this post was submitted on 09 Jan 2024
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There was never an actual social ladder. There's a social lottery
As far as I am concerned, there was one. My grand grandparents either didn’t know how to write or at most had the 4th grade, poor farmers in the middle of nowhere. My grandparents all got high school done and ascended to low middle class. Their kids all got to uni and all got to proper middle to middle high class. Only in my generation does it look like uni and other formal education may not be available for a relevant portion of the population, thanks to the great work of the so called ”Socialist Party” (as socialist as I am a frog)
In my more conspiratorial moments I wonder if social media driven social justice is encouraged by the elites to keep us fighting over whether the movies have enough gay/Black/trans actors, critical race theory, trans bathrooms etc so that inequality and serious change never come up meaningfully.
Were I one of the wealthy elite, I could think of no better ally in the fight to support the status quo than twitter social justice.
To be clear, I think most of those folks are doing what they believe is right and I generally agree but it also creates a giant schism between Left and Right when it should be about Haves and Have nots.
Trans people actually need to use the bathroom sometimes.
Occupy Wall Street was 2011.
I took Google Ngrams with some various terms around social justice, set smoothing to 0, and sorted the outcomes. Feel free to verify; I'm no expert.
Tested terms (alphabetical order): Bigot, Bisexual, Black, Cisgender, Civil Rights, Critical Race Theory, Discrimination, Diversity, Empowerment, Equality, Equity, Gay, Gentrification, Hate Speech, Heterosexual, Homosexual, HRT, Human Rights, Identity Politics, Inclusive, Inequality, Intersectionality, Lesbian, LGBT, Liberation, Marginalize, Microaggression, Oppression, Privilege, Racism, Representation, Social Justice, Solidarity, Systemic, Transgender
Upturn in 2011/2012, upward trend since: Cisgender, Critical Race Theory, Gentrification, LGBT, Transgender
Downturn in 2011/2012, upward trend since:
Unclear in 2011/2012, upward trend since: Bigot, Bisexual, Hate Speech, Identity Politics, Inclusive, Inequality, Intersectionality, Microaggression, Social Justice
Upturn in 2011/2012, unclear trend since: Discrimination, Gay, Lesbian
Downturn in 2011/2012, unclear trend since: Privilege
Unclear in 2011/2012, unclear trend since: Black, Diversity, Empowerment, Equality, Human Rights, Liberation, Marginalize, Oppression, Racism, Representation, Solidarity, Systemic
Upturn in 2011/2012, downward trend since: Equity, Heterosexual, Homosexual
Downturn in 2011/2012, downward trend since: HRT
Unclear in 2011/2012, downward trend since: Civil Rights
I certainly didn't sort them perfectly. I don't want to tell you what to think, but I will say that I was pretty sure of this theory before running this test, and though I feel the evidence supports it, it wasn't as strong as I thought.
This reads so much worse when you realize that the distraction is the point.
Voter: Please address our material interests.
Politicians: Nah, let's all get violent over pronouns and bathrooms and Christmas and school books.
Voter: m'okay, works for me!
This is what Republicans love, hence all the rheeeeeeing about it.
Transgenders in bathrooms? OMG OMG, RIOT! Forget that we're robbing you blind, making everyone poor and ruining the Country, focus on the next tiny insignificant issue that no one really cares about!
Even the illegal immigration thing is nothing but a diversion. There are issues die to immigration in the US being handled horrible, but that is by design, they want something to point at.
Not to even mention that most social issues are exacerbated by our disgraceful economic inequity, but we're only allowed to argue the symptoms, as our beloved ~~society~~ market capitalist economy is too perfect and sacred to change to Republicans and Neoliberals alike.
Abortions are often economic decisions, for example, and correctly so when you can't afford to raise a child. If you want significantly fewer abortions, living wages, paid maternity leave, social supports etc would do that, as just 1 example.
Are republicans not neoliberals?
Neoliberalism means supposedly socially liberal while economically for muh "free market" capitalism.
This is almost all modern Democrats. Republicans are both for muh "free market" capitalism and going back to no same sex marriage, no gender equality, jim crow preferential treatment for whites, etc. Neoliberals don't care if 2 homeless dudes want to get married and live in the same cardboard box in the gutter, which makes them better than the Republicans... a little.
I say "Republicans and Neoliberals" because within the Democrats in power, there are a tiny minority that actually seem to care and propose policies that would help fight inequity, like Sanders and AOC, but they are hated by their own party more than their own party hates the fascists accross the aisle.
Well the important part is that you feel superior to both
Not a high bar.
The media talks about inequality all the time