Many Muslim people want Sharia. Yet Sharia discriminates against women and gays.
Isn't intersectionality a cultural construct - yeah we can all support anti-racism, gay rights and women's lib as long as they share our cultural values.
In practice what happens is the Left supports the above, and ignores the plight of the 55 per cent of Muslims (women plus gays) who may be discriminated against in their communities and lambasts those who believe they should have the same rights as everyone else as "Islamophobic" and even "racist", whereas they are of course racist for not applying the same values equally, although perhaps not Islamophobic.
One wonders if the champions of a "woman's right to choose" to de-face herself in the name of Islam, would have felt the same about the majority of women being opposed to female suffrage (as they were).
What about the left in Muslim countries? You'll find them to be some of the most "Islamophobic" people there are... if you find them at all after the killing's done.
And the thing about intersectionality as it actually translates onto the average twitter feed, and would be practised if anyone took the concept seriously, is that class is always the Cinderella of the system. They just assume that all white men are upper-middle-class, and that being a cishet whiteboy means I, for instance, am basically the same thing as David Cameron. I'll have a few choice words for anyone who tries telling me that.
Given how many of these types are middle-class and went to private school themselves (education privilige- that's presumably a thing, and it's in short supply in Goldenhill) that's understandable.
So I am priviliged in that I won't be denied a job for my race or gender. I still wouldn't get a second glance in a lot of places because of the family I was born to, school I attended, etc. And I know that's allegedly the point of intersectionality, but half the social "justice" types IN PRACTICE never take this into account.
And Speedy is right again, sometimes the oppressed accept their own oppression or seek refuge in oppressing others. Many poor Russians who are self-evidently losers from Putinism seek refuge in hating gays. And again, there's all sorts of guides to intersectionality and theoretical ways in which my concerns can be addressed (I've read half of them and I can confirm that they are as widely ignored as the New Testament- your average social "justice" camp follower doesn't think that way).
(What I also find baffling is the way they start pointless arguments with people who agree with them on most things- as if there wasn't enough to unite against).
(Because so long as I'm not banned from commenting here, nothing will ever be made simple, it must be complicated, even if said complication serves no purpose) :)
As I thought to myself the other day, if I really am priviliged, then I'd trade in my privilige for a better life, for myself and others. And I know again this is the alleged point of intersectionality...
... but if I tried saying this could be more clearly expressed without pointless antagonism I'd be told to just shut up and stop tone policing, mansplaining and presumably gaslighting (I've never quite figured out what gaslighting is, except to know that I'm meant to be guilty of it and to flagellate myself endlessly for it).
It was at this point that I decided to stop bothering with (you know the names) altogether and just carry on as though they didn't exist. Thus proving that I was all "problematic" and evil all along and should be drowned in my own piss.
I've never really had a problem with intersectionality, so I don't know why other socialists get so screwed up about it. The labour movement has been doing intersectionality from day one. It's been painful and difficult to get to the point we are now, but I think it does a good job on the whole of representing the interests of working people in all their diversity.
TBF as you know I'm a liberal, not a socialist. There isn't much room for people to be individual human beings with their own wishes, hopes, desires and deep complexity in the social "justice" movement that designates everyone as hunters or hunted, oppressors or oppressed, and nothing more. But if I belonged to your school of thought I'd be perturbed by (you presumably know the names) because they are so pointlessly divisive and self-defeating. I don't think they help matters for anyone, least of all themselves.
As I say that poster isn't objectionable. Nor are many of the theoretical guides. It's how it pans out among the footsoldiers of social "justice". I have no wish to live in their grim world. The real point I'm trying to make is contained in the first paragraph of my second comment.
I was actually in the changing room of the M Club at Festival Park at the time. Where profound thoughts are had. Maybe.
Yer problem is this though?
ReplyDeleteMany Muslim people want Sharia. Yet Sharia discriminates against women and gays.
