Are identity politics dangerous?

[Music] Trump gay marriage women on boards black lives matter what do they have in common they've all been used as examples of so-called identity politics it's the idea that groups are calling for special treatment based on race religion sex or other characteristics and some fear that a politics based of protecting narrow group interests rather than broader political movements can be dangerous identity politics emerged because groups that have been historically ignored or harmed demanded their right to be protected from civil rights or women's rights to gay rights the idea was that safeguarding these rights make society fairer more tolerant and more equal but some now think that these protections have gone too far by focusing so much on their own rights and interests they threaten the rights of others if you oppose affirmative action you may be labeled a racist if you comment on a woman's appearance you might be called a misogynist or a sex pest the belief that political correctness has gone too far fuel the rise of Trump whose campaign was naked Leon PC and this isn't just a Western phenomenon either nor is it new India's ruling party espouses Hindu nationalism sometimes at the expense of the country's Muslim minority so identity as part of politics everywhere and probably always will be but there is a way forward and it starts with resisting the temptation to see politics as a zero-sum game if the LGBT community gets more rights or protections heterosexuals don't automatically get fewer supporting women's interest doesn't simultaneously undermine the interest of men so the question is not whether identity politics should exist but in what form knee-jerk actions or quick fixes like quotas aren't the best way to go but there is a role for better information such as improving public date on diversity in companies or universities the challenge is to make identity politics constructive and inclusive rather than destructive and divisive open not closed you

Channel: The Economist

Views: 224,599

Keywords: The Economist, Economist, Economist Films, Economist Videos, Politics, News, short-documentary, identity, identity politics, identity politics debate, identity politics documentary, politics, feminism, social justice, gender, political correctness, transgender, the economist, economist, economist films, economist videos

Id: Cl-27JjJk-I

Length: 2min 39sec (159 seconds)

Published: Thu Jul 19 2018

Reddit Comments

[u/BanefulBroccoli]

The wealth equality will trickle down!