Summary What Liberals Get Wrong about the Right with Corey Robin - Factually! - 236 (Youtube) youtu.be
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One Line
Recognizing the importance of comprehending and valuing the right wing's perspective, despite their resistance towards freedom and equality, which is often influenced by their outsider backgrounds.
Slides
Slide Presentation (13 slides)
Key Points
- Corey Robin discusses the misconceptions and misunderstandings about the right wing in political discourse.
- The right wing movement is rooted in a reactionary philosophy that opposes movements for freedom and equality.
- Reactionaries seek to reconstruct the old regime after witnessing a loss of power and privilege.
- President Trump's approach is rooted in the historical DNA of the right, despite some differences.
- Progressive movements need to institutionalize their gains to protect them from being undone.
- The modern right has weaknesses, including diminishing electoral majorities and an inability to translate electoral returns into action.
- Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas holds certain ideas from his time on the black nationalist left and has had influence on Supreme Court decisions.
- It is important to treat political figures on the right with respect and assume they have thought behind their actions.
Summaries
19 word summary
Understanding and respecting the right wing is crucial, as they oppose freedom and equality, often stemming from outsider backgrounds.
79 word summary
Understanding and respecting the right wing is crucial in countering their ideas, says political theorist Corey Robin. The right opposes freedom and equality, often stemming from outsider backgrounds. While President Trump has unique aspects, his approach is rooted in the historical DNA of the right. Recognizing opponents' principles and beliefs is important. The left can create lasting electoral majority by institutionalizing gains and connecting privilege to self-interest. Quick action and building a mass movement offer hope for transformative change.
187 word summary
Political theorist Corey Robin emphasizes the importance of understanding and respecting the right wing in order to effectively combat their ideas. The right wing movement opposes movements for freedom and equality and often comes from outsider backgrounds. Robin clarifies the difference between being reactive and being a reactionary, with reactionaries seeking to reconstruct the old regime after a loss of power. While President Trump may have unique aspects to his approach, Robin argues that they are still rooted in the historical DNA of the right. Understanding the weaknesses and limitations of the modern conservative movement is important. Progressive movements must institutionalize their gains to protect them, connecting issues of privilege to self-interest. The right currently has less control over the political discourse, presenting an opportunity for the left to create a lasting electoral majority. Analyzing Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is important in understanding his beliefs and influence. Liberals should recognize that their opponents have principles and beliefs of their own. The left faces challenges in creating a majority and achieving transformative change, but there is hope for breakthroughs through quick action and building a mass movement.
422 word summary
Political theorist Corey Robin discusses the misconceptions and misunderstandings about the right wing in political discourse. He emphasizes the importance of understanding and respecting the right in order to effectively combat their ideas. The right wing movement is rooted in a reactionary philosophy that opposes movements for freedom and equality. It often comes from outsider backgrounds, providing an outsider gloss on defending established power.
Robin clarifies the difference between being reactive and being a reactionary. Reactionaries seek to reconstruct the old regime after witnessing a loss of power and privilege. The right has historically used racist populism as a strategy, but this tactic has shown diminishing returns over time. While President Trump may have certain unique aspects to his approach, Robin argues that they are still rooted in the historical DNA of the right. Trump's reliance on counter-majoritarian state institutions is seen as a sign of weakness. Understanding the weaknesses and limitations of the modern conservative movement is important.
Progressive movements must institutionalize their gains to protect them from being undone. Historical examples of successful interracial movements for equality demonstrate the importance of connecting issues of privilege to self-interest. The right currently has less control over the political discourse due to diminishing electoral majorities. This presents an opportunity for the left to create a lasting electoral majority and institutionalize changes that are hard to undo. Focusing on voting rights, labor law reform, and creating new states can counter Republican dominance.
Analyzing Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is important in understanding his beliefs and influence on decisions. Thomas still holds onto ideas from his time on the black nationalist left, such as racial pessimism and a belief in the incurability of white racism. Caricaturing political figures like Thomas fails to acknowledge their intelligence and deeply held beliefs. Treating those on the right with respect and assuming thought behind their actions is important. Liberals should recognize that their opponents have principles and beliefs of their own.
