, um, share his policy position on the issue. The point of the attack wasn't the policy; it was the identity politics. And it was unleashed minutes after the aggressor asserted, to applause, that the audience wasn't interested in witnessing a nasty "food fight." She then promptly flung fist-full of mashed potatoes at Biden, and fundraised off of it by selling t-shirts celebrating that premeditated moment. Now we have the latest iteration of the revolution turning inward, with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez furiously responding to pointed criticisms of her tactics and behavior from the Democratic Speaker of the House by rushing down the well-trod path to the identity politics well:
. @AOC gets tough on Pelosi:
"The persistent singling out . . . it got to a point where it was just outright disrespectful . . . the explicit singling out of newly elected women of color.”https://t.co/VRCti8vWT4— Yashar Ali ?? (@yashar) July 11, 2019
She later clarified that she "absolutely" does not consider Pelosi a racist, of course -- just as Kamala Harris so generously said about Biden, despite implying the opposite. AOC is just asking questions, you see, and again suggesting that sharp criticism of her squad is literally dangerous ("incitement," perhaps?), another familiar silencing tactic:
...knowing the amount of death threats we get, knowing the amount of concentration of attention, I think it’s worth asking why.”— Manu Raju (@mkraju) July 11, 2019
Consider it a warning shot, old, white, Democrats. If a political skirmish breaks out, identity will be gratuitously raised and used as a weapon. You'd best understand and fear the hierarchy. Ah, but both wings of the party can play that game:
including two black men who actually experienced the segregated South.” 2/2— Jonathan Martin (@jmartNYT) July 11, 2019
Those points were reportedly disseminated in a mass internal email among Democrats. It's true that AOC's chief of staff -- last seen wearing a shirt bearing the visage of a literal Nazi collaborator -- has indeed done precisely that. I expect that fact has been tucked away in the grievance file by his intra-party critics for the next time he or his boss are defending the Squad's anti-Semitism. These are the rules you've created, liberals. Enjoy.
When they start killing each other let me ke know.
Let the sharks feed....on each other. Solves many problems.
Can’t wait until Stalin v. Trotsky Reloaded.
What? How is Ilhan Omar touching an American flag and not bursting into flames?
This is what happened with the French revolution.
It’s explained here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dwz_Z62e0s
I see the left in the US today as having a lot in common with the revolutionaries in france. And that turned out rather badly for everyone. The good news is we have the constraint of our constitution, which makes it MUCH harder to do it here.
Click the Pic
Who said the revolution would not be televised?
Tee
Hee
Yup. While they’re doing this, all of us, especially Trump, should sit back and enjoy watching the circular firing squad.
Yes, much harder. But take away the Electoral College, and we’d be well down the path by now . . . we’ll see if Trump can turn it around in time.
I know it’s tempting to rejoice at this family feud... but they are the Mensheviks and the Bolsheviks and we are the Kulaks. Whichever of their side wins, they will still want to exterminate us.
We better start playing hard ball like they do or we’ll end up like the Kulaks.
AOC and her Muslim groupies are Trotskyites. They are purists who have no sense of political power but are thoroughly engaged in defining the world through their collectivist eyes. They are not rational but are, instead, True Believers who beat their opponents with ploughshares, not knowing how to forge real weapons.
Pelosi and fellow travelers are Stalinists. They wield their power to enhance their position. They are not ideologues but will demand whatever position they believe will belittle Republicans. They are political absolutists who believe only in themselves. They will employ the populism of the Trotskyites in their quest for power. Once achieved AOC and friends become useless idiots, a threat to their authority, and candidates for extermination.
The Democrat party is Communism in the US. It can be viewed logistically and politically in no other light.
Won’t get to that, Pelosi will just turn the DNC money machine loose to get their primary opponents elected.
I just hope it’s not like ants where you smack four of them only to find 40 more.
A coalition of collectives make up the ‘rat party. Of course they will turn on each other. They’ll start bumping into each other in the ‘rat maze. There is nowhere to go. It’s beginning. Enjoy the show. Stay safe.
I see the Democrat party now as psychotic Marxists. What they are saying now is so far removed from the real world it doesn’t even make sense if you think about it.
Psychotic Episode Number 1: “We need to sue all the pharmaceutical companies and put their corporate officers in prison because they are responsible for the opiod crisis.”
Problem 1: It’s not true. The problem is a combination of over prescription of pain meds by certain doctors (legal/illegal opiods), and stuff manufactured in China and smuggled in through Mexico (illegal/illegal opiods). Pharmaceutical companies are under the magnifying glass all the time in the U.S., they know if they make the slightest mistake they will have a battery of PI attorneys immediately filing class actions against them. So it’s just a fantasy they are out there flooding the market with harmful drugs. But of course, the marxist Democrats don’t want to do anything about either Mexico, since they need open borders and an ever-increasing flood of illegals, or China, a quasi ally since they continue to finance the socialist agenda through cheap goods and credit. (That is, until our economy totally collapses because of the government’s fiscally irresponsible policies and China says “pay up.”)
Problem 2: The result of such action will mean the companies will just withdraw from the market. So the next time you go get an operation or have your wisdom teeth removed you get told, sorry we don’t have any painkillers any longer.
Psychotic Episode Number 2: “We need to sue all the energy companies and put their corporate officers in prison because they didn’t warn us about global warming, which they must have known about.”
Problem 1: No they didn’t know about global warming, which is simply a progressive hypothesis without anything to back it up.
Problem 2: So what were they supposed to have done? Stop selling all petroleum products? (Like cigarettes.)
It’s all just absurd if you spend thirty seconds thinking about it.
The entity that the Democrats most remind me of is the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. They were totally nuts.
You said it much more intellectually than I... I was just going to say that these are just ‘lover’s spats’ and that they still hate us more than each other, and will reunite to try to destroy us.
I meant to include you in my previous post.
Very Well Said.
Godless Narcissists trying to get along? Good luck with that. Kind of predictable if you ask me. Humility, perhaps the most Godly character trait is least found among these egomaniacs.
Well, we did tell them to sit on it and spin.
How many revolutions per minute?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
