Sunday 23 October 2016

Alt Left sub types revisited

Of all my blog posts so far, the one that has promoted the most discussion in alt-left circles - such as they are - to date has been my breakdown of sub types on the alt-left.

Just for reference's sake, here are the main ones.  What unites them is a skepticism towards unbridled capitalism.

Left Wing of the Alt Right: Nationalists, open to race realism.
Red Templars: Anti Islamists, oppose mass immigration.
Gamergate Leftists: Cultural libertarians, anti SJW.  Not necessarily into GamerGate itself, these guys are most concerned about censorship, campus speech codes, trigger warnings, safe spaces and the like.
Brocialists: Leftist anti-feminists, pro MRA or even pro MGTOW.
Red Enlightenment: Big on enlightenment values.  Sometimes into transhumanism, technocracy.
True Liberals: Anti-racist, pro-feminist (pro equity feminism, in any event) but put off by SJW extremism.  I've noticed a subcategory of these who are, say, cisgendered gay males or transgender people who've quarreled with trans exclusionary radical feminists (TERFs.)  I'll call these kinds Equal Rights Advocates.  Perhaps you recognize yourself among them, dear reader?
New Old Left: Predominantly about economics, class, labor, etc.  Disdainful of IdPol.
Christian Left: See Acts 2: 44-46, Catholic Social Teaching, the Social Gospel and Liberation Theology.
Patriotic Socialists: Socially conservative (in some ways at least) and economically leftist.  Okay, I didn't mention this one in the last post.  I am now.

And what of left wing conspiracy theorists?  Think Alex Jones, except for blue rather than red staters?  Who obsess over the New World Order rather than the (((New World Order.)))  Oh yeah, they already exist.  And have for a long time. 

I think I should clarify a few things here.

As a general rule, these are not hard-fast categories.  Please, my dear readers, don't obsess with categorizing yourself.  Not unless one or more really does fit you.  Even then, keep an open mind.  These should best be thought of as general areas of concern and interest, not as ideological straight jackets.  Perhaps they more accurately describe variations of ideas than people.  There's nothing precluding one or more overlapping.

There's also natural tension between some of them.  A Christian Leftist, Alt-Right leftist or a Patriotic Socialist is less likely to see eye to eye with the Red Enlightenment or Equal Rights Advocate sorts.  Being that both are generally anti-feminist, brocialist and patriotic socialists generally get along.  Except when they don't - many MRAs are as sharply critical of the "trad-cons" as the feminists themselves.  I have yet to see the neo/post Keynesian sorts really get into it with the more radical Marxist or anarchists, but I'm sure it's just a matter of time.  Liberals disillusioned by SJW excess and nationalists disillusioned by alt-right excess are not naturally going to understand one another.  The differences go beyond different stances on core issues.  These people come from wildly different ideological backgrounds that think and frame issues in very different ways.

So why try to bring such a divergent group together, you might ask.  In answer, I'll quote Saul Alinsky's first rule for radicals: "Power is derived from two main sources: money and people.  Have-nots must built power from flesh and blood."  Or as the great Brian of Nazareth put it, "We should be struggling together.  We mustn't be fighting each other.  Surely we should be united against the common enemy!"

"The Judean People's front!"

"No!  No!  The Romans!"

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