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He falls into the class of writers who claims to lean left but in the past years has actually been a pretty obvious supporter of the right. This is a transparen
by iudqnolq 3y ago
He falls into the class of writers who claims to lean left but in the past years has actually been a pretty obvious supporter of the right. This is a transparent yet effective schtick - for some reason people never question the framing of "even so-and-so is willing to call out their own side".
- dent9876543 3y agoSince COVID, I find the who left and right thing hugely confusing. I used to identify as left, and would still do that, except that what passed for left-leaning news during COVID became nothing more than propaganda, and left-leaning journalist put their investigative and sceptical credentials to one side. During COVID, and still perhaps even now, it turns out you can become a member of the far right, just by staying politically still.
- kcplate 3y ago> Since COVID, I find the who left and right thing hugely confusing. There really seem to be some strange shifts recently in the US where the democrats have become quite a bit more hawkish and intolerant of alternative opinions than I have ever seen before in my lifetime.
- c-hendricks 3y agoCouldn't have anything to do with the lack of action against constant mass shootings, police brutality, regressions in law's around women's bodies, the attacks on LGBTQ rights, no couldn't be. Honestly, fuck outta here with "alternative opinions" noise.
- dent9876543 3y agoSo, a sort of non-specific lashing out in frustration at not getting their own way? Could be that. Well demonstrated!
- kcplate 3y agoI think you might be over generalizing “the right”. He certainly aligns on specific things with the right, but not everything—only where there is common overlap to his personal politics. Same as on the left… It’s ok to be on a “side” and still be critical of that side. No one would rightly accuse Bill Maher or Jimmy Dore of being conservatives, but they are damn sure critical of certain perspectives as of late of the American left.
- iudqnolq 3y agoIt's fascinating to see what different bubbles we live in. I and most everyone I respect and run into the opinions of would consider Maher and Dore small-c conservatives.
- kcplate 3y agoBizarre. Both were very vocal supporters of Bernie Sanders in 2016/2020 DNC primaries and have multiple occasions pushed democratic socialism as their ideal political paths for America, but because they are also occasionally critical of leftist authoritarianism tactics or ineptitude of democratic politicians they get lumped to be conservative? I guess if your bubble is pulling it’s identity from the leftist dogma du jour anyone who departs from that orthodoxy would be dismissed as conservative.
- iudqnolq 3y agoIt's quite well known that many prominent Bernie supporters turned into right wing or right wing adjacent.
- kcplate 3y agoDid they shift their opinions…or did the left simply shift leftward so that democratic socialism proponents now seem conservative? I’d argue that most probably did not shift their politics and opinion, but the definition of who is left and who is right changed—at least from the “orthodox” left’s perspective. Amazing that in 2023, Bernie Sanders and his supporters are now considered conservative.