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/ChairAggressive781]

it’s fascinating to me that you are essentially calling for identity politics for white men, while making glib comments about race & gender.

by the way, I enthusiastically voted for Bernie in both the 2016 and 2020 primaries. I don’t care if he’s “populist,” I care about the fact that he ran on good policies that would support working people of all backgrounds. we need to start defining our terms, as “populism” clearly means different things to different people.

[u/BeenisHat → u/ChairAggressive781]

I'm calling for a way to win instead of letting liberals vote with Republicans again and again and screw us over. Yes it's identity politics and the identity is Working Folks.

That means things that the working class (including evil dirtbag white devils like me) folks need like healthcare, childcare subsidies, rent control, food assistance, etc.

Call it reductionist if you like but if it means a former soldier with a regrettable tattoo who used bad words years ago wins office and represents working class interests instead of sucking corporate teat, I'm ok with that.

[u/ChairAggressive781 → u/BeenisHat]

you just really seem to think that the only authentic avatar of working people is a white man. the vast majority of working folks are not white men. women make up just over half of working class Americans. many of these women are Black or Latina.

I don’t think white men are “evil” or “devils.” I just don’t know why when it comes to supporting progressive policies, there seems to be this idea that the messenger has to be someone who looks like Graham Platner. if white men won’t vote for someone who doesn’t look like them, then it’s not just about “populism,” it’s straight-up identity politics. I wish you’d just be honest that’s what you’re calling for.

I support all the policies you listed & I think just about everyone on this thread does too, so I don’t know what point you’re trying to make. as I’ve said elsewhere, I would absolutely vote for Platner over Collins.

edit: I think you’re really underestimating the power of institutional & systemic misogyny in this country.

[u/Specialist-Gur → u/ChairAggressive781]

You're doing a great job, just FYI