Humility and carefulness are necessary when writing about figures from different cultures. The left faces challenges in creating a majority and achieving transformative change. Teacher strikes in red states and Bernie Sanders' success in Nevada are promising, but more needs to be done to break out of the red-blue dichotomy and build a mass movement. Mobilizing younger immigrant workers and breaking away from reliance on younger voters in cities is crucial. The urgency of the climate crisis demands quick action from the left. Robin expresses hope that sparks of change can lead to a breakthrough for the left.
623 word summary
Political theorist Corey Robin discusses the misconceptions and misunderstandings about the right wing in political discourse. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the right and treating them with respect in order to effectively combat their ideas. Robin argues that figures like Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas should not be caricatured, but rather analyzed in order to understand their principles and influences. The right wing movement is rooted in a reactionary philosophy that opposes movements for freedom and equality. It is an internationalist movement that often comes from outsider backgrounds, providing an outsider gloss on defending established power.
Robin clarifies the difference between being reactive and being a reactionary. Reactionaries have witnessed a loss of power and privilege and seek to reconstruct the old regime. He notes the use of racist populism as a long-standing strategy of the right, which has shown diminishing returns over time. Regarding President Trump, Robin challenges the notion that he is a completely new figure in conservative politics. While there are certain aspects of Trump's approach that may be different, Robin argues that they are still rooted in the historical DNA of the right. Trump's reliance on counter-majoritarian state institutions, such as the Senate and Supreme Court, is seen as a sign of weakness rather than strength. Understanding the weaknesses and limitations of the modern conservative movement is important.
Robin discusses the need for progressive movements to institutionalize their gains in order to protect them from being undone. He points to historical examples of successful interracial movements for equality and emphasizes the importance of connecting issues of privilege to self-interest. The right is currently less able to control the political discourse than in the past due to diminishing electoral majorities and an inability to translate electoral returns into legislative or political action. This presents an opportunity for the left to create a lasting electoral majority and institutionalize changes that are hard to undo. Robin suggests focusing on issues like voting rights, labor law reform, and creating new states to counter Republican dominance.
Robin analyzes Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, noting that Thomas still holds onto certain ideas from his time on the black nationalist left, such as racial pessimism and a belief in the incurability of white racism. Thomas sees black people as a permanently beleaguered minority who will never get a fair shake from white America. Understanding Thomas' beliefs and influence on Supreme Court decisions is important.
Robin criticizes the tendency to caricature political figures like Thomas as thoughtless or lazy, arguing that it fails to acknowledge their intelligence and deeply held beliefs. Treating those on the right with respect and assuming that they have thought behind their actions is important. Liberals often associate having beliefs and principles with being virtuous, leading them to view those who oppose them as cynics. Robin urges liberals to recognize that their opponents have principles and beliefs of their own.
Robin acknowledges the need for humility and carefulness when writing about figures from different cultures, such as Clarence Thomas. He worked hard to get the story right and received positive feedback from black readers who connected with his analysis. The left faces challenges in creating a majority and achieving transformative change. Teacher strikes in red states and Bernie Sanders' success in Nevada are promising moments, but more needs to be done to break out of the red-blue dichotomy and build a mass movement. Overcoming timidity and a tendency to look backward is necessary to create a compelling political project. Mobilizing younger immigrant workers and breaking away from reliance on younger voters in cities is crucial. The urgency of the climate crisis demands quick action from the left. Robin expresses hope that sparks of change can lead to a breakthrough for the left.
942 word summary
In this interview, Corey Robin, a political theorist and professor of political science, discusses the misconceptions and misunderstandings about the right wing in political discourse. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the right and treating them with respect in order to effectively combat their ideas. Robin argues that figures like Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas should not be caricatured, but rather analyzed in order to understand their principles and influences.
Robin explains that the right wing movement is rooted in a reactionary philosophy that opposes movements for freedom and equality. He traces the origins of the right back to the French Revolution and argues that the right has always been an internationalist movement. He points out that key figures in the right, such as Edmund Burke, often come from outsider backgrounds, which allows them to provide an outsider gloss on defending established power.
