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Abstract
This introductory chapter opens with the assertion that the left has been woefully inadequate in combatting the recent rise of fascism and right-wing populism, primarily because it retains faith in tenets of liberalism (unrestricted free speech, including racist speech; belief in rationally presenting the facts; and clinging to a colorblind economic analysis). Several examples from current events/media will be presented to orient the reader to the rest of the book.
Chapter 4 Bernie Breakdown
Abstract
This chapter examines what went wrong with the promising Bernie Sanders campaign. In particular, the insistence on a colorblind economic message meant to appeal to young college students and white male workers at the expense of what were dismissed as “identity politics” is critiqued. Much of what was seen from Sanders followers was similar to what women and minorities experienced in the leftist activist movements in the 1960s, so a historical overview of these activist movements will be presented.
Chapter 3 Who Is the Real Working Class?
Abstract
One of the major media talking points about Trump supporters was that deep down they were anxious about the economy, thus driven to right wing movements. Endless articles and blogs investigated the plight of the white, male, rural, heterosexual worker, with few pieces devoted to the majority of people who rejected Trump. This de-racialization of the working class in particular flies in the face of reality, which is a multicultural, female young, urban workforce occupying service industry jobs. A major assertion of this chapter is that unless labor movements and the media acknowledge the diversity of the working class, it will be impossible to fight what is happening under capitalism.
Chapter 7 In Defense of Science, the Press and Expertise for the Public Good
Abstract
This chapter presents a fierce defense of the need for science in the era of questioning of expertise and knowledge. An examination of the political functions of conspiracy theories, which serve up the target of the “big guy” to take the pressure off of capitalism and its effects, is included. The dislike and distrust of “big government” with its emphasis on isolationism and individualized solutions is part of an ongoing attack on the public commons.
Chapter 2 Fascism and Right-Wing Populism
Abstract
There is much conflation of fascism with authoritarian populism, which makes fighting these movements more challenging. An overview of characteristics of right-wing movements are presented, including rampant misogyny and racism. This chapter discusses what each has in common, but also presents important differences. The common media approach of equating historical events to the present will also be critiqued for its role in hyperbole and spreading confusion.
Chapter 6 Abortion through the Lens of Fetal Personhood
Abstract
Abortion in the media continues to escape the grasp of sound feminist analysis for a variety of reasons. This chapter asserts that the construct of fetal personhood has been used to objectify women as vessels for carrying children, erode solidarity among working class women, dismantle the social safety net, and increase surveillance of women’s bodies. A historical overview of the development of abortion law and policy is presented, along with important facts about the need for this essential reproductive health service.
Abstract
In this conclusion, I provide an overview of the continuing relevance of each contributing author’s analysis, in light of the rapidly evolving political events of the past four years.
Volume Editor:
Using a range of critical perspectives, On the Question of Truth in the Era of Trump closely examines notions of “truth in crisis” leading up to and after the election of Donald Trump. The authors explore how truth is constructed along the lines of race, social class, and gender as filtered through the self-referential characteristics of social media in particular. The authors assert that the US left has shown itself inadequate to the task of confronting right wing ideologies, which have only intensified since the 2016 election, resulting in increased mobilization of white supremacist and nationalist groups.
Whether underestimating Trump by downplaying the threat of his candidacy during the primaries, trivializing the concerns of women and minorities as “identity politics,” or rushing to prioritize the free speech rights of the far-right, left academics and the media have found themselves unable to use their traditional arsenal of evidence, rational discourse, and appeals to diversity of viewpoints.
The authors assert that political resistance to the right is not a matter of playful use of signs and symbols or discourse alone and has to be fought directly and in solidarity. At this point, it is clear that Trump and his supporters have not just deployed relativism as a form of strategy, but have fully weaponized it against their perceived enemies: women, immigrants, minorities, LGBTQ people along with educational, scientific, and journalistic institutions. It is hoped that this in-depth, critical dissection of truth in the current political reality will assist in the project of resistance.
Contributors are: Faith Agostinone-Wilson, Mike Cole, Jeremy T. Godwin, Jones Irwin, Austin Pickup, Daniel Ian Rubin, and Eric C. Sheffield.
