EP. 625: THE MIRROR WORLD OF LEFT IDENTITARIANISM ft. BEN BURGIS

Read Ben's article in Damage Magazine here: https://damagemag.com/2024/07/30/left-identitarianism-is-also-a-mirror-world/   Diaganolists, Doppelgangers, and Left Liberal Identitarians: A Review of the New Naomi Klein Book Doppelganger ---   The concept of a doppelganger is often reserved for the realm of science fiction and noir thrillers, but in politics, the idea of a doppelganger holds its own peculiar intrigue. Here at This is Revolution, we've encountered our own version of a doppelganger—a show that shares some surface-level similarities, like having Black men and the word "Revolution" in its title. However, upon closer inspection, these similarities begin and end with the name.   Over the years, I've noticed people confusing the two shows, likely because the other show began with a completely different name and was eventually forced to change it. If you're really paying attention, you’d see that the radical rhetoric they espouse is more of a theatrical performance, wrapped in a contrarian nature and a penchant for identity politics.   Ben Burgis, in his recent piece for Damage Magazine titled "Left Identitarianism is also a Mirror World," addresses this phenomenon. He describes a political “diagonalism” that superficially mirrors the Left but aligns with drastically different political priorities. This doppelganger of the Left is a shadowy reflection—using its rhetorical notes for opposing ends.   Burgis writes about how this diagonalism is “anti-war” when it comes to Democratic actions in Ukraine but reveres Trump despite his aggressive foreign policy moves. They claim to support free speech and oppose Big Tech, but not to the extent of democratizing these platforms—just reshaping them to fit their agenda, with a preference for billionaires like Elon Musk over Mark Zuckerberg.   This so-called “anti-establishment radicalism” that echoes the rhetoric of the Left is, in reality, a mirror doppelganger serving the interests of the bosses and the Republican Party. It is a critical examination of how political narratives can be co-opted, leaving behind a superficial resemblance that betrays its origins.   Let's delve into this discussion on political doppelgangers and explore how they influence public perception and political discourse.   Thank you guys again for taking the time to check this out. We appreciate each and everyone of you. If you have the means, and you feel so inclined, BECOME A PATRON! We're creating patron only programing, you'll get bonus content from many of the episodes, and you get MERCH!   Become a patron now https://www.patreon.com/join/BitterLakePresents?   Please also like, subscribe, and follow us on these platforms as well, (specially YouTube!)   THANKS Y'ALL   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG9WtLyoP9QU8sxuIfxk3eg Twitch: www.twitch.tv/thisisrevolutionpodcast www.twitch.tv/leftflankvets​ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Thisisrevolutionpodcast/ Twitter: @TIRShowOakland Instagram: @thisisrevolutionoakland   Read Jason Myles in Sublation Magazine https://www.sublationmag.com/writers/jason-myles   Read Jason Myles in Damage Magazine https://damagemag.com/2023/11/07/the-man-who-sold-the-world/   Pascal Robert's Black Agenda Report: https://www.blackagendareport.com/author/Pascal%20Robert