The conversation then turns to the term "reactionary" and how it differs from being reactive. Robin clarifies that reactionaries are not simply reacting instinctively, but rather they have witnessed a loss of power and privilege and seek to reconstruct the old regime. He highlights the use of racist populism as a long-standing strategy of the right and notes that it has shown diminishing returns over time.
Regarding President Trump, Robin challenges the notion that he is a completely new figure in conservative politics. While there are certain aspects of Trump's approach that may be different, Robin argues that they are still rooted in the historical DNA of the right. He suggests that Trump's reliance on counter-majoritarian state institutions, such as the Senate and Supreme Court, is a sign of weakness rather than strength. He also highlights the importance of understanding the weaknesses and limitations of the modern conservative movement.
Robin concludes by discussing the need for progressive movements to institutionalize their gains in order to protect them from being undone. He points to historical examples of successful interracial movements for equality and emphasizes the importance of connecting issues of privilege to self-interest.
Overall, Robin provides insights into the right wing movement and challenges common misconceptions about its principles and strategies. He encourages a more nuanced and respectful approach to understanding and engaging with the right in order to effectively combat their ideas.
Corey Robin discusses the weaknesses of the modern right and the opportunities it presents for the left. He argues that the right is currently less able to control the political discourse than in the past due to diminishing electoral majorities and an inability to translate electoral returns into legislative or political action. Robin emphasizes the need for the left to seize this opportunity by creating a lasting electoral majority and institutionalizing changes that are hard to undo. He cites examples such as the Wagner Act, which transformed the American political universe by institutionalizing worker power. Robin suggests that the left should focus on issues like voting rights, labor law reform, and creating new states to counter Republican dominance.
The conversation then shifts to an analysis of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. Robin argues that Thomas, who was originally a black nationalist on the left, still holds onto certain ideas from his time on the black nationalist left, such as racial pessimism and a belief in the incurability of white racism. He explains that Thomas sees black people as a permanently beleaguered minority who will never get a fair shake from white America. Robin also discusses Thomas' views on voting rights, noting that he does not believe black people should engage in voting and instead advocates for building economic wealth in black communities. Robin highlights the importance of understanding Thomas' beliefs and the influence he has had on Supreme Court decisions.
The conversation then turns to the portrayal of political figures in popular media. Robin criticizes the tendency to caricature figures like Thomas as thoughtless or lazy, arguing that it fails to acknowledge their intelligence and deeply held beliefs. He emphasizes the importance of treating those on the right with respect and assuming that they have thought behind their actions. Robin points out that this approach is often lacking among liberals who associate having beliefs and principles with being virtuous, leading them to view those who oppose them as cynics. He urges liberals to disabuse themselves of this idea and recognize that their opponents have principles and beliefs of their own.
In discussing the reaction to his book on Clarence Thomas, Robin acknowledges the need for humility and carefulness when writing about a figure from a different culture. He explains that he worked hard to get the story right and received positive feedback from black readers who connected with his analysis. Robin notes that while readers may dislike Thomas, they found his analysis intelligible and appreciated the deeper understanding it provided.
The conversation concludes with a discussion of the current political moment and the challenges facing the left. Robin expresses frustration with the left's inability to create a majority and achieve transformative change. He highlights the teacher strikes in red states and Bernie Sanders' success in Nevada as promising moments, but acknowledges that more needs to be done to break out of the red-blue dichotomy and build a mass movement. Robin suggests that the left needs to overcome timidity and a tendency to look backward in order to create a compelling political project. He believes that the future lies in mobilizing younger immigrant workers and breaking away from reliance on younger voters in cities. Robin emphasizes the urgency of the climate crisis and the need for the left to act quickly. He concludes by expressing hope that sparks of change can lead to a breakthrough for the left.
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Source: https://youtu.be/8CNOS0v8v5c?si=lZ5o4byjyI-YcpoL
Page title: What Liberals Get Wrong about the Right with Corey Robin - Factually! - 236 - YouTube
Meta description: It's easy to caricature those on the political far right as outlandish, cartoonish, and bizarre, and easier still to dismiss their agendas as irrational or u...