NationStates forum post from 2017 (not by me)
Re: "Identity politics is the handmaiden of neoliberalism"This is a great thread (I almost never say this) and I agree with the OP and the general premise contained herein.
I've argued multiple times (including in published articles which I won't be linking to so as to protect my identity) that the new political cleavage is no longer between left and right, or fought along economic/class grounds, but between populist/nationalist and elitist/globalist factions, or as Tony Blair (a man who is generally anathema to everything I stand for) described it "Open" versus "Closed".
It may or may not be the case that identity politics is an insidious plot by neoliberals to divide and conquer the economically disadvantaged, although if that is the case then the privileged have unfortunately divided themselves in the process.
Either way, I suspect we're actually going back to the 19th century political cleavage - "Whig" versus "Tory" rather than left/right or socialist/capitalist.
If this is the case, it's actually good news for the working class.
While throughout the 20th century the divide was between the rich capitalist class, and the socialistic working class, with both groups having to appeal to the middle class "swing voter" in order to gain or maintain power; in the 19th century the divide was between the aristocratic, conservative Tories and the capitalistic, liberal Whigs - with both groups having to appeal to the working class to maintain power.
As such, if identity politics leads to return of Whiggism and Toryism in the 21st century, I for one welcome it.
Also reminds me of
this TalkElections thread
Poll
