I just finished reading "Cynical Theories" by Helen Pluckrose, and it sets out so clearly the postmodern ideology the "they/them" believe in. If the politicians on the left don't sever ties with the anti rational, anti science, anti liberalism postmodernist cult, a genuine left wing alternative to the tangerine lunacy on the right, will not exist. The left is failing to provide a coherent, progressive, rational politics and are instead actively alienating genuine progressives. In this way they are indeed responsible for allowing Trump to rise.
I struggled to read this initially and had to try a few times, but you are right.
"A great social democratic movement has been hijacked by reality-denying extremists such that it no longer speaks to the ordinary working people the movement was meant to serve, and......."
I would add 'privileged and entitled' adjectives to the 'reality denying' extremists.
So glad you wrote this Julie. It is driving me batty to watch the Australian media ignore the left’s war on women and reality and how this played out in the Latest 🇺🇸 Election.
I'm Australian so are obviously unable to vote in American elections, but I would have comfortably voted for Trump. In 2016 I thought it was the end of the world when he became Pres but 2 years ago I got over the TDS. If you think the political leader of your nation state is required to model your personal ethics and moral code of conduct then to be consistent nobody on the left should have voted for Kennedy or Clinton.
Most of us are just beginning to learn the full extent of the lies, propaganda and misinformation the MSM media have been channelling us for decades. If you still tune into ABC and SBS, read the SMH and Melbourne papers, and genuinely believe they operate with credible journalistic principles I get it why some can still believe progressive politics is what it pretends to be. But having been a leftist all my life listening exclusively to that media until 7 years ago its my strongly held observation that postmodernist ideological thinking has driven the left insane. Literally boggled their brains. Wake up to what woke is.
Lastly, some more opinion - don't waste you $$$ on renewing a sub to the NYT, unless it is to keep tabs on the progress of the liberal leftist crazy, look into The Free Press online.
Agree with much of what you say here .. although I couldn't support Trump mainly because he sought to undermine the peaceful transfer of power and that's a sacred principle. I love the Free Press! It's just that the NYT etc has more/detailed info and it's going to be an ...err.. entertaining few years.
A great post mortem Julie. The identity politics practiced by the left have become so batshit crazy that even a repellent figure like Trump looks to be the better option. And yet the public wakes being held in the liberal-leaning legacy media suggest that nothing has yet been learnt at all. Racism and misogyny they cry, simplistic excuses that save them from having to recognise that maybe, just maybe, they've been wrong about some of these issues. This is a hard thing for the left to do, since membership of that end of the spectrum is pretty much based upon a certainty of correctness.
Yes, I hear that all the time: people putting Trumps win down to racism, misogyny and the stupidity of the American people. It’s very depressing to see how little self-reflection there is.
Both parties extol extreme politics, and both are similar in one way: an ethos of massive self absorption. We are lucky to have an independent Electoral commission. Also compulsory voting which favours the centre.
At least one life-long leftist in my circle of friends and comrades has pivoted to supporting Trump on the strength of the kind of concerns articulated in this post. I have not done so myself, but over the past few years these factors have meant I have had to withdraw from participation in certain kinds of "progressive" spaces.
Thanks Julie. Your article and the comments below reflect my own conflicting views. Like many if not most in Australia I consider Trump unfit for office due to his character and denial of the 2020 election result. Yet if I have to be honest I wasn’t anywhere near as horrified as I was in 2020. Perhaps it was because it wasn’t as surprising but also due to the complete cluelessness of the Democrats. I would like to think this defeat will lead to soul-searching and reflection on what their party should be but I am not optimistic.
Thanks Julie - 'spot on' as always ! The remants of the "left" progressives have been 'trans' captured. I'd go so far as to say that the actual once discernible difference between Left v Right in politics is fractured now, and why ? Because of the infiltration and muddled words and meanings whereby what was once established scientific facts are (cancelled!) now overtaken by a few individuals "wants and desires". "Beliefs" have now overtaken "facts". If able to, I would have voted (just this once!) for the Republicans in the USA Election, if only to ensure that Gender ID will stop being taught in primary and secondary schools. In Victoria this is part of the curriculum - thanks (sic) to 'Safe School'. Everyone needs to wake up to the fact that our children are being taught that their biological sex is changable, they can choose to be whatever 'gender' they think is right for them. Even 5 years olds, should they darken the doors of our Public Libraries, are being asked what is their preferred pronoun? (for today)?