Whether underestimating Trump by downplaying the threat of his candidacy during the primaries, trivializing the concerns of women and minorities as “identity politics,” or rushing to prioritize the free speech rights of the far-right, left academics and the media have found themselves unable to use their traditional arsenal of evidence, rational discourse, and appeals to diversity of viewpoints.
The authors assert that political resistance to the right is not a matter of playful use of signs and symbols or discourse alone and has to be fought directly and in solidarity. At this point, it is clear that Trump and his supporters have not just deployed relativism as a form of strategy, but have fully weaponized it against their perceived enemies: women, immigrants, minorities, LGBTQ people along with educational, scientific, and journalistic institutions. It is hoped that this in-depth, critical dissection of truth in the current political reality will assist in the project of resistance.
Contributors are: Faith Agostinone-Wilson, Mike Cole, Jeremy T. Godwin, Jones Irwin, Austin Pickup, Daniel Ian Rubin, and Eric C. Sheffield.
Volume Editor:
Using a range of critical perspectives, On the Question of Truth in the Era of Trump closely examines notions of “truth in crisis” leading up to and after the election of Donald Trump. The authors explore how truth is constructed along the lines of race, social class, and gender as filtered through the self-referential characteristics of social media in particular. The authors assert that the US left has shown itself inadequate to the task of confronting right wing ideologies, which have only intensified since the 2016 election, resulting in increased mobilization of white supremacist and nationalist groups.
Whether underestimating Trump by downplaying the threat of his candidacy during the primaries, trivializing the concerns of women and minorities as “identity politics,” or rushing to prioritize the free speech rights of the far-right, left academics and the media have found themselves unable to use their traditional arsenal of evidence, rational discourse, and appeals to diversity of viewpoints.
The authors assert that political resistance to the right is not a matter of playful use of signs and symbols or discourse alone and has to be fought directly and in solidarity. At this point, it is clear that Trump and his supporters have not just deployed relativism as a form of strategy, but have fully weaponized it against their perceived enemies: women, immigrants, minorities, LGBTQ people along with educational, scientific, and journalistic institutions. It is hoped that this in-depth, critical dissection of truth in the current political reality will assist in the project of resistance.
Contributors are: Faith Agostinone-Wilson, Mike Cole, Jeremy T. Godwin, Jones Irwin, Austin Pickup, Daniel Ian Rubin, and Eric C. Sheffield.
Whether underestimating Trump by downplaying the threat of his candidacy during the primaries, trivializing the concerns of women and minorities as “identity politics,” or rushing to prioritize the free speech rights of the far-right, left academics and the media have found themselves unable to use their traditional arsenal of evidence, rational discourse, and appeals to diversity of viewpoints.
The authors assert that political resistance to the right is not a matter of playful use of signs and symbols or discourse alone and has to be fought directly and in solidarity. At this point, it is clear that Trump and his supporters have not just deployed relativism as a form of strategy, but have fully weaponized it against their perceived enemies: women, immigrants, minorities, LGBTQ people along with educational, scientific, and journalistic institutions. It is hoped that this in-depth, critical dissection of truth in the current political reality will assist in the project of resistance.
Contributors are: Faith Agostinone-Wilson, Mike Cole, Jeremy T. Godwin, Jones Irwin, Austin Pickup, Daniel Ian Rubin, and Eric C. Sheffield.
Abstract
The US left, such as it is, has shown itself inadequate to the task of confronting right wing ideologies, which have only intensified since the election, culminating in the white supremacist Unite the Right torch rally at Charlottesville in August 2017 and on a larger scale, the mosque shootings in New Zealand in March 2019. Whether underestimating Trump by downplaying his seriousness during the primaries, trivializing the concerns of women and minorities as “identity politics,” or rushing to prioritize the free speech rights of fascists over the targets of their speech, the left has found themselves unable to use its traditional arsenal of evidence, rational discourse, and appeals to diversity of viewpoints. With Trump we see immediately the limits of depoliticized celebrations of relativism used as resistance, unmoored from any specific allegiance or ideological vision. What has essentially happened is that the right wing has effectively borrowed the language of the left, taking advantage of the loopholes of classical liberalism. This chapter provides an overview of key issues taken up by subsequent authors of the text.