Isn't intersectionality a cultural construct - yeah we can all support anti-racism, gay rights and women's lib as long as they share our cultural values.
In practice what happens is the Left supports the above, and ignores the plight of the 55 per cent of Muslims (women plus gays) who may be discriminated against in their communities and lambasts those who believe they should have the same rights as everyone else as "Islamophobic" and even "racist", whereas they are of course racist for not applying the same values equally, although perhaps not Islamophobic.
One wonders if the champions of a "woman's right to choose" to de-face herself in the name of Islam, would have felt the same about the majority of women being opposed to female suffrage (as they were).
Racism.
What about the left in Muslim countries? You'll find them to be some of the most "Islamophobic" people there are... if you find them at all after the killing's done.
ReplyDeleteAnd the thing about intersectionality as it actually translates onto the average twitter feed, and would be practised if anyone took the concept seriously, is that class is always the Cinderella of the system. They just assume that all white men are upper-middle-class, and that being a cishet whiteboy means I, for instance, am basically the same thing as David Cameron. I'll have a few choice words for anyone who tries telling me that.
Given how many of these types are middle-class and went to private school themselves (education privilige- that's presumably a thing, and it's in short supply in Goldenhill) that's understandable.
So I am priviliged in that I won't be denied a job for my race or gender. I still wouldn't get a second glance in a lot of places because of the family I was born to, school I attended, etc. And I know that's allegedly the point of intersectionality, but half the social "justice" types IN PRACTICE never take this into account.
And Speedy is right again, sometimes the oppressed accept their own oppression or seek refuge in oppressing others. Many poor Russians who are self-evidently losers from Putinism seek refuge in hating gays. And again, there's all sorts of guides to intersectionality and theoretical ways in which my concerns can be addressed (I've read half of them and I can confirm that they are as widely ignored as the New Testament- your average social "justice" camp follower doesn't think that way).
(What I also find baffling is the way they start pointless arguments with people who agree with them on most things- as if there wasn't enough to unite against).
http://enemiesofreason.co.uk/2013/09/02/tabula-rasa/
http://notsobigsociety.wordpress.com/2013/09/03/in-praise-of-flouncing/
(Because so long as I'm not banned from commenting here, nothing will ever be made simple, it must be complicated, even if said complication serves no purpose) :)
As I thought to myself the other day, if I really am priviliged, then I'd trade in my privilige for a better life, for myself and others. And I know again this is the alleged point of intersectionality...
ReplyDelete... but if I tried saying this could be more clearly expressed without pointless antagonism I'd be told to just shut up and stop tone policing, mansplaining and presumably gaslighting (I've never quite figured out what gaslighting is, except to know that I'm meant to be guilty of it and to flagellate myself endlessly for it).
It was at this point that I decided to stop bothering with (you know the names) altogether and just carry on as though they didn't exist. Thus proving that I was all "problematic" and evil all along and should be drowned in my own piss.
Rubbish.
ReplyDeleteI've never really had a problem with intersectionality, so I don't know why other socialists get so screwed up about it. The labour movement has been doing intersectionality from day one. It's been painful and difficult to get to the point we are now, but I think it does a good job on the whole of representing the interests of working people in all their diversity.
ReplyDeleteTBF as you know I'm a liberal, not a socialist. There isn't much room for people to be individual human beings with their own wishes, hopes, desires and deep complexity in the social "justice" movement that designates everyone as hunters or hunted, oppressors or oppressed, and nothing more. But if I belonged to your school of thought I'd be perturbed by (you presumably know the names) because they are so pointlessly divisive and self-defeating. I don't think they help matters for anyone, least of all themselves.
ReplyDeleteAs I say that poster isn't objectionable. Nor are many of the theoretical guides. It's how it pans out among the footsoldiers of social "justice". I have no wish to live in their grim world. The real point I'm trying to make is contained in the first paragraph of my second comment.
I was actually in the changing room of the M Club at Festival Park at the time. Where profound thoughts are had. Maybe.