Who, exactly, represents the left extreme in the establishment blogosphere? You'd likely hear names like Jane Hamsher or Glenn Greenwald. But these examples are instructive. Is Hamsher a socialist? A revolutionary anti-capitalist? In any historical or international context-- in the context of a country that once had a robust socialist left, and in a world where there are straightforwardly socialist parties in almost every other democracy-- is Hamsher particularly left-wing? Not at all. It's only because her rhetoric is rather inflamed that she is seen as particularly far to the left.Freddie De Boer on the lack of left wing discourse in the blogosphere.
No, the nominal left of the blogosphere is almost exclusively neoliberal. Ask for a prominent left-wing blogger and people are likely to respond with the names of Matt Yglesias, Jon Chait, Kevin Drum.... Each of them, as I understand it, believe in the general paternalistic neoliberal policy platform, where labor rights are undercut everywhere for the creation of economic growth (that 21st century deity), and then, if things go to plan, wealth is redistributed from the top to those whose earnings and quality of life have been devastated by the attack on labor.Matt Yglesias responds.
The neoliberal economic platform is enforced by the attitude that anyone embracing a left-wing critique of that platform is a Stalinist or a misbehaving adolescent. This is the critique of the Very Serious Person: there is a very narrow slice of opinion that is worthy of being considered reasonable or mature, and that anyone who argues outside of it should not be given a seat at the table of serious discussion. Genuinely left-wing opinion is not to be debated but to be dismissed out of hand. Those who argue for a robust series of labor protections, an unapologetic and proud left, a meaningful alternative to the capture of our economic apparatus by corporate power, or (god forbid) something resembling genuine socialism-- even to speak as if their arguments require rebuttal is too much. Far better to demonstrate true repudiation by assuming away the left-wing critic than to assume that his or her position is at least worthy of attention. In this sense, conservative bloggers and pundits are actually fairer than their neoliberal brethren. I've found that they'll actually debate with me, albeit while usually holding their noses. Many neoliberal bloggers maintain an unspoken but meticulously curated policy of not allowing left-wing criticism to enter their rhetorical space.if you take Yglesias as an example, I think this criticism is largely true. how can you have a mainstream left if discussion within the mainstream is (self)censored?
It’s worth saying that I once had the opportunity, not too long ago, to blog for money– not a lot of money– for a fairly mainstream progressive enterprise. I turned it down...The most eloquent response to which comes from a Naked Capitalism commentor.
We don’t lack people willing to ask others to take a bullet for them.posted by Hypnotic Chick at 9:40 AM on January 18, 2011 [7 favorites]
But the problem with Yglesias isn’t that he’s zombie Ayn Rand come to eat the regulatory state’s brains, or something. The problem is that when he declares himself a neoliberal without understanding fully what it means, he demonstrates that he either doesn’t understand or doesn’t respect the leftist critique of his position, that he pretends it doesn’t exist, that he has a blind spot where it lives . This was Freddie’s main and most cogent point (and one which much of the blogosphere has completely ignored): the argument was more subtle than that these people are “not left enough” because they are neoliberals; the argument was that these people don’t understand or show awareness of the arguments of people to their left, specifically on matters economic. Which is a different argument than the “MSM is conservative” cri de coeur that Freddie‘s piece is fast being rendered into; he was talking about the cognitive limitations of this class of liberal thinkers, their inability to take seriously arguments to their left. They disagree with people to their left and to their right. That’s fine; we all disagree with people who don’t share our ideology. But Freddie’s criticism — which seems dead on to me — is that while they understand and respect the people they disagree with to their right, they ignore and are oblivious to the people they disagree with to their left.As Bady points out, Yglesias' response, "there is no one [valid] to the left of me," pretty much proves the point.
I find it so hard to take, when libertarians complain about how misunderstood and oppressed they are, because nobody redbaits like libertarians do. Nobody. Nobody is more eager to excise the dirty commies from the realm of acceptable opinion than your average libertarian, while the similarly berate the powers that be for confining them to the intellectual ghetto of their imagination.Freddie De Boer needs to stop reading so many straight-white-man-bloggers.
Strictly speaking, or "most".I think your math is a bit off here. Most are straight, and perhaps most are white, but most are not straight AND white. Venn diagrams.Well, considering the about 75% of the US is white, and 90% (conservative estimate) of the population is heterosexual, that gives us about 2/3 of the US population being white and straight. Unless you have some other definition of "straight." Or "white."
A: You really don't understand, do you.posted by kipmanley at 2:12 PM on January 18, 2011
B: Hey man, don't you understand that in order to make this thing work, we have to get rid of the pimps, the pushers, and the prostitutes and then start over again clean.
A: Hey look, nobody's pushing me anywhere, okay? I mean, not you, not the cops, nobody, man. I mean, if you wanna get rid of the pushers, I'll help you, but don't send your people after me.
B: C'mon John, can't you see that we can't get rid of one without getting rid of the other? We gotta come down on both of them at the same time in order for this whole thing to work for the people.
A: Hey look, nobody's—closing me outta my business.
« Older Brazil won't extradite an Italian writer convicted... | In 1905, a rich French man nam... Newer »
This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
posted by londonmark at 8:51 AM on January 18, 2011