This is all I will say:
-Klein believes that the country needs sweeping economic reform to transform the lives of all citizens, and to save us from climate change. And it is a urgent matter. He believes there is no real racial justice without real economic justice. Dude is left as hell, but he argues that many on the left (and I mean the entire left wing coalition) ignore key roadblocks to social democracy.
He thinks most people have a narrow definition of identity politics, and because they are so dismissive of the role identity plays in politics, their analysis and complaints are short sighted.
Klein argue that people that bemoan polarization, decry identity politics and the polarization is causes, and practices nostalgia politics about the 50-60s are missing a very important piece of the puzzle. That era was made possible because both parties, and white people in general, decided to ignore the civil rights of African American to make that peace work. So a black person that wanted to push for civil rights at the ballot box had no options because both parties (and their white voters) made a tacit agreement about not addressing the political demands of black people was best to keep the peace. This was especially true of the Democratic Party and their attempts to keep an alliance with the clearly racist Dixiecrats. He has politely called out Elizabeth Warren for this (the person he supported for president), Sanders, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Centrist, socialist, conservative; he pushes back on people that evoke nostalgia politics and think that somehow the absence of polarization is always optimal.
The proof of this is that when one side decided to break this tacit agreement, it kicked off the new era of polarization party alignment. While some might not like the polarization, it is a good thing that marginalized groups, especially black people, especially black people that care about fighting for civil rights, have a clearer choice at the ballot box as to which party is better option.
So he says that to build a true social democracy, there should not be any compromises on the back of minorities.
So in grappling with racial issues, the Democratic Party and their white voters are better actors than they previously were. Not that they are perfect, not that they are right on everything, not that their policy agenda is not still lacking, but that they are moving in the right direction in an important aspect. That instead of coming up with a message that tries to soothe the fear of white America, and bury racial and social issues in the background like many (leftist, centrist, liberal) suggest, it would be a more honest and truthful system if people can speak more honestly on race and social issues. That it is a good thing if we good away from a system where the concerns of white Americans are always central.
My opinion now:
-To make sure this doesn't happen, asking everyone in your coalition to adopt a worker identity first and foremost (the type of identity politics socialist advocate for), adopt rhetoric that soothes the fears of white americans, and only speaking about universal programs as a way to push discussion about racial justice to the background, and hoping that whites don't try sell out others groups down the road is a dangerous game to play. And it is a strategy that many non-white people have an issue buying into because history tells them that it is more likely the backstab will come, not that it is the white folk will find/maintain some commitment to social justice. Instead you need to address so called identity issues upfront, you need to move the needle on racial and other social views within your coalition and country, you need to buy in upfront on certain issues, and you need to do this firmly and constantly. So that if and when social democracy comes, it is not built with ****ty compromises built in, that it will be harder for some to make those compromises in the future, and marginalized groups can have clear options at the ballot box.
It is not about dismissing the important message of economic reform, it is not about making this the only thing you build a coalition on, it is not about ignoring the problem is our capitalist system, but making it central enough in coalition building that we can build and maintain the most just version of a social democratic country we can. Not hoping that white people after they get their economic needs met will then get on board with targeted programs and stomping out discrimination. White worker prosperity guarantees nothing on that front.
There is a difference between demanding that poor and lower class whites living in economic despair just acknowledge their white privilege, and demanding that their problematic behavior not be coddled and recognized for the destructive force that it is. Recognizing that they are not being tricked by rich capilisitist, but they willingly empower the same crony capitalist that oppress them because they get something of value out of the deal: That their social standing in America remains a class above minorities, even if that means they are in the **** themselves. So stop with the economic anxiety bull**** that robs white Americans of the agency they have over their decisions. Stop with the stramanning of what some black liberals ask of white people. That is not gonna get you those voters, and those people will not just give up on their white identity politics and white supremacy beliefs just because you improve their economic standing.
-So I don't know how me posting the article, that doesn't even present a supportive argument for hollow type of identity politics, is defending a problematic framework.
I don't know how if I have never opened my mouth in the past and said anything that comes close to "forget sweeping economic changes, all that matters is seeing black faces" is defending a problematic framework
I don't know how me saying clearly that people don't consider and alternative interpretation to identity politics that what they usually argue against, is me still defending a problematic framework.
Kinda feels like you are ascribing a problematic framework to any and every liberals. Then asking to them to come prove they don't agree with it, even though they repeating have been consistent with their views in the past.
So what is the point in engaging, because even if I spend my afternoon typing, formating, and editing a post, I will get a "ok cool" in the moment, and then in a few weeks when I post something else about leftist that makes you or Rex's petulant *** with take issue with, and the game repeats.