blinki.st/c87019b62fd6?b…
Political Tribes by @amychua in 2018. She's the author of the Tiger Mum book, and my interest was piqued when I heard her on @GadSaad's podcast yesterday.
Let's see what she's got to say about tribalism.
Political Tribes by @amychua in 2018. She's the author of the Tiger Mum book, and my interest was piqued when I heard her on @GadSaad's podcast yesterday.
Let's see what she's got to say about tribalism.
blinki.st/c87019b62fd6?b…
Populism, Chavez, Brexit, Trump. You've got my attention.
Chua has a theory about how it all comes together, and how failing to take into account tribalism has resulted in serious US foreign policy blunders.
Populism, Chavez, Brexit, Trump. You've got my attention.
Chua has a theory about how it all comes together, and how failing to take into account tribalism has resulted in serious US foreign policy blunders.
blinki.st/c87019b62fd6?b…
We are tribal, and it is hidden. It's about excluding and including. It's about shared bonds and shared identities.
I see this in medicine all the time. E.g. the way ICU and emergency medicine trainees are treated by anaesthesia departments.
We are tribal, and it is hidden. It's about excluding and including. It's about shared bonds and shared identities.
I see this in medicine all the time. E.g. the way ICU and emergency medicine trainees are treated by anaesthesia departments.
Chua thinks that US foreign policy overlooks tribalism because it thinks other countries are homogenous, and have strong bonds that make them nationalistic. But tribalism often trumps national allegience.
blinki.st/c87019b62fd6?b…
Power imbalances often result in friction and resentment between tribes. Market-dominant minorities (think Jewish and Chinese, or whites in Zimbabwe and South Africa) with disproportionate wealth cause tribal tensions.
Power imbalances often result in friction and resentment between tribes. Market-dominant minorities (think Jewish and Chinese, or whites in Zimbabwe and South Africa) with disproportionate wealth cause tribal tensions.
But when you overthrow or remove a market-dominant minority (like the Tajik in Afghanistan), what should replace it? The common answer has been democracy, but as we have seen, this can lead to more troubles. (Mugabe in Zimbabwe comes to mind.)
blinki.st/c87019b62fd6?b…
"The United States has committed numerous foreign policy mistakes by failing to pay enough attention to political tribalism." Or is it a case of a Western power seeing things through a western lens and trying to impose western norms?
"The United States has committed numerous foreign policy mistakes by failing to pay enough attention to political tribalism." Or is it a case of a Western power seeing things through a western lens and trying to impose western norms?
Chua uses Vietnam as an example of US missteps. According to her, the Chinese in Vietnam were the market-dominant minority, and many of them fled south when Ho Chi Minh took power. When the US aligned with the south, they aligned themselves with this MDM and alienated Vietnamese.
This is fascinating. I've never quite understood the Vietnamese war, and the ethnic/tribal tensions underlying it.
blinki.st/c87019b62fd6?b…
Chua turns her attention to the Iraq war. Here the MDM was the Sunni Muslims. The Sunnis were furious when the majority Shia came into power, and this eventually let to ISIS.
Chua turns her attention to the Iraq war. Here the MDM was the Sunni Muslims. The Sunnis were furious when the majority Shia came into power, and this eventually let to ISIS.
blinki.st/c87019b62fd6?b…
Terrorist groups are "often led by well-educated and wealthy members of tribes whose power has been undermined in their own countries. That means they’re very effective at tapping into feelings of alienation and frustration among fellow tribe members."
Terrorist groups are "often led by well-educated and wealthy members of tribes whose power has been undermined in their own countries. That means they’re very effective at tapping into feelings of alienation and frustration among fellow tribe members."
"In Western countries, the poor treatment of Muslims leaves this minority group feeling isolated. Thus, many Muslims long for an environment in which they feel respected and powerful.
"This creates a vicious cycle. Populist politicians target entire Muslim communities", etc.
"This creates a vicious cycle. Populist politicians target entire Muslim communities", etc.
blinki.st/c87019b62fd6?b…
Chua puts the current problems in the US down to political tribalism and identity politics. The white left champions minorities, while the working-class whites feel left behind and disenfranchised.
Chua puts the current problems in the US down to political tribalism and identity politics. The white left champions minorities, while the working-class whites feel left behind and disenfranchised.
This leads to the rise of politicians like Trump. They position the "coastal elite" as the MDM. Both tribes pour scourn on each other.
I wonder if the next blinks contain any potential solutions.
I wonder if the next blinks contain any potential solutions.
blinki.st/c87019b62fd6?b…
“To see the divisiveness in today’s America – and the forces that brought about Trump’s election – as solely about racism, while ignoring the role of inequality, misses too much of the picture.”
“To see the divisiveness in today’s America – and the forces that brought about Trump’s election – as solely about racism, while ignoring the role of inequality, misses too much of the picture.”
blinki.st/c87019b62fd6?b…
"We have to learn to understand people from other tribes on a more human level.
"Members of a tribe regard nonmembers with contempt... But, if we want the world to be a more peaceful place, we have to learn to overcome such knee-jerk reactions."
"We have to learn to understand people from other tribes on a more human level.
"Members of a tribe regard nonmembers with contempt... But, if we want the world to be a more peaceful place, we have to learn to overcome such knee-jerk reactions."
This is why I think we need more empathy and curiosity. We need more posts ending with questions rather than more twitter rants to attract likes. We need to seek understanding before we give our opinion. We need to search for the good in people, not demonise them.
So this has been a fascinating read. I've learnt about market-dominant minorities, to which I belong. It also complements the identity formation ideas I've been reading about. @threadreaderapp please unroll.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
