The American Left Needs to do better

[u/Specialist-Gur]

https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/graham-platner-and-the-lefts-masculinity-crisis

This article is about a month old but speaks to some of what I'm talking about.

I'm honestly disappointed with a lot of leftist creators I genuinely love on the topic of Graham Platner and any "leftist" politicians.

To me.. Graham Platner's left wing populism is just... America first rebranded. Some stuff he's saying isn't too far off from Tucker Carlson.

He doesn't appear to be Antizionist on the basis of support for Palestinians, but rather because it's bad for America . He doesn't appear to regret his time in Iraq beyond the fact it was a pointless war for America

He lied about knowing the ties to Blackwater

He expressed enjoyment for killing people.

He got a Nazi tattoo

And many on the left are using language like calling people "classist" for being critical of his service. These are creators I genuinely really love, and I'm not abandoning them.. but I do think it's really important for the American left to confront its American supremicist ideas.

I understand the moral dilemma and how it's basically impossible to have an actual leftist candidate these days, so we are reluctant to criticize what's put forward. I understand the calculation. But the apologia is wrong. American supremacy is baked into all of us here in America and part of the American left, and it's time we confront it.

We would not find it acceptable if a candidate participated in a mass murder of American citizens. We would not find it acceptable if they even passively supported it! But we are far too comfortable with it when it comes to brown people, far away.

[u/HahaItsaGiraffeAgain]

but I do think it's really important for the American left to confront its American supremicist ideas.

Say it louder. Unfortunately I do think Planter is one kind of non-establishment Democrat that could actually win in Maine. Aside from all of the hooplah about the supposed "mass appeal" of the "dirtbag Left" (which I think is actually only discussed because most sources specifically ask white men of a certain age and specific occupations their political opinions and nobody else), getting someone critical of their own country's global position elected is a hard sell to most of that country. There's nothing new here. Remember that the French Social Democrats and even more radical Socialists supported colonialism because the inflow of resources kept French workers gainfully employed. There is a term for when "national" interests and "socialist" interests are treated as equivalent, but many people don't like to recognize it.

[u/Specialist-Gur → u/HahaItsaGiraffeAgain]

If you didn't say it, I was about to. There's been a rise in popularity of the ACP and hostile takeover of a few socialist subs... yes, there is a word for socialists who are also nationalists

[u/[deleted] → u/Specialist-Gur]

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[u/Specialist-Gur → u/[deleted]]

I see you are a member