I should be writing job applications.
I can't, though. Because all I can think about is how loud I will scream next time a journalist or politician tells me that I need to take the "worries" of "dissatisfied voters" "seriously". Because these days, "dissatisfied voters" is synonym to "racist, misogynist, bigotted assholes", i.e. Brexiters, Trump voters, AfD followers, fans and voters of Front National, UKIP, Flamske Blok, Lega Nord, PiS and however else these ultra-right parties call themselves. And I simply refuse to take their "worries" seriously*.
Because here's the thing: those "worries" that journalists and politicians keep talking about, they're not about jobs or economic security or world peace or social justice. They're about the one promise all of those racist, misogynist, bigotted politicians and political parties can and will keep: making racism, misogyny and bigotry not just acceptable but cool again. Finally, there's someone who tells these people, "Hey, it's okay to be racist! It's okay to hate women! It's okay to be disgusted by LGBTQ+ people!" and no one is there and corrects them anymore. All politicians and journalists, even those leaning left, tell them is, "Oh, so you say you are "worried"? It's okay, we understand, of course we'll make sure none of those nasty refugees and women and gays take away anything from you!" Not in so many words, but that's what "Well, there are dissatisfied people and we need to listen to their concerns!" comes down to.
And I do not want to listen to this or take it seriously or do something about it. I want to tell those people who are finally so glad that their hate is absolutely acceptable that they're racist, misogynist nazis and I want everyone else to do it, too. I want journalists to stop writing about "dissatisfied" voters "who just want people to listen to them" and I want politicians - especially those of my party - to stop begging for those people's vote.
I want journalists and politicians to stand up and say to those people "Your "concerns" are ridiculous. You do not want social justice, you just want to hate. You only want justice for people who are like you and you begrudge people who are not like you the shirts on their backs and that makes you a racist, a misogynist, a nazi, a disgusting person. You are deplorable." I want no more relativization, no more hand-patting, no more "We really should listen to see what these people want!" because these people only want one thing: hate, hate, hate. There is nothing that you could give them that would stop them from voting for racist, misogynist, bigotted fucks, nothing. Except telling them that their hate is okay, and I am so very, very pissed off at everyone who does that, just to keep their votes.
Right from the beginning, this has never been about "concerns" and "worries", not with AfD voters, not with Front National voters, not with UKIP voters, not with Trump voters. Never. This was not about "worries" and "concerns", it was always about hate and I am begging journalists and politicians to stop pretending that this has anything to do with "social justice" and "finding someone who will listen". It has nothing to do with being "concerned" about social justice for everyone and it has everything to do with finally finding someone who tells them they are the only ones deserving privileges, someone telling them it's totally okay to say "I hate blacks, women belong in the kitchen and gys are disgusting!"
AND I WANT EVERYONE TO STOP PANDERING TO THEM AND THEIR DISGUSTING HATE AND TO TELL THEM TO THEIR FACES WHAT A DISGUSTING DEPLORABLE BUNCH OF RACIST MISOGYNIST FUCK-UPS THEY ARE OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN UNTIL EACH AND EVERYONE OF THEM HAS LEARNED THAT THEIR "CONCERNS" ARE OF NO CONSEQUENCE AND DON'T MATTER ANYTHING AND THAT NO ONE WILL EVER TAKE THEM SERIOUSLY AGAIN AND THAT THEY DO NOT DESERVE ANY OF THE PRECIOUS PRIVILEGES THEY ARE SO SCARED OF LOSING.
I. Am. So. Tired of all this pandering and hand-patting and ego-stroking. It's time to stop it. It's time to stop "listening".
It's time to start standing up and pushing back the hate. It's time to tell racists and misogynists and bigots just how disgusting, deplorable and unwanted they are. This is on you, journalists and politicians. If you mess this up, you deserve losing every single click and vote from rational, empathetic, progressive people. So don't. Don't mess this up.
