HOW WE GOT HERE: PART V—AN IDENTITY-BASED MOVEMENT FOR THE PROGRESSIVE CAUSE
This thread contains excerpts from Part V of “How We Got Here.” This part critiques identity-based movements and lays out a new vision of togetherness.
“Instead of capitalizing on the cause for national economic justice as an opportunity to unite the country, the progressive movement has grown increasingly identity-based in recent years.”
“The progressive movement has a challenging path to navigate. In particular, we must think critically about how to achieve long-overdue social justice in a fashion that is and that feels inclusive for all groups in society.”
“While recognizing the urgency of equality for historically marginalized groups, we cannot afford to alienate others in the process of pursuing justice—especially when some other individuals, such as rural Americans, may themselves be marginalized.”
“Even if the progressive movement is generally on the morally correct side of social issues, its methods in achieving social justice have been flawed, even fatally so.”
“Problematically, many citizens have perceived that progressive efforts to empower certain groups in our society will come at the cost of their own power.”
“For the progressive movement, the demand for complete moral conformity leads to exclusion. This dynamic—which contains both pragmatic and moral flaws—ultimately leaves out key groups that could otherwise contribute to important social causes.”
“To highlight an alternative approach to social change—togetherness—and to further elucidate the flaws of an identity-based movement, allow me to use diversity initiatives as an illustration.”
“Diversity programs play a crucial role in ensuring just representation for marginalized groups across our society. Nevertheless, many of these efforts have gone astray by leading to a greater emphasis on our differences than our commonalities.”
“After all, it is not our differences, but rather the commonalities at the essence of our existence, that make us equal and provide the most powerful argument for a just society.”
“On matters of diversity, I am reminded of the words once told to me by a wise and dear friend from Uganda, the late Serwano Kaborgorwa: ‘Humanity often becomes preoccupied by heterogeneity rather than togetherness.’”
“Humanity reacts to heterogeneity by demanding uniformity. Eventually, uniformity becomes exclusion. Ultimately, exclusion becomes hate. Thus, the response of uniformity cowers in the face of heterogeneity by invoking superiority.”
“The progressive movement has fallen victim to the trappings of heterogeneity and has lost sight of our commonalities. Yet, the most beautiful and powerful message of diversity ought to be about our commonalities which transcend our differences.”
“When we recognize this fact, we discover the greatest human gift of them all: togetherness—the coalescence of many different individuals and groups, out of their common humanity, for a common cause, building power, together.”
“Togetherness is the answer and the alternative to uniformity. Togetherness transcends heterogeneity by recognizing commonality. Togetherness recognizes that while we are different, we all share the universal bond of humanity.”
“In contrast, when we replace togetherness with more tribalistic approaches, social causes are bound to be perceived antagonistically by groups that feel unheard.”
“In this light, amidst our society's focus on identity at the expense of togetherness, it is no surprise that white Americans, too, have begun to form the cultural expressions of an identity or minority group.”
“As structural changes have made working-class white Americans vulnerable to divisive ideologies, the progressive movement has simultaneously become hyper-focused on identity-based causes rather than universal solidarity.”
TRUMP’S TACTICS ON NOVEMBER 3—PART I: UNDERSTANDING THE ADVERSARY
Let the events of Trump’s Covid infection—true or not—be a preview of the much taller tidal wave of disinformation that will very likely be unleashed against our country on November 3.
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As the Covid ordeal was merely the latest in a four-year string of escalating dramas, we can only expect further—in fact, exponential—escalation from here.
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Because our strategic response to Trump’s stunts may make the difference between redemption and collapse for our country, we must draw lessons from the Covid drama.
Fundamentally, to successfully defend against such attacks, we must understand how the adversary operates.
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“The imposition of systems and values is rarely effective by itself and can even be counterproductive. While our society needs rules to govern human behavior, communities also must come to moral values on their own.”
“How would we instead pursue an approach based on love? First and foremost, we would never denigrate those who disagree with us, especially those from disparate backgrounds.”
This thread contains excerpts from Part III of “How We Got Here.” This part addresses the cultural rift that has divided America and the progressive movement’s role in exacerbating this rift.
“Because cities hold the source of power, much of rural white America is left feeling that its culture and status have been progressively eroded. This perception, combined with economic decline, feeds a bleak worldview.”
BIDEN NEEDS A BETTER PEACE AND DE-ESCALATION STRATEGY
People may not want to hear this—but @JoeBiden’s remarks today are unlikely to de-escalate the increasingly tense situation in our country.
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There is no doubt: Biden made an admirable effort toward unity and healing.
But his remarks continue to suffer from fundamental mistakes that have hampered the resistance movement to date.
It is emergent that he and other leaders begin adopting better strategy.
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Biden’s speech might be summarized as follows: “He may believe mouthing the words ‘law and order’ makes him strong. But his failure to call on his own supporters to stop acting as an armed militia in this country shows how weak he is.” Biden went on to call Trump a “toxin.”
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With just a little more than two months to go until the 2020 election, things feel more like 2016 with each day that passes.
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Herd mentality has set in, leading to outsized confidence that we will resoundingly knock Trump out of office with the election.
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Even as violence currently spreads on our streets, no one can imagine how Trump’s sinister agenda and gross incompetence could lead to anything other than a decisive defeat, presumably followed by a smooth transition of power.
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