how liberalism exploits the Culture Wars

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Video edited by Elfo Editing

[anope]

this really reminds me of that quote where the unjust person asks you to meet them in the middle but they keep going backwards, so you end up going backwards to meet them in the middle haha

[pendragon]

"The Disney of Empathy." Wow. While I'm a big fan of listening to each other, there also has to be an understanding that there still is an objectively right and wrong and the answer to one group wanting to wipe another one out is not, "Listen to both sides." You can't really compromise between "I deserve human rights" and "You don't deserve to exist." Great perspective as always, Alice! 🙂

[MasterOfBaiter]

As an immigrant the limits of empathy are obvious in the "model immigrant" trope. So many times have people warmed up to me and then elevated me as an exception. Like the amount of times I have to remind people that no it's not that I am industrious and the others are lazy it's that we are all working to survive and they simply get to see my work while the others are invisible. I have to keep reminding people who like me that the way they talk about other foreigners is the way other natives talk about me. Empathy has clear limits when it comes to building perspective

[theblueiMe]

I listened to a lecture by a Palestinian architect Sandi Hilal, and she expressed her frustration with how other people always want to include her. She said she doesn't want to be included, she wants to include others.

[tim]

This reminds me a lot of the way media frames science discussions: let's have a panel with an expert and a denier. It's not an actual discussion to help people understand the topic, it is attention seeking drama. And it also makes it seem as though there is some sort of "reasonable middle" between two positions, which is not just false balance, but neglects any other views to frame a discussion in very narrow terms.

[Saltyflor]

I agree that class should be talked about in these conversations. It’s the elephant in the room for sure. We’re so focused on sex, sexuality, race, that it often feels like we divide further and further meanwhile the rich are rarely brought up. I am a queer femme brown indigenous person, so lots of different avenues of identity there. But I have been in rooms with other queers and gays who were very wealthy and just because we share one commonality didn’t mean we shared the same life experiences. Even with other people of color. Class is everything

[satyasyasatyasya]

*for me, its the nonsense aesthetic of "we disgree but we can get along anyway! lets hug!" thing... like, no... you can't just disagree and move-on because some people disagree on certain things to the point where they will not just move-on and leave people alone.* they will get political power to force their opinion on you. Agreeing to disagree is fine for food or art or music, but peoples right to exist or the validity of their lovelife or their bodily integrity is NOT up for debate and no, *you don't get to disagree and move-on... you're a threat to me and people like me, if you do.*

[greinerphil]

Empathy, like desires for peace, are strategies used by Liberals to cope with their cognitive dissonance. Liberals often have a self-righteous belief in their moral superiority achieved through comparing themselves to their more conservative or regressive peers (while excluding their more progressive peers). Liberals at their center seek to maintain the core foundational elements of society. They seek to maintain the status quo and are, by definition, largely conservative. They experience a lot of anxiety when pressed to address structural root causes that lead to injustices and inequities. It is why identity politics plays such a pivotal role in Liberal strategies. By focusing on identity politics, Liberals can achieve a feeling of moral superiority and ‘progressive’ accomplishment without having to disrupt most of the status quo – much of which they rely on for their own status. The cosmetic and performative nature of Liberals is hardly a new critique. The refusal to support material changes to existing structures to alleviate injustice and inequities was raised by civil rights leaders including MLK and Malcolm X. Liberals fear tension (hence all the performative hugging in the Jubilee videos) and are run from any meaningful disruption to the status quo. Liberals paint themselves as champions of equality and justice but in the end merely trade in performative power politics, often advocating for their tribe to be the rulers, not for a material systemic transformation that leads to more egalitarian, equitable, fair, justice outcomes for all.

[milesnugent]

Wow, you’ve spoken to something I’ve experienced when taking politics with my liberal family, for the record I’m liberal as well but anytime I get animated or emotional about a topic they shut my arguments down because I was too “emotional” it always felt wrong and weird to act like politics aren’t inherently emotional

[Lambspascuant]

Studying ethics, political theory, and sociology right now. I'm so tired. I applaud your continued efforts to shed light on these issues. Personally, I would like to forget about my moral and ethical obligations and go full hermit.

