Thread by @tealou

Interesting to see the “identifies as” moniker used in things like “identifies as a democratic socialist” or “identifies as an entrepreneur” etc.

Think about the mind trick. You don’t have to BE it. Or earn it. You identify as it. Brand yourself without needing to do or be.

It is a strangely US phenomenon: making everything tangible metaphysical so that you can define the material and move the bar. “Merit” is “having money because money is the result of work”

Or to be a Democrat who undermines and abuses democratic process; or claim you’re a socialist whilst getting people fired on behalf of corporate greed.

This all makes sense under “identity”. Because it’s identity. No barriers, no gatekeepers, no truth. Just you and your grift.

If you ignore the material at the expense of identity and “merit” meaning “already rich”:

You don’t need school. You don’t need food. You don’t need love and belonging.

You can redefine what “work” is and make borderline slavery “work”.

It’s all metaphysical, right?

Because when it is metaphysical you can do anything™️. Opinions equal facts, rich people work hard, men are women, Ivy League grads are oppressed.

And you can identify as a socialist because it means nothing. It’s just optics and branding.

The American Fever Dream.

Because I’ve been in an industry littered with “gurus”, it’s painfully obvious that this is the online MLM cultists fused with televangelism fused with US interests. But most don’t see this. Anyway interesting to see that “identity” has rubber-stamped self appointed gurus.

I mean if you simply called yourself a socialist you’d be asked what you’ve actually done/accomplished. To be a professional you’d have to show your work. To identify as something is to frame any challenge of it as offensive and personal.

Interesting innit.

When I say it is a US phenomenon I mean that after decades of US dominance in academic journals and media (cultural hegemony is the term)… it has effectively supplanted most of our institutions and replaced the physical with metaphysical nonsense.

In this vein, it’s why things like the Metaverse are pushed without irony or criticism in any meaningful way. Because US Capitalism is very much focused on narrative-building, cult programming etc it’s really just the logical next step from here.