Will Shetterly's Blog, page 32

Things shared on Dec. 28ths

Why hasn't the angry left noticed that the most successful US leftists—Debs, King, Malcolm X, Bernie Sanders—have balanced passion with civility? #RhetoricalQuestion - If criticism of your politics makes you angry, your politics are a secular religion. - Younger folks, one of my gen's stupider ideas was adding the other's last name when marrying. No one needs a longer name. Stop that, okay?

Things posted on Dec. 28ths

Why hasn't the angry left noticed that the most successful US leftists—Debs, King, Malcolm X, Bernie Sanders—have balanced passion with civility? #RhetoricalQuestion - If criticism of your politics makes you angry, your politics are a secular religion. - Younger folks, one of my gen's stupider ideas was adding the other's last name when marrying. No one needs a longer name. Stop that, okay?

Things shared on Dec. 25ths

"Blessed is the working class, for they shall inherit the earth." Matthew 5:5 (The word often translated as "meek" also means "poor".) - Inspiring messages from very rich people at Christmas time make me wish Christmas tree ornaments included tumbrils and guillotines. - "Most educated group" is a euphemism for "richest group". The rich always buy the best education they can. -

The line from the Nation of Islam through Critical Race Theory to Intersectional Feminism

This is slight rewrite of today's Twitter rant: I'm tempted to stop talking about identitarianism and just refer to left-racism and left-sexism. There is a straight line from the Nation of Islam's Yakub theory (which Malcolm X called racist) through Derrick Bell's Critical Race Theory to Kimberle Crenshaw's intersectionality. The Nation of Islam believes a black scientist named Yakub created

Things shared on Dec 21sts

How American meritocracy works: luck in the form of birth or circumstance gets you in, ability and luck together let you rise. - I like Santa Claus, but he’s a snob: he gives more to rich children than poor ones. - #ChristianCommunism Luke 3:11 John answered, "Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same." - The rich claim

Things shared on Dec 18ths

Fascism (n): Authoritarian capitalism. - When people say “Ending poverty won’t end racism or sexism,” they are admitting they don’t want to end poverty. - Reminder: Wikileaks: Never wrong. CIA: Who can count all the lies and mistakes? - Instead of talking vaguely about the "popular" vote, let's be precise: we can either have the Electoral College or we can have democracy. - I want to

Things shared on Dec 17ths

The rich call the poor "takers", even though the rich are rich because they take the lion's share of society's wealth for themselves. - Under-appreciated Bible verse: Matthew 14:13 When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart Sometimes you just have to get away from everyone. - When neoliberals complain about “BernieBros” who voted for Trump, they are

Things shared on Dec 16ths

Today's peeve: The term "mixed economy" is a gift to the far right who insist robber baron capitalism is the One True Form of capitalism. Capitalism and socialism don't mix. If capitalists are rich and the working class works for them, the country is not mixed. It's capitalist. - Today's peeve, take 2: There is no such thing as a mixed economy. There are different kinds of capitalism and

The contradictions of the "intersectional socialist" — a rant from Twitter

"Intersectional socialist" is a contradiction in terms. Kimberle Crenshaw was a neoliberal who coined "intersectionality" so the race reductionists of Critical Race Theory and the gender reductionists of third-wave feminism could work together. Crenshaw's original "intersectionality" was only about race and gender. When intersectionalists realized they had to talk about class, they shoehorned

Things shared on Dec 15ths, including a bit about spoilers

The difference between bad consequences from bad intentions and bad consequences from good intentions is the difference between being an opportunist and being a fool. - I'm bored. What's the best outrage today? Dear religious people outraged by "Happy Holidays!", that's literally "Happy Holy Days." If anyone should be outraged, it's atheists. I am outraged that the internet is boring. I'm