Can people can be called "leftists" when they support transgender ideology, which openly espouses the erasure of women as a sex, the nullification of women's sports, elimination of the raison d'etre for women's shelters and rape crises centers, while ignoring the crimes, abuse, threats, silencing and censure trans activists frequently impose on women and girls? In addition, some of these people also support the sale of women's and children's bodies in prostitution as well as the consumption of pornography for entertainment. This transgender view of women as non-existent beings or having non-existent interests as a sex, is an expression of extreme right-wing views, which disregard and silence women like the Taliban. Any group of people like trans activists, who pile-on to discriminate against women, who are the largest group of oppressed people the world over, whether we're talking about one of the 5 thousand women murdered in the USA every year, or one of the million women raped in S. Africa each year, or the fact that, around the globe women get paid less than men, cannot be considered of the left. Those, like trans people, are NOT about equality, fairness or justice; they are about hanging on to male privilege, male supremacy and using regressive stereotypes to confine and control women's options and voices. How can such people be considered "leftists?" This is the strategy of covert-right actors hiding behind a smokescreen of phoney liberation politics; cynical poseurs who rely on emotional manipulation. These are the actions of a covert-right and they should be called-out as such - never to be conflated with leftists. I consider myself a leftist; always have. I think this is an honorable position that should never be confused with the deceptions of a covert-right.
It may be impossible to reach a new consensus on what it means to be on the "left.” In my case, I was essentially born a leftist due to my grandparents' and parents' involvement with labor organizing. Sometime in the 20th century, something happened to leftist politics. Or maybe it was always there, but we didn't notice because of our fervor for justice and equality and being on the correct side of history. Leftism is idealistic. If it has a flaw, it's the belief that human nature, which leans towards selfishness, tribalism, and a craving for utopia, can be altered through social engineering without pissing off half the population and creating deep resentments.
Freedom, especially freedom of speech, which the Democrats seem to be in the process of eradicating through age-old techniques of fear mongering and shunning, is an existential human need. Lately I've heard progressives use the word disparagingly, as if spoken with quotation marks around it. According to some progressives, “freedom” is code for "insurrection" and “racism.” I fear that the Founding Fathers are turning over in their graves.
Right-wing Sen. Mike Lee and I agree that trans-identified male rapists don’t belong in women’s prisons. Great! But then he celebrates the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Not great! Left-wing Sen. Elizabeth Warren believes just the opposite on both those issues. What to do?
I can't think any longer in terms of overarching philosophies and ideologies that may be helpful in certain contexts but not in others.
Q. Who put progressive professor Allison Stanger in the hospital with a severe neck injury because she agreed to have a civil conversation with conservative political scientist Charles Murray, who wrote “The Bell Curve”?
A. Unhinged, violent, anti-free speech, left-wing students at Middlebury College.
It wouldn’t hurt if we took a good look at what it means to be on the “left” and whether it’s a term we need to keep. Same on the right, BTW. Let’s keep what’s noble and good, and dump the rest. I’m talking in terms of values, not platforms.
Anointing Trump as the universal boogie-man as an excuse to suppress our fundamental freedoms, is a corruption. People on the right say that people on the left suffer from “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” I would call it an obsession, a roadblock to objectivity and unity.
We live in a diverse country, which is why I love the U.S. As the grandchild of Jewish immigrants who would not have survived if they'd stayed in eastern Europe, I'm grateful that I grew up in this magnificent, crazy country. In honor of my heritage, I do volunteer work with immigrants: asylum seekers and refugees. Every one of them loves this country. They don't see race, they don't see politics. They have no interest in identitarianism. They have a feeling of possibility that was denied to them in their countries. (The long-term effects of colonialism and war mongering are ongoing.) They’re no strangers to hardship. Their stories are often tragic. And yet, they celebrate every breath they take here. Because freedom.
I think that everybody has to navigate this conundrum for themselves, and come up with a working plan to navigate the weird times we live in. SPEAKING JUST FOR MYSELF, I seek foundational values, and have relegated “left" and “right" to the trash heap of history.