*In the sense that I pat their hand and tell them "There, there, don't worry, no one will take away any of those privileges you got by being white, male, over fifty and heterosexual! I'll make sure!" I mean. I do take them very seriously in a sense that I am very afraid of this resurgence of hate that masquerades as "being worried" about social justice. So. Very. Afraid.
Because here's the thing: those "worries" that journalists and politicians keep talking about, they're not about jobs or economic security or world peace or social justice. They're about the one promise all of those racist, misogynist, bigotted politicians and political parties can and will keep: making racism, misogyny and bigotry not just acceptable but cool again. Finally, there's someone who tells these people, "Hey, it's okay to be racist! It's okay to hate women! It's okay to be disgusted by LGBTQ+ people!" and no one is there and corrects them anymore. All politicians and journalists, even those leaning left, tell them is, "Oh, so you say you are "worried"? It's okay, we understand, of course we'll make sure none of those nasty refugees and women and gays take away anything from you!" Not in so many words, but that's what "Well, there are dissatisfied people and we need to listen to their concerns!" comes down to.
And I do not want to listen to this or take it seriously or do something about it. I want to tell those people who are finally so glad that their hate is absolutely acceptable that they're racist, misogynist nazis and I want everyone else to do it, too. I want journalists to stop writing about "dissatisfied" voters "who just want people to listen to them" and I want politicians - especially those of my party - to stop begging for those people's vote.
I want journalists and politicians to stand up and say to those people "Your "concerns" are ridiculous. You do not want social justice, you just want to hate. You only want justice for people who are like you and you begrudge people who are not like you the shirts on their backs and that makes you a racist, a misogynist, a nazi, a disgusting person. You are deplorable." I want no more relativization, no more hand-patting, no more "We really should listen to see what these people want!" because these people only want one thing: hate, hate, hate. There is nothing that you could give them that would stop them from voting for racist, misogynist, bigotted fucks, nothing. Except telling them that their hate is okay, and I am so very, very pissed off at everyone who does that, just to keep their votes.
Right from the beginning, this has never been about "concerns" and "worries", not with AfD voters, not with Front National voters, not with UKIP voters, not with Trump voters. Never. This was not about "worries" and "concerns", it was always about hate and I am begging journalists and politicians to stop pretending that this has anything to do with "social justice" and "finding someone who will listen". It has nothing to do with being "concerned" about social justice for everyone and it has everything to do with finally finding someone who tells them they are the only ones deserving privileges, someone telling them it's totally okay to say "I hate blacks, women belong in the kitchen and gys are disgusting!"
AND I WANT EVERYONE TO STOP PANDERING TO THEM AND THEIR DISGUSTING HATE AND TO TELL THEM TO THEIR FACES WHAT A DISGUSTING DEPLORABLE BUNCH OF RACIST MISOGYNIST FUCK-UPS THEY ARE OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN UNTIL EACH AND EVERYONE OF THEM HAS LEARNED THAT THEIR "CONCERNS" ARE OF NO CONSEQUENCE AND DON'T MATTER ANYTHING AND THAT NO ONE WILL EVER TAKE THEM SERIOUSLY AGAIN AND THAT THEY DO NOT DESERVE ANY OF THE PRECIOUS PRIVILEGES THEY ARE SO SCARED OF LOSING.
I. Am. So. Tired of all this pandering and hand-patting and ego-stroking. It's time to stop it. It's time to stop "listening".
It's time to start standing up and pushing back the hate. It's time to tell racists and misogynists and bigots just how disgusting, deplorable and unwanted they are. This is on you, journalists and politicians. If you mess this up, you deserve losing every single click and vote from rational, empathetic, progressive people. So don't. Don't mess this up.
*In the sense that I pat their hand and tell them "There, there, don't worry, no one will take away any of those privileges you got by being white, male, over fifty and heterosexual! I'll make sure!" I mean. I do take them very seriously in a sense that I am very afraid of this resurgence of hate that masquerades as "being worried" about social justice. So. Very. Afraid.