Thread by @deonteleologist

Honestly, this is a remarkable demonstration of the strawman fallacy. Kudos to @sullydish for giving us such a clear antithesis of basic rhetorical etiquette.

andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/removing-the…

Here we get the claim that “critical theory” rejects fallibilism, objectivity, accountability, and pluralism. None of this is true.

Then Sullivan claims that because “critical theory defines itself” as questioning certain things, it’s aiming to destroy liberal modernity.

There are so many mistakes in this paragraph I don’t even know where to start. From the third sentence on, almost every claim is false.

For the love of God, Andrew; apply some of that Enlightenment rational thinking and show us some fucking EVIDENCE for these preposterous claims, would you? It’s too bad there isn’t any...

Oh good, here comes Andy to rescue us from our concern that he has sketched a strawman. Prove us wrong, please!!!

His rebuttal to this objection: “I honestly don’t think so. Rather, my depiction is accurate.”

Man’s never heard of a burden of proof in his fucking life, has he?

Here Sullivan gets closest to an accurate description of CRT — only to claim that this is “what CRT is not.” Compare it to Charles Mills on what CRT is. If only Sullivan relied on serious scholarly sources on CRT, he’d realize he should be “among its strongest defenders.”

I am pretty sure the 1619 Project did NOT insist that “white supremacy” was the *definition* of the US. If that were the case, there would be no point trying to educate the next generation about our racist history in hopes that they might be able to overthrow US white supremacy.

I just... what the fuck? Huh? WAt?!?!?

Hey Andrew, I agree with this! Surely then you will support a robust program of employment rights? Or have you not thought out this contradiction between your opposition to cancel culture and commitment to right-wing economic policies like at-will employment?

I walk away from this article knowing one thing: Andrew Sullivan is less of a liberal than CRT heavyweight Charles Mills. And he hasn’t got a fucking clue what CRT is. (Okay, so two things then.)

[FIN]