By Richard Eber
Most of the time New Year’s resolutions pertain to weight loss, improving ones diet, and/or getting more exercise. This year I vow not to concentrate on this failed agenda. Instead it is my intention to fight the plague of Identity Politics which is threatening to destroy our country.
By definition this term is described by Merriam Webster as:
“Groups of people having a particular racial, religious, ethnic, social, or cultural identity tend to promote their own specific interests or concerns without regard to the interests or concerns of any larger political group.” Identity Politics
Such a philosophy has been utilized by sub-groups ranging from Women’s rights, LBGQT, African Americans, to Green New Deal advocates. All of these people have one thing in common; belief that their cause is far more important than anything else going on in the world.
Being a so called “one trick pony “does not bode well for a democracy such as ours. This entity depends on a number of shared principles to provide much needed unity. Common denominators such loyalty to the Republic, belief in God, reverence to our proud history and Constitution, has provided the glue that has traditionally held us together.
Lately the Pledge of Allegiance and National Anthem have been questioned as being outdated. Iconic heroes such as Christopher Columbus, Thomas Jefferson, and even Abraham Lincoln have been placed on the chopping block. “Cancel culture” advocates have tried to erase the Southern side of the Civil War from history books. Identity Politics has been a cornerstone of several causes including:
The Black Lives Matter movement: While BLM objectives are noble their leaders feel it is necessary to tear down our society to achieve true racial equality. The question must be asked if this wish list is worth throwing out our Constitution to accomplish their goals Will defunding the police change the ugly consequences of generational poverty in urban ghettos. What place will fascist organizations such as Antifa play in the BLM movement as it matures?
LGBQT advocates: With virtually unanimous agreement that gay marriage is here to stay, how much of a priority promoting gay rights play in the future? Should the number and type of public restrooms be mired in such controversy? With the amounts of transgender people so rare, is it worth paying so much attention to their plight?
Personally, I could not care less about the sexual preferences of anyone. Most people, especially in California, agree with me. ? How much of a role government might play in the future in this area is a good question. A friend of mine was asked by State official what his policy was in hiring LGBQT personnel. He responded “we don’t ask such questions”. Sometimes “Don’t ask, don’t tell” has its benefits.
Green New Deal zealots: According to these folks the issue of dealing with Climate Change is so important that nothing else seems to matter. They advocate the necessity of throwing out our current way of life and adapting a lifestyle that is more environmentally friendly. Giving up fossil fuels, changing our diets, living in stack and pack housing, abandoning our cars to being totally dependent on mass transit systems, are among some of the Green New Deal goals.
At the same time most of the environmental lobby rejects clean nuclear power, opposes additional water storage, and wants solar power to provide most of our energy needs for the future. Anyone who dares challenge them are castigated and often humiliated.
Looking at radical environmentalist agenda, we have to ask how much of it is based on science and what amount of it is comprised of Leftist ideology?
Women’s Rights Movement: To borrow a phrase from the old Virginia Slims advertisements “You’ve come a long ways baby” While this social change has come quickly, how far should it go. Is it the role of government to legislate the role of women in the workplace to such an extent that businesses lose focus on their primary mission of providing goods and services to consumers? In this regard is it good policy for female government workers and those in private enterprise to be treated identically? Will workplace rules become so complicated that a socialistic system of government be required to address gender equality?
Whether we choose to believe it or not, identity politics has been a subject very much on the minds of voters during the last two presidential elections.
In 2016 Hillary Clinton’s Basket of Deplorables that catered to Identity Politics was very much on the minds of the electorate. At the time the middle class rejected the Democratic candidate and ended up embracing the ideology of “Making America Great Again” advocated by Donald Trump.
Four years later the Democratic Party and their allies in the news media united behind the concept that getting rid of the President is all that matters. While this strategy proved to be successful in killing the messenger, it didn’t alter the message. Democrats failed to win enough down ballot elections to have a mandate to bring the social changes they campaigned for.
This was especially true in California Propositions 15 and 16 were soundly beaten while 22 was passed that provided for independent contractors to operate in the workplace without major interference from the State. Such result underscores the continuing battle between the supporters of identity politics and those who desire for the United States to embrace a free market economy.
Strangely enough “diversity” has become the center piece of those who practice identity politics. In leftist circles the “D” word is like a religious doctrine that must be followed at all costs. Even though affirmative action was rejected by the Supreme Court, this has not prevented Progressives from pushing it on Golden State residents. Quotas, team building, additional government regulations, and group decision making, comprise their foundation for bringing on social change.
Future leaders are currently being enrolled in California’s dismally performing public school system. It sacrifices competence in the 3 R’s in favor of promoting PC values that undermines the education process. In effect we are allowing children in our State to be made co-dependents in a system that breeds mediocrity and dependence on government services.
Sacramento, under the leadership of Gavin Newsom, has no viable Republican opposition to tell them “no” to their hair brained schemes powered by identity politics.
All of these factors weigh into my plans for 2021 to proudly stand up for conservative values and not be intimidated by the polarizing efforts of the Left to steamroller our society to become a Marxist-Light enclave.
Published with Author’s Permission:
Richard Eber studied journalism at the University of Oregon. He writes about politics, culture, education restaurants, and was former city and sports editor of UCSB Daily. Richard is president of Amerasa Rapid Transit, a specialized freight forwarder.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Citizens Journal.
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