And for adult human females ? Our taxes being wasted on signage in our hospitals and GP offices reminding "Women and people with a cervix" to have a regular pap smear..... That is an insult to women and does nothing but make the word “woman” meaningless with this attack on the science of biology. Would be funny if not true……
Let's hope the politicians on both sides of the house, State and Federal, do take notice on the 'war on women' silently happening in the background for the past decade. Camouflaged by the progressives like the Greens with meaningless slogans like "Love is Love" and "Be Nice". Australia has reached "Peak Woke". It is well past the time to rediscover scientific facts rather than rely on the beliefs and wants of the trans "industry" such as ACON. Women's rights to safe spaces and sporting events, indeed the very concept of what is a woman is now under threat, not to mention the physical, surgical harm being done to young people! Let's hope that never becomes a code on the Medicare schedule.
Thanks, Julie. I enjoyed your passion and ascerbic humour in this and previous articles. I am saddened that a woke (but shallow and naive) minority appear to have taken over the remains of the Left. What’s happened to common sense?
Wonderful piece of writing. I share your utter frustration with the extremists who have hijacked the left, expressed so well here. Reading this helps me feel sane when so many friends just don’t get how destructive identity politics is. I am so tired of listening to statements and jokes about how racist, misogynist and stupid Americans are.
I remember a conversation at work before Trump was elected back in 2016. A couple of colleagues said there was no way Trump would win, that even Americans could not be that stupid. I countered that they weren’t stupid, but Trump appealed to the working people doing it tough, that the Clintons were not liked, and Trump’s framing of them and the Democrats as elitists seemed to resonate. Like you this time I was almost wanting him to win to prove my point. My colleagues (a couple of elitists if ever I saw one) were utterly shocked when he won.
I have only just partly read this article. I will take my time to read it properly.
With just a scan I find that I am agreeing. Even though the USA elections have been contested and won we still need to battle these ridiculous views - where one is forced to acknowledge as fact the most absurd claims.
Thank you ever so much for the good fight that you are waging - at great expense to yourself, financial and emotional I presume.
I just finished reading "Cynical Theories" by Helen Pluckrose, and it sets out so clearly the postmodern ideology the "they/them" believe in. If the politicians on the left don't sever ties with the anti rational, anti science, anti liberalism postmodernist cult, a genuine left wing alternative to the tangerine lunacy on the right, will not exist. The left is failing to provide a coherent, progressive, rational politics and are instead actively alienating genuine progressives. In this way they are indeed responsible for allowing Trump to rise.
You said it Emma! I've been meaning to read more Pluckrose, she's good.
I struggled to read this initially and had to try a few times, but you are right.
"A great social democratic movement has been hijacked by reality-denying extremists such that it no longer speaks to the ordinary working people the movement was meant to serve, and......."
I would add 'privileged and entitled' adjectives to the 'reality denying' extremists.
Indeed Kate. Yes I was a bit experimental and stream of consciousness here, sometimes I do that! (But usually I don't.)
Thank you Julie. We can only hope that the shock of this election result will jolt the left back to reality.
Amen... x
So glad you wrote this Julie. It is driving me batty to watch the Australian media ignore the left’s war on women and reality and how this played out in the Latest 🇺🇸 Election.
Great piece Julie. Thank you for your struggle. The weight of wokedom is falling from our shoulders.
😂 So nicely put1
I'm Australian so are obviously unable to vote in American elections, but I would have comfortably voted for Trump. In 2016 I thought it was the end of the world when he became Pres but 2 years ago I got over the TDS. If you think the political leader of your nation state is required to model your personal ethics and moral code of conduct then to be consistent nobody on the left should have voted for Kennedy or Clinton.
Most of us are just beginning to learn the full extent of the lies, propaganda and misinformation the MSM media have been channelling us for decades. If you still tune into ABC and SBS, read the SMH and Melbourne papers, and genuinely believe they operate with credible journalistic principles I get it why some can still believe progressive politics is what it pretends to be. But having been a leftist all my life listening exclusively to that media until 7 years ago its my strongly held observation that postmodernist ideological thinking has driven the left insane. Literally boggled their brains. Wake up to what woke is.
Lastly, some more opinion - don't waste you $$$ on renewing a sub to the NYT, unless it is to keep tabs on the progress of the liberal leftist crazy, look into The Free Press online.
Agree with much of what you say here .. although I couldn't support Trump mainly because he sought to undermine the peaceful transfer of power and that's a sacred principle. I love the Free Press! It's just that the NYT etc has more/detailed info and it's going to be an ...err.. entertaining few years.