[angelam]

babe wake up a new alice cappelle video just dropped <3

[florenciafagnani]

Interesting thing about "both extremisms theory": it was used by the commission investigating the military junta that staged the coup of 1976 in Argentina. It was called the "theory of the two demons", and you can still find people citing it as the reason for that horrific time in my country.

[delirium]

I remember specifically this moment where I realized what jubilee is. this Palestinian man was talking about his dead 10 yo sister and his struggles after at a young age and the IDF soldier laughed at him and called it a poster story and brought out a LIST of his dead soldier friends. then they all ended up eating hummus together. It was an eye opening moment for me. I think that episode was their best yet to me it showed the horrifying realities of Israel society.

[lisab]

There are many problems with the concept of empathy, but the main is the selective empathy (which we see now).
Focussing on empathy is not the way to go, unless people are taught to have empathy towards everyone.
But in our society, we are not. Therefore, empathy is usally only displayed towards certain groups, groups that we think are "relatable" to us, that we are told are relatable or close to our society.

When Russia attacked ukraine, people were saying we need to help ukrainians, because their culture is close to ours and because they look like us. And it meant a gigantic outpoor of empathy which resulted in hundreds of people helping, taking ukrainian refugees without discussion, and many people and organisations helping with integration. (All things I highly support, only it should have been like this with refugees from whichever country). When the women in Iran were protesting we had empathy because they wanted to live like "us", with their hair uncovered.
So far, no problem, right?

It becomes problematic when the group in questions is not "relatable" to us and therefore "we" dont have empathy with them. Look at Gaza, liberal feminists left and right fail to speak up about it and mainstream media doesn't even pretend to try to create the same amount of empathy we had as for example with Iranian women or ukrainian refugees. For years "we", western societies, made muslim men and women "the other". Now we see the results: an utter, total lack of empathy towards an entire people.

This is why I gave up on empathy, gave up on trying to evoke empathy among liberals. If not taught right, as something to have towards everyone, it is just covered in-group bias.

[riderouter]

"Disney for empathy" fantastically sums up Jubilee.

I'm a grown man who enjoys a good Disney movie once in a while. I'm not above saying that. A good Disney movie can be emotional, but also generally doesn't take things too seriously, and takes me back to being a kid again. Even if it is unrealistic.

And Jubilee has a very unserious, immature, and unrealistic approach to empathy. So "Disney for empathy." That is indeed Jubilee. Good job, Jubilee! I couldn't have worded it better myself, Jubilee. The biggest difference off the top of my head is that I don't really enjoy Jubilee anymore. Now let's all hug, Jubilee!

[elsaluvsnutella]

I find that jubilee is increasingly having contestants that are already activists for their cause and have a large online platform already, so their whole career is based on promoting their beliefs. they obviously won't change their minds and want to look good for their fans too. I'd love to see more 'regular' citizens and not activists. Also, I agree about them being made to stand in their in-group on opposite sides of the room - optically, it reinforces division.

[Xcalator]

You have many good points. Too many to a single video, in my oppinion! There is so much information and ideas that one gets lost in a sea of references, concepts, notions and propposals.

[SalvadoraMirabilis]

Thought providing, as always, Alice.
Discussions can help us understand the motives of the opposing side and notice gaps in our own arguments. However, the truth is not always in the middle, we shouldn't forget that.

[thatguy]

Despite all of the problems with the study of difference and conflict within social psychology, it's pretty clear what works to bring disparate groups together- understanding a shared story and/or working towards a common goal. The culture wars are basically just good theater for either (liberal/conservative) side.

[Bruce-yvtm]

Brilliant video as always. Verbalised a lot of thoughts I’ve been having when seeing Jubilee kind of content.