Roundup: “Identity politics” on both sides

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As the facile analysis of the Trump victory continues across the political talk shows, there was one particular exchange on Power & Politics last night that I felt deserves a bit more attention, because I think it’s important to call bullshit on, which is the discourse around “identity politics.” There has been a lot written about, particularly over the past two days, about how the left has been too scoldy about said “identity politics” and pronouns, and it caused the public to turn against it, which is both ridiculous given the broad-based rage-and-resentment campaign underway, but it also excuses the very identity politics that the Trump campaign (and the current far-right) play into themselves, particularly with race.

Nevertheless, after this diatribe about identity politics, columnist Emilie Nicolas, who was on that panel, objected and pointed in particular to what is happening right now with young men, who are being raised on a diet of Andrew Tate podcasts and their similar ilk, along with some allusions to the gamer-to-fascism pipeline, who are being taught an absolute load of horseshit about alpha men, male dominance, and rank misogyny. And Nicolas pointed out that this is identity politics, and to insist that it’s only coming from the “left” makes this particular kind of identity politics invisible when that’s exactly what it is.

Trying to dismiss anti-racism, anti-misogyny and anti-homophobia/transphobia as “identity politics” that the general population doesn’t care about (as though the general population consists entirely of white men), while racism, misogyny, and white supremacy are given a free pass and not being called “identity politics” when in fact that is at the core of what they are, is actually kind of damning to those who think the “left” needs to cool it. I do get that the whole “scolding” aspect is something that does need to be re-thought as a tactic, but to pretend that “identity politics” is the domain of the left alone is both wrong, and intellectually dishonest in the extreme.

Ukraine Dispatch

A Russian guided bomb attack hit Zaporizhzhia, killing four, wounding at least 33, destroyed houses and damaged an oncology centre. Energy facilities in the northern Zhytomyr region also suffered damage in a drone attack. President Zelenskyy told a European summit that “peace through strength” is what is needed (which is in part what he is hoping to flatter Trump with), and also said that North Korean forces have suffered casualties when fighting Ukrainian forces in Kursk.

Good reads:

  • Justin Trudeau has revived the Canada-US Relations Cabinet committee, to be chaired by Chrystia Freeland, in the wake of the Trump victory.
  • Trudeau met with the chair of the African Union with several ministers, who insisted they will launch an Africa strategy, in spite of backing away from it.
  • Mélanie Joly says that the new immigration targets stand in the face of Trump’s mass-deportation threats, and that there is a border plan in place.
  • Sean Fraser says that a $1-billion critical infrastructure programme is now open for municipal applications.
  • The Environment Commissioner’s latest report says the government won’t meet their 2030 targets at the current pace—but also encouraged them not to give up.
  • The Senate has amended the Supply Management bill in committee, and the Bloc and the government both want the main chamber to defeat the amendment.
  • Dominic LeBlanc was at the Procedure and House Affairs committee to defend the Elections Act changes, and was badgered about the proposed changed date.
  • Postmedia journalist David Pugliese told the national security committee they were the victim of disinformation when they were told he is a Russian spy.
  • Former MP Andrew Leslie told the defence committee he doesn’t see a sense of urgency on the part of the government to meet NATO targets.
  • New York consul general Tom Clark has written to the Government Operations committee to again clarify he didn’t issue any directions about the condo purchase.
  • The request has been put to Speaker Fergus to find Tenet Media’s Lauren Chen in breach of parliamentary privilege for refusing to answer questions at committee.
  • There are allegations that Randy Boissonnault’s former company advertised itself as Indigenous-owned, but never received any contracts as a result.
  • Scott Moe is backpedalling from his promises to ban trans people from change rooms as his “first order of business.”
  • The Alberta government fired the entire board of its provincial pension fund and put a minister “temporarily” in charge. (Autocrat alarm bells should be ringing).
  • Shannon Gormley warns that the worst regimes in the world now have a friend in the White House, which is going to unbalance international relations.
  • Justin Ling reflects on weaponized anger and a poisoned media environment as key elements of the Trump win.
  • Similarly, Tom Nichols points to the desire for the drama of rage and resentment, for which no policy solutions to problems could compete in the minds of voters.

Odds and ends:

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