Pre-occupy, gender identity and race-based issues were known but not talked about a great deal in the public sphere. They weren’t the core identity of a large number of people, and they were something that was ‘allowed’ to be discussed without blind following or rage.
During occupy, OWS organizers started what they called an ‘egalitarian stance’, which was a way to reframe the available classes to fight against in class warfare, were those more privileged than you (race, gender, identity politics) instead of financial privilege. If you were a white male, whether disabled or had a speech impediment or whatever, you were more privileged than anyone and you lost your rung in the ladder, you were now the lowest class. White women were just above you. Minority groups (race and gender, poverty level not included) became the prevailing upper-class and had the most right to speak.
OWS quickly lost momentum after a number of changes like this, and the conversation was no longer about class warfare, but about privilege, meaning only race and gender (initially). I believe there were leaked documents (unsure if verified) that the FBI was seeking, or had gained, access to OWS leadership positions. It seems obvious they would attempt it. This is something someone will have to confirm or correct me on, because a quick search isn’t pulling the documents and I need to run.
Thank you! The whole identity politics movement has always seemed to have a malicious edge to it for me. There is obvious racism built right into a movement that is supposed to be antiracism, and I feel like I’m living in crazytown that so few people seem to see it, including several people that I consider very intelligent people. For all the “progress” we’ve made over the last 2 decades, it feels like race relations are worse than they were back then. It really felt like we were close to racial blindness in the mid 2000’s, and now the agenda is to make race at the core of everyone’s identity. Anyone who speaks up about not wanting that world is berated as a bigot, and if they happen to be people of color then they’re derided as uneducated, or ignorant. It has been very frustrating trying to navigate through the current antiracism ideology. Like any good doublespeak it has positive elements to it, but the actual goals seem to be far more malicious than stated.
Highlighting differences triggers a psychological instinct in many people to see somebody with different traits as “the others”. That’s the reason I’ve been bothered by it too.
Intersectionalism should’ve stayed an academic topic, because we need people to figure out who is hurt the most by what and where so that nobody’s case is forgotten, but making it part of people’s identity makes people divide themselves. The public focus should’ve been on policy and inclusion.
So I moved from an extremely racist shithole to a much less racist area in the aughts. That’s pretty much my perspective. I couldn’t compare much because literally I’m not being woken up by racial slurs every morning anymore. I may be an outlier if you think you’re trying to prove something.
In my experience racist places are even more racist now. Of course all of this is subjective, and not substantiated by data. But even just reading the news these days seems to substantiate my experience. Congratulations on getting away from the shit hole you were in back then!
The upper crust and intelligence apparatus was incredibly uncomfortable with OWS for obvious reasons.
Preface: short (2min) video of an Occupy meeting near the end https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W81A1kTXPa4
Pre-occupy, gender identity and race-based issues were known but not talked about a great deal in the public sphere. They weren’t the core identity of a large number of people, and they were something that was ‘allowed’ to be discussed without blind following or rage.
During occupy, OWS organizers started what they called an ‘egalitarian stance’, which was a way to reframe the available classes to fight against in class warfare, were those more privileged than you (race, gender, identity politics) instead of financial privilege. If you were a white male, whether disabled or had a speech impediment or whatever, you were more privileged than anyone and you lost your rung in the ladder, you were now the lowest class. White women were just above you. Minority groups (race and gender, poverty level not included) became the prevailing upper-class and had the most right to speak.
OWS quickly lost momentum after a number of changes like this, and the conversation was no longer about class warfare, but about privilege, meaning only race and gender (initially). I believe there were leaked documents (unsure if verified) that the FBI was seeking, or had gained, access to OWS leadership positions. It seems obvious they would attempt it. This is something someone will have to confirm or correct me on, because a quick search isn’t pulling the documents and I need to run.
Tangentially related, because who doesn’t love graphs and data: https://wtfhappenedin1971.com/
Thank you! The whole identity politics movement has always seemed to have a malicious edge to it for me. There is obvious racism built right into a movement that is supposed to be antiracism, and I feel like I’m living in crazytown that so few people seem to see it, including several people that I consider very intelligent people. For all the “progress” we’ve made over the last 2 decades, it feels like race relations are worse than they were back then. It really felt like we were close to racial blindness in the mid 2000’s, and now the agenda is to make race at the core of everyone’s identity. Anyone who speaks up about not wanting that world is berated as a bigot, and if they happen to be people of color then they’re derided as uneducated, or ignorant. It has been very frustrating trying to navigate through the current antiracism ideology. Like any good doublespeak it has positive elements to it, but the actual goals seem to be far more malicious than stated.
Highlighting differences triggers a psychological instinct in many people to see somebody with different traits as “the others”. That’s the reason I’ve been bothered by it too.
Intersectionalism should’ve stayed an academic topic, because we need people to figure out who is hurt the most by what and where so that nobody’s case is forgotten, but making it part of people’s identity makes people divide themselves. The public focus should’ve been on policy and inclusion.
You must have lived somewhere different than me in the mid 2000’s
Probably. Do you think that race relations are better now than they were then?
So I moved from an extremely racist shithole to a much less racist area in the aughts. That’s pretty much my perspective. I couldn’t compare much because literally I’m not being woken up by racial slurs every morning anymore. I may be an outlier if you think you’re trying to prove something.
In my experience racist places are even more racist now. Of course all of this is subjective, and not substantiated by data. But even just reading the news these days seems to substantiate my experience. Congratulations on getting away from the shit hole you were in back then!
Thanks. It feels weird sometimes. I haven’t even been invited to a book burning in over a decade and I’m wondering if I don’t fit in.
I know it’s an old comment but you aren’t crazy I’m right there with you on this topic.
Thanks for replying. I’m glad I’m not alone.
Liberalism doesn’t cure white supremacism, liberal.
Here is an alternative Piped link(s):
https://www.piped.video/watch?v=W81A1kTXPa4
Piped is a privacy-respecting open-source alternative frontend to YouTube.
I’m open-source; check me out at GitHub.