A great post mortem Julie. The identity politics practiced by the left have become so batshit crazy that even a repellent figure like Trump looks to be the better option. And yet the public wakes being held in the liberal-leaning legacy media suggest that nothing has yet been learnt at all. Racism and misogyny they cry, simplistic excuses that save them from having to recognise that maybe, just maybe, they've been wrong about some of these issues. This is a hard thing for the left to do, since membership of that end of the spectrum is pretty much based upon a certainty of correctness.
Yes they're positively allergic to introspection .. which doesn't bode well at all.
Brilliant
Yes, I hear that all the time: people putting Trumps win down to racism, misogyny and the stupidity of the American people. It’s very depressing to see how little self-reflection there is.
Both parties extol extreme politics, and both are similar in one way: an ethos of massive self absorption. We are lucky to have an independent Electoral commission. Also compulsory voting which favours the centre.
Definitely
At least one life-long leftist in my circle of friends and comrades has pivoted to supporting Trump on the strength of the kind of concerns articulated in this post. I have not done so myself, but over the past few years these factors have meant I have had to withdraw from participation in certain kinds of "progressive" spaces.
Boy oh boy! Tell us what you really think !
😂 Not sure I've done that exactly. But I have imagined what other people might think!..😉
Thanks Julie. Your article and the comments below reflect my own conflicting views. Like many if not most in Australia I consider Trump unfit for office due to his character and denial of the 2020 election result. Yet if I have to be honest I wasn’t anywhere near as horrified as I was in 2020. Perhaps it was because it wasn’t as surprising but also due to the complete cluelessness of the Democrats. I would like to think this defeat will lead to soul-searching and reflection on what their party should be but I am not optimistic.
Thanks Julie - 'spot on' as always ! The remants of the "left" progressives have been 'trans' captured. I'd go so far as to say that the actual once discernible difference between Left v Right in politics is fractured now, and why ? Because of the infiltration and muddled words and meanings whereby what was once established scientific facts are (cancelled!) now overtaken by a few individuals "wants and desires". "Beliefs" have now overtaken "facts". If able to, I would have voted (just this once!) for the Republicans in the USA Election, if only to ensure that Gender ID will stop being taught in primary and secondary schools. In Victoria this is part of the curriculum - thanks (sic) to 'Safe School'. Everyone needs to wake up to the fact that our children are being taught that their biological sex is changable, they can choose to be whatever 'gender' they think is right for them. Even 5 years olds, should they darken the doors of our Public Libraries, are being asked what is their preferred pronoun? (for today)?
And for adult human females ? Our taxes being wasted on signage in our hospitals and GP offices reminding "Women and people with a cervix" to have a regular pap smear..... That is an insult to women and does nothing but make the word “woman” meaningless with this attack on the science of biology. Would be funny if not true……
Let's hope the politicians on both sides of the house, State and Federal, do take notice on the 'war on women' silently happening in the background for the past decade. Camouflaged by the progressives like the Greens with meaningless slogans like "Love is Love" and "Be Nice". Australia has reached "Peak Woke". It is well past the time to rediscover scientific facts rather than rely on the beliefs and wants of the trans "industry" such as ACON. Women's rights to safe spaces and sporting events, indeed the very concept of what is a woman is now under threat, not to mention the physical, surgical harm being done to young people! Let's hope that never becomes a code on the Medicare schedule.
Thanks, Julie. I enjoyed your passion and ascerbic humour in this and previous articles. I am saddened that a woke (but shallow and naive) minority appear to have taken over the remains of the Left. What’s happened to common sense?
Wonderful piece of writing. I share your utter frustration with the extremists who have hijacked the left, expressed so well here. Reading this helps me feel sane when so many friends just don’t get how destructive identity politics is. I am so tired of listening to statements and jokes about how racist, misogynist and stupid Americans are.
I remember a conversation at work before Trump was elected back in 2016. A couple of colleagues said there was no way Trump would win, that even Americans could not be that stupid. I countered that they weren’t stupid, but Trump appealed to the working people doing it tough, that the Clintons were not liked, and Trump’s framing of them and the Democrats as elitists seemed to resonate. Like you this time I was almost wanting him to win to prove my point. My colleagues (a couple of elitists if ever I saw one) were utterly shocked when he won.
I have only just partly read this article. I will take my time to read it properly.
With just a scan I find that I am agreeing. Even though the USA elections have been contested and won we still need to battle these ridiculous views - where one is forced to acknowledge as fact the most absurd claims.
Thank you ever so much for the good fight that you are waging - at great expense to yourself, financial and emotional I presume.