So reading this over I want to make clear that I think identity in some ways is very important in politics, and identity politics is a good thing. Using awareness of sociologically-derived personal identity to identify push for changes in the structure is good politics and seems like a necessary survival instinct. And people in powerful groups should be aware of identity politics and curb their own behavior (including avoiding things like running for office and bogarting leadership roles).
But I'm pushing back on the tendency to wrap political behavior into an identity to avoid responsibility for it (the right-wing defensiveness right now) or on the other hand substitute political or moral identity for actual practice (people doing bad things or nothing and feeling okay about it because they consider themselves good people as a matter of identity).
It's good to be aware of identities when doing things, because it helps figure out the impact and meaning of things done, but doing things is the substance of things.
So reading this over I want to make clear that I think identity in some ways is very important in politics, and identity politics is a good thing. Using awareness of sociologically-derived personal identity to identify push for changes in the structure is good politics and seems like a necessary survival instinct. And people in powerful groups should be aware of identity politics and curb their own behavior (including avoiding things like running for office and bogarting leadership roles).
But I'm pushing back on the tendency to wrap political behavior into an identity to avoid responsibility for it (the right-wing defensiveness right now) or on the other hand substitute political or moral identity for actual practice (people doing bad things or nothing and feeling okay about it because they consider themselves good people as a matter of identity).
It's good to be aware of identities when doing things, because it helps figure out the impact and meaning of things done, but doing things is the substance of things.
Fuck all this talking and shit.