Editorials & Other Articles

cigsandcoffee

(2,300 posts) Sat Nov 19, 2016, 12:18 AM Nov 2016

The End of Identity Liberalism

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/20/opinion/sunday/the-end-of-identity-liberalism.html?smid=tw-share

It is a truism that America has become a more diverse country. It is also a beautiful thing to watch. Visitors from other countries, particularly those having trouble incorporating different ethnic groups and faiths, are amazed that we manage to pull it off. Not perfectly, of course, but certainly better than any European or Asian nation today. It’s an extraordinary success story.

But how should this diversity shape our politics? The standard liberal answer for nearly a generation now has been that we should become aware of and “celebrate” our differences. Which is a splendid principle of moral pedagogy — but disastrous as a foundation for democratic politics in our ideological age. In recent years American liberalism has slipped into a kind of moral panic about racial, gender and sexual identity that has distorted liberalism’s message and prevented it from becoming a unifying force capable of governing.

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The End of Identity Liberalism (Original Post) cigsandcoffee Nov 2016 OP

I'd be wary of predicting "the end of" anything. Nitram Nov 2016 #1

the problem, which in hindsight seems predictable, is that uneducated white people have adopted geek tragedy Nov 2016 #2

Agree. We are talking about the "hispanic vote," about "black vote" about "women vote" question everything Nov 2016 #3

lol. Obama held back when talking about race because he knew most white people JI7 Nov 2016 #4

Nitram

(22,803 posts)

1. I'd be wary of predicting "the end of" anything.

Reply to cigsandcoffee (Original post)

Sat Nov 19, 2016, 02:18 PM

Nov 2016

Not too long ago may were predicting the end of the Republican Party. It has changed, but it certainly hasn't ended.

geek tragedy

(68,868 posts)

2. the problem, which in hindsight seems predictable, is that uneducated white people have adopted

Reply to cigsandcoffee (Original post)

Sat Nov 19, 2016, 02:39 PM

Nov 2016

identity politics. And they outnumber ethnic minorities bigly.

question everything

(47,485 posts)

3. Agree. We are talking about the "hispanic vote," about "black vote" about "women vote"

Reply to cigsandcoffee (Original post)

Sat Nov 19, 2016, 03:08 PM

Nov 2016

about "LGBT vote" and a little less about "Muslim vote" and "Asian vote" and "native American vote." And, at least the first three group did not give Hillary the same percentage as they did for Obama.

We should have listened more closely to Obama's keynote speech at the 2004 convention:

"Now even as we speak, there are those who are preparing to divide us, the spin masters and negative ad peddlers who embrace the politics of anything goes.

Well, I say to them tonight, there's not a liberal America and a conservative America; there's the United States of America.

There's not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America; there's the United States of America.

The pundits, the pundits like to slice and dice our country into red states and blue States: red states for Republicans, blue States for Democrats. But I've got news for them, too. We worship an awesome God in the blue states, and we don't like federal agents poking around our libraries in the red states.

We coach little league in the blue states and, yes, we've got some gay friends in the red states. The pundits, the pundits like to slice and dice our country into red states and blue States: red states for Republicans, blue States for Democrats. "

And we should not, should not elect Keith Ellison as DNC chair because he is Muslim and Black. Elect him if he fits the requirements for the job.

JI7

(89,250 posts)

4. lol. Obama held back when talking about race because he knew most white people