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> Democratic Party leaders, pioneers of the costless gesture, have already embraced this performative race politics as a useful tool for disciplining apostates

> Democratic Party leaders, pioneers of the costless gesture, have already embraced this performative race politics as a useful tool for disciplining apostates like Bernie Sanders. Bernie took off in presidential politics as a hard-charging crusader against a Wall Street-fattened political establishment, and exited four years later a self-flagellating, defeated old white man who seemed to regret not apologizing more for his third house. Clad in kente cloth scarves, the Democrats who crushed him will burn up CSPAN with homilies on privilege even as they reassure donors they’ll stay away from Medicare for All or the carried interest tax break. It's useful to keep in mind what's actually happening to people like Taibbi, Greenwald etc. For years, they've been trying to lead the class-war faction of the left - for them race was irrelevant and distracted from the actual problems, for which they had a ready made solution. These solutions, M4A, etc, didn't have to deal with race. But, this faction lost. There's not conspiracy, people just didn't want what Bernie, Taibbi, et all were selling, that's all. The faction that did win does in fact talk about race and now Taibbi is out in the cold. But it's alright, this isn't the French Resolution, no one is coming for his head. He's just gonna have to take a back seat and wield less power. He'll be fine.

AnthonyMouse 6y ago
> The faction that did win does in fact talk about race and now Taibbi is out in the cold. But it's alright, this isn't the French Resolution, no one is coming for his head. He's just gonna have to take a back seat and wield less power. He'll be fine. If the dynamic you're describing is correct (not saying it is) then this conclusion is wrong. When insecure people gain power they try to disenfranchise their enemies. But they have no real power over the far-enemies. Some conservative in a conservative stronghold with conservative employees and customers can't get canceled because nobody who could cancel them is inclined to do it. The people who get their heads chopped off (or get fired or harassed etc.) are the near-enemies, who are the easiest to sacrifice when the new regime wants to prove it can put heads on spikes, because they're at the same time close enough to be vulnerable but far enough to be targets.
frabbit 6y ago
I agree with most of what you write except this part: But, this faction lost. There's not conspiracy, people just didn't want what Bernie, Taibbi, et all were selling, that's all. There was and is a conspiracy in plain sight, that is the control of media to present only two options: capitalist racists versus neoliberal thugs. All polling suggests (and has done for a long time) that the US public is far to the left of either the Dems or Republicans on a bunch of issues to do with foreign relations and domestic policy. This is not reflected in the media.

AnthonyMouse 6y ago

> The faction that did win does in fact talk about race and now Taibbi is out in the cold. But it's alright, this isn't the French Resolution, no one is coming for his head. He's just gonna have to take a back seat and wield less power. He'll be fine. If the dynamic you're describing is correct (not saying it is) then this conclusion is wrong. When insecure people gain power they try to disenfranchise their enemies. But they have no real power over the far-enemies. Some conservative in a conservative stronghold with conservative employees and customers can't get canceled because nobody who could cancel them is inclined to do it. The people who get their heads chopped off (or get fired or harassed etc.) are the near-enemies, who are the easiest to sacrifice when the new regime wants to prove it can put heads on spikes, because they're at the same time close enough to be vulnerable but far enough to be targets.

frabbit 6y ago

I agree with most of what you write except this part: But, this faction lost. There's not conspiracy, people just didn't want what Bernie, Taibbi, et all were selling, that's all. There was and is a conspiracy in plain sight, that is the control of media to present only two options: capitalist racists versus neoliberal thugs. All polling suggests (and has done for a long time) that the US public is far to the left of either the Dems or Republicans on a bunch of issues to do with foreign relations and domestic policy. This is not reflected in the media.