Identifying Identity

Trump: He wrote a book which was a classic. It was all about the working men and women and how they aren’t treated fairly. I understood that better than anyone else. pic.twitter.com/DwedX9XO1T

— Acyn (@Acyn) July 23, 2024

NOT “identity politics” (they say).

Watters: The only reason Kamala’s is in The White House is because of the DEI deal Biden cut with Bernie pic.twitter.com/LHeVDpBJa6

— Acyn (@Acyn) July 24, 2024

Identity politics. Because white men say so.

White men cannot engage in “identity politics.” But they alone can identify it in others. “Identity politics” simply means: non-white men (or just non-men) need not apply, because such persons are automatically disqualified.

The interesting thing is, we’d never allow anyone to use racial or sexist slurs in public discourse. But we freely allow euphemisms like “identity politics” and “DEI.”

The standard of measure is still white men, who are by definition incapable of “identity politics” or DEI. So Donald Trump and JD Vance “earn it” by having money. Non-rich, non-white men and women, white or not, can never earn it, but must always be earning it. Earning their identity as “a man to be reckoned with,” that is. 

Exhibit A:

Hannity says China, Iran, and North Korea will laugh at Kamala Harris because she “giggles” pic.twitter.com/jWRhEVj9Xf

— Acyn (@Acyn) July 24, 2024

The stone faced man is the default. Any deviation from the norm, is failure. QED. Does Kamala Harris laugh inappropriately? She laughs at all. Women’s laughter is weakness. Men’s laughter is another assertion of authority. It is always appropriate; unless it’s “girlish.”

Women’s laughter is always “girlish.”

See how it works?

“Identity politics” is always identified against someone. It’s always negative. And it’s always identified by cisgendered white men, against anyone not in that category, or as a way to exclude them from that category.  Cisgendered white men being the only ones who matter, and so the only ones whose definitions matter.

“Identity politics” means you have to be a cisgendered white male, or you’re just creating false categories to get you into the club, it equal to those born into the club. Because the only people who really matter are those in the club.  And in the club, the only people who really matter, are rich.

So Taylor Swift can never really matter:

Hold up…is he comparing this to the “fake” enthusiasm around the richest female musician ever and the first billionaire in history with music as the main source of income? Really? He is so dumb. #Swifties https://t.co/EWrkWt5ejt

— Fred Wellman (@FPWellman) July 24, 2024

Everything else is right, but she’s the wrong gender. Non-males need never apply.

It’s the ultimate identity politics.