Thread by @JuliusGoat

First they came for the trade unionists, and I said nothing, because that was just them trying to distract us from the real issues.

Then they came for the Jews, and I said nothing, because identity politics is just the sort of bad optics politics they want us to engage in.

If we win by abandoning other people because they are too vulnerable to pragmatically defend, then we didn't win.

We're going to insist that everybody exists.
We're going to insist that everybody matters.
Anyone who isn't on board with that wasn't on board in the first place.

These are bullies, pure and simple. Opportunistic cowards afraid even of the discomfort of being criticised.

Bullies hate a fight. Give them a fight.

Insisting that all people exist and all people matter doesn't distract from any core message we might want to deliver.

It's not separate from an economic message. It's at the core of any sane economic policy a party might want to platform.

And a willingness to make pragmatic carve-outs in one area betrays a willingness to do it on any core economic program, too.

If you abandon trans people, you'll abandon those with pre-existing conditions.

No. All people exist. All people matter.

These are the worst people in the country, inflaming their voters by insisting that only some people exist and only some people matter.

They insist on it. They don't let anything distract them from that core message.

It's why their voters forgive so many policy deviations.

If we stay silent to the threat, those made vulnerable by the threat will hear our silence. It will be louder than the threat.

When you begin to understand that your friends won't fight for you, you begin to despair.

Those repulsed by a vigorous defense of other people were never with us.

Those who are with us won't stay with us if we cause them to despair.

Failure to meet direct attacks on vulnerable people with a vigorous defense creates the real distraction/division.

No one left behind.

There is never going to be a politically convenient time to protect the most vulnerable people in our society.

That’s why they’re vulnerable.

Either we are finally defined by always doing so even when it’s inconvenient, or were not truly resisting anything.