(Untitled)

[me_ves_y_sufres]

This is intended as a question asked totally out of interest, and with no judgement implied, whatever your answers.

It goes out to all the people on my flist who identify as being interested, invested, involved or activists in one or more of the following areas:

• Tackling homophobia and heterocentrism. LGBT or queer rights, identity, representation

Comments

[loneraven]

A distinction I want to note while I remember - I will come back to this later - is that for me activism is something I do for me, and employment and workers' issues are part of my "day job", so to speak, so splitting them out is the first thing I would have to do before I decide what I think.

[me_ves_y_sufres]

Oh, that's really interesting! Just to get this clear: you feel more of a personal connection with the first three lists ('social' political issues although that's an incredibly flawed way of phrasing it) and a professional connection with the second ('economic' ones)? Or am I totally misunderstanding you?

I was particularly hoping to hear from people who do separate the two and maybe even think of them as antithetical to each other, ie, people who view themselves as, say, anti-racist or feminist activists but as economically 'right wing' or even libertarian. I possibly phrased it badly.

[highfantastical]

I wonder if the rather consistent responses you've got might be a function of the v. broad/inclusive definition of 'economic' political issues that you've provided? I mean, I am definitely interested in classism and some of the other things listed, but am far more towards the right than some of our friends (incl. you, obviously) as far as my Actual Views on economics & politics are concerned - I'm not anticapitalist. But with the broad-ranging list you provided, I felt more like a Yes than a No, if that makes any sense...

[me_ves_y_sufres]

Yeah, you're absolutely right, I think I should've phrased the question a lot better, it was incredibly unclear what I was getting at. Probably "do you believe that these 'social' issues (racism, feminism) are intrinsically linked to capitalism" would've been a lot clearer.

Again, thanks for answering!

[necaris]

+1 to this -- hence my rather vague answer below. I don't see anti-racism and anti-capitalism as antithetical, but I do see them as separate and in some cases opposed to each other's best interests.

FWIW, I'm not anti-capitalist either -- but when the questions are phrased as they were...

[me_ves_y_sufres]

Thanks, I should've phrased my questioning better, you're right.

[jacinthsong]

Much like you and Rami, though I don't have the time or articulacy to talk about my views in more depth. This is all very interesting to read though, thank you (aha sorry that sounds so patronising).

[jacinthsong]

(okay, 'time' is a total lie. basically my head is a pile of mush atm, that's all.)

[loneraven]

That's it, to an extent. I am a liberal and a feminist person, and as a person, I believe in left-wing economic and social policy - I believe in a minium wage, I believe that workers have rights against their employers, etc. - but in the case of the latter, it's smart for me not to think about that too much. I mean, I can't help having views, but I need to know about unfair dismissal and collective action and how a company can fire all its employees without being sued. To be a good lawyer, it helps if my own views are pushed firmly to the back of my mind.

I certainly have political views on the macro level, and some limited thoughts on economics (o hai, first year failure), and I try to pay attention to class privilege and not use classist language, etc., but bring it down to narrower level of employment, trade unions and whatnot, and my thinking becomes very... careful.

[me_ves_y_sufres]

I'd love to know more about your thoughts on economics if you've got the time.