Charlie, my man. I think you might need to have more progressives on your show if your reaction to deBoer's references was "WTAF?". I've been reading that junk for years. It's been ubiquitous on the left. That Osterweil "In Defense of Looting" book was just the most ridiculous example of it.
Charlie, my man. I think you might need to have more progressives on your show if your reaction to deBoer's references was "WTAF?". I've been reading that junk for years. It's been ubiquitous on the left. That Osterweil "In Defense of Looting" book was just the most ridiculous example of it.
Sadly, this is the insidious result of the paralysis white progressives display in the face of their own white guilt. They can't - literally *can't* - bring themselves to be critical of anything that a racial minority does. Their only option in the face of such questions is either to sheepishly dodge them as "complex", claim no right to judge or have an opinion by virtue of being white, or double down with some absurd "pragmatic" argument as to why riots are actually good things.
The worst part is that this kinda sorta comes from a good place. They think that this is the way to atone for the sins of white society and make amends for the harm done to racial minorities. While this represents a disturbing departure from modern notions of morality whereby guilt is not inherited by one's descendants or collectively owned by a "race", wanting to be gracious at least demonstrates sympathy and a genuine rejection of the overt, visceral racism of the past.
What they don't realize is how dehumanizing this actually is to minorities. By sentimentalizing them as victims, refusing to criticize them as you would any other human being, you deny them individual agency, effectively treating them as totems, vessels to deliver your own salvation. Asking one of your black friends if they could recommend a book on racism - as if you have somehow lost the ability to perform a simple online search when it comes to this one subject - is a form of deification, whereby you completely subordinate your own judgement to that of another person whom you deem to be an infallible, "authentic" voice on the matter. It's also a performative way to validate your own place in the abstract struggle, while ignoring the concrete damage done.
Regardless of where it comes from, it's pathetic. And irresponsible. And selfish. And within the progressive diaspora, deeply seductive. Even I, who has always found it repugnant, was drawn in for a brief moment following the George Floyd incident. We can't have this. We should be as vocal in denouncing such civil poison as the Twitter mobs were in going after David Shor. Okay ... maybe not *quite* that bad - we don't need to ruin any careers. But then maybe if we pushed back harder and earlier on some of these issues, the consequences would never rise to that level in the first place.
Charlie, my man. I think you might need to have more progressives on your show if your reaction to deBoer's references was "WTAF?". I've been reading that junk for years. It's been ubiquitous on the left. That Osterweil "In Defense of Looting" book was just the most ridiculous example of it.
Sadly, this is the insidious result of the paralysis white progressives display in the face of their own white guilt. They can't - literally *can't* - bring themselves to be critical of anything that a racial minority does. Their only option in the face of such questions is either to sheepishly dodge them as "complex", claim no right to judge or have an opinion by virtue of being white, or double down with some absurd "pragmatic" argument as to why riots are actually good things.
The worst part is that this kinda sorta comes from a good place. They think that this is the way to atone for the sins of white society and make amends for the harm done to racial minorities. While this represents a disturbing departure from modern notions of morality whereby guilt is not inherited by one's descendants or collectively owned by a "race", wanting to be gracious at least demonstrates sympathy and a genuine rejection of the overt, visceral racism of the past.
What they don't realize is how dehumanizing this actually is to minorities. By sentimentalizing them as victims, refusing to criticize them as you would any other human being, you deny them individual agency, effectively treating them as totems, vessels to deliver your own salvation. Asking one of your black friends if they could recommend a book on racism - as if you have somehow lost the ability to perform a simple online search when it comes to this one subject - is a form of deification, whereby you completely subordinate your own judgement to that of another person whom you deem to be an infallible, "authentic" voice on the matter. It's also a performative way to validate your own place in the abstract struggle, while ignoring the concrete damage done.
Regardless of where it comes from, it's pathetic. And irresponsible. And selfish. And within the progressive diaspora, deeply seductive. Even I, who has always found it repugnant, was drawn in for a brief moment following the George Floyd incident. We can't have this. We should be as vocal in denouncing such civil poison as the Twitter mobs were in going after David Shor. Okay ... maybe not *quite* that bad - we don't need to ruin any careers. But then maybe if we pushed back harder and earlier on some of these issues, the consequences would never rise to that level in the first place.