Vaishnavi Sundar, Arundhati Roy, and Dr. Vandana Shiva are my Goddess in triune form from South Asia. Very powerfully insightful women, and I thank you, Kara, for alerting me to Vaishnavi’s work, particularly. Women like you four are leading us to a healthier future for all people on the planet. The woman-hating is *scapegoating,* and must be stopped. It is really anti-human behavior. 😕
Can people can be called "leftists" when they support transgender ideology, which openly espouses the erasure of women as a sex, the nullification of women's sports, elimination of the raison d'etre for women's shelters and rape crises centers, while ignoring the crimes, abuse, threats, silencing and censure trans activists frequently impose on women and girls? In addition, some of these people also support the sale of women's and children's bodies in prostitution as well as the consumption of pornography for entertainment. This transgender view of women as non-existent beings or having non-existent interests as a sex, is an expression of extreme right-wing views, which disregard and silence women like the Taliban. Any group of people like trans activists, who pile-on to discriminate against women, who are the largest group of oppressed people the world over, whether we're talking about one of the 5 thousand women murdered in the USA every year, or one of the million women raped in S. Africa each year, or the fact that, around the globe women get paid less than men, cannot be considered of the left. Those, like trans people, are NOT about equality, fairness or justice; they are about hanging on to male privilege, male supremacy and using regressive stereotypes to confine and control women's options and voices. How can such people be considered "leftists?" This is the strategy of covert-right actors hiding behind a smokescreen of phoney liberation politics; cynical poseurs who rely on emotional manipulation. These are the actions of a covert-right and they should be called-out as such - never to be conflated with leftists. I consider myself a leftist; always have. I think this is an honorable position that should never be confused with the deceptions of a covert-right.
It may be impossible to reach a new consensus on what it means to be on the "left.” In my case, I was essentially born a leftist due to my grandparents' and parents' involvement with labor organizing. Sometime in the 20th century, something happened to leftist politics. Or maybe it was always there, but we didn't notice because of our fervor for justice and equality and being on the correct side of history. Leftism is idealistic. If it has a flaw, it's the belief that human nature, which leans towards selfishness, tribalism, and a craving for utopia, can be altered through social engineering without pissing off half the population and creating deep resentments.
Freedom, especially freedom of speech, which the Democrats seem to be in the process of eradicating through age-old techniques of fear mongering and shunning, is an existential human need. Lately I've heard progressives use the word disparagingly, as if spoken with quotation marks around it. According to some progressives, “freedom” is code for "insurrection" and “racism.” I fear that the Founding Fathers are turning over in their graves.
Right-wing Sen. Mike Lee and I agree that trans-identified male rapists don’t belong in women’s prisons. Great! But then he celebrates the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Not great! Left-wing Sen. Elizabeth Warren believes just the opposite on both those issues. What to do?
I can't think any longer in terms of overarching philosophies and ideologies that may be helpful in certain contexts but not in others.
Q. Who put progressive professor Allison Stanger in the hospital with a severe neck injury because she agreed to have a civil conversation with conservative political scientist Charles Murray, who wrote “The Bell Curve”?
A. Unhinged, violent, anti-free speech, left-wing students at Middlebury College.
It wouldn’t hurt if we took a good look at what it means to be on the “left” and whether it’s a term we need to keep. Same on the right, BTW. Let’s keep what’s noble and good, and dump the rest. I’m talking in terms of values, not platforms.
Anointing Trump as the universal boogie-man as an excuse to suppress our fundamental freedoms, is a corruption. People on the right say that people on the left suffer from “Trump Derangement Syndrome.” I would call it an obsession, a roadblock to objectivity and unity.
We live in a diverse country, which is why I love the U.S. As the grandchild of Jewish immigrants who would not have survived if they'd stayed in eastern Europe, I'm grateful that I grew up in this magnificent, crazy country. In honor of my heritage, I do volunteer work with immigrants: asylum seekers and refugees. Every one of them loves this country. They don't see race, they don't see politics. They have no interest in identitarianism. They have a feeling of possibility that was denied to them in their countries. (The long-term effects of colonialism and war mongering are ongoing.) They’re no strangers to hardship. Their stories are often tragic. And yet, they celebrate every breath they take here. Because freedom.
I think that everybody has to navigate this conundrum for themselves, and come up with a working plan to navigate the weird times we live in. SPEAKING JUST FOR MYSELF, I seek foundational values, and have relegated “left" and “right" to the trash heap of history.
Terrific interview. The film is brilliant. Enormous gratitude to you both.
great film. great interview. bravo! and thank you to Vaishnavi and to Kara.
Vaishnavi Sundar, Arundhati Roy, and Dr. Vandana Shiva are my Goddess in triune form from South Asia. Very powerfully insightful women, and I thank you, Kara, for alerting me to Vaishnavi’s work, particularly. Women like you four are leading us to a healthier future for all people on the planet. The woman-hating is *scapegoating,* and must be stopped. It is really anti-human behavior. 😕