1/ When there’s a tragedy like the synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh, someone always says it’s wrong or immoral to “politicize a tragedy.” This is bullshit.
2/ To understand why, we have to ask what it means to “politicize” something. Of course, it means to make a connection between that thing and politics. That’s not terribly helpful, so let’s dig a little deeper. What exactly is politics?
3/ Politics is negotiation. Specifically, it’s large-scale negation about how society should be organized and managed. It’s a means of making collective decisions in diverse populations when people have fundamental disagreements about that organization.
4/ A century ago, a political scientist defined politics as “who gets what, where and how.”
5/ Politics developed in opposition to the other major way large-scale societal decisions have been made throughout history: warfare, with the strongest side getting to make the rules by fiat.
6/ In politics there is no fiat: you have to compromise, but if it’s done right nobody gets killed. Because politics involves compromise, it requires everyone to accept that they’re not going to get everything they want.
7/ That’s the main reason people don’t like politics: nobody likes agreeing to compromises that includes things they hate. But it’s a necessary part of politics, and worth it to avoid the alternative, war.
8/ Politics is how we figure out solutions to problems which plague a society when different groups within that society don’t agree on what the solution should be - or even sometimes what the problem is. Without killing each other.
9/ So, what does it mean to “politicize” something? Politicizing something means defining that thing as a problem which plagues society, and is in need of fixing. Asking leaders to alleviate the problem, if not cure it outright.
10/ Politicizing something means identifying something in society that is bad, and trying to make it better.
11/ When someone says you shouldn’t politicize something, they’re saying that thing is NOT a problem in need of fixing, political leaders should NOT alleviate the problem, the thing is NOT bad and does not need to be made better.
12/ That’s why it’s bullshit. Saying that you shouldn’t politicize the Pittsburgh tragedy is tantamount to saying that antisemitism and gun violence are not bad and not in need of solutions. It’s saying that everything’s just fine the way they are.
13/ Politicizing a tragedy means trying to find a solution. Trying to make society better. Trying to prevent future tragedies from happening again.
14/14 When a tragedy happens, it’s irresponsible NOT to politicize it.
