2 cents: The left’s embrace of identity politics started off as a well-meaning but unintelligent attempt to acknowledge issues of diversity and representation. Now it hinders our ability to coherently articulate an anti-racist, socialist alternative to the status quo 1/9

Representation is something to strive for because it means providing equal opportunities to all. But when a representation-based approach to anti-racism becomes mainstreamed, and becomes a primary focus of political organising, the results are regressive. 2/9

The tokenisation of political actors as [X minority] creates an essentialist framework of viewing ‘identity’ and removes an individual’s political agency and accountability to the movement. 3/9

It means that the soft-left can guilt socialists into supporting regressive candidates, and defame them if they don’t... 4/9

It means that the right can use identity as a cloak to to mask factionalism, a shield to defend themselves from legitimate criticism, or a weapon to cynically denigrate the left... 5/9

it means that the Conservative party can legitimately dismiss criticism of racism and sexism by virtue of them having better representation than the LP... 6/9

And, importantly, it means that contemporary socialists are unable to effectively tie race and racism into its wider strategy. And are failing to demonstrate how oppression is sustained under capitalism. 7/9

Anti-racism is not about diversifying the mantle of power or regurgitating reactionary politics through a browner lense. Serious anti-racism is socialist in practice. And socialism is the only legitimate means through which we can begin to dismantle systems of oppression 8/9

The moral of the story is:
if you consider yourself to be a leftist please just vote for the better socialist lol and stop calling people racist for doing so. Cheers. 9/9