Mistaken Identity: Race and Class in the Age of Trump

Asad Haider in conversation with Katie Halper, Robyn Marasco, Wendell Hassan Marsh, and Briahna Gray.
At Verso Books in Brooklyn, May 15, 2018
“Mistaken Identity: Race and Class in the Age of Trump” is available from Verso Books: www.versobooks.com/books/2716...
Whether class or race is the more important factor in modern politics is a question right at the heart of recent history’s most contentious debates. Among groups who should readily find common ground, there is little agreement. To escape this deadlock, Asad Haider turns to the rich legacies of the black freedom struggle.
Drawing on the words and deeds of black revolutionary theorists, he argues that identity politics is not synonymous with anti-racism, but instead amounts to the neutralization of its movements. It marks a retreat from the crucial passage of identity to solidarity, and from individual recognition to the collective struggle against an oppressive social structure. Weaving together autobiographical reflection, historical analysis, theoretical exegesis, and protest reportage, “Mistaken Identity” is a passionate call for a new practice of politics beyond colorblind chauvinism and “the ideology of race.”

[@joanofarc33]

I’m buying Assad’s book! I’ve been waiting for this critique for so long, I left the left because of identity politics which pits ones groups interest against another’s. I’ve been waiting for an actual movement that transcends these issues without minimizing them. And no I’m not white nor male.

[@PoliticalEconomy101]

Great. It needs to be made clear the distinction between identity politics and social justice. Identitarianism has nothing to do with social justice at least not from a socialist perspective

[@highlonesomed]

Its kinda eerie how Marx was almost prophetic about liberalism cementing victim classes. Its true tho, socialism HAS to get beyond that to empower people. Made me think of this older guy at Standing Rock, telling white liberals to stop apologizing and start fighting.

[@VigilantnotMilitant]

I get all my bread from the local food bank and single-payer Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, but yous are my roses

[@saikopiratos]

i feel like katie halper is lowkey a dominatrix. she bold af. :P

[@Nieosoba]

great panel, really good book, I've read it twice, I am going to use it in my text about how liberal conservatives are using identity politics to screw both conservative and left/progressive people in Poland, identity politics can be power to either divide working class people or to build a movement, the question is what makes the difference and how to spot it? this is really heated debate in Poland and liberals are throwing "fascist" and "commies" all over the place :/. It is good idea to call this "double binding": so if working class is moving to the right it is losing (because it gets alienated from large portion of population and in the end used by dominant class, which is in Poland bunch of ruthless exploiters by the way, really don't give a single fuck about the people) or if it is moving to the left it is also losing because instead of getting real reform and emancipation they get symbolic progress and emancipation in form of liberal culture and pro-capital integration with EU. In the end liberal "left" and "right" are splitting the cake of national wealth always excluding working class e.g. if you would say that Ukrainian workers are "poor and excluded" the liberal left is clapping, if you would say that they are "lazy and uncivilized" the liberal right is clapping, if you would say that they need to be unionized on the same conditions as polish workers: then you want return of communism and also you want to attack their freedom and stigmatize them so you are a fascist. When it comes to defend working class it seems all the answers are wrong.

[@epistrophynunez4342]

The way to circumvent wholesale criticisms of identity politics based on systemic indeterminance is creating a convincing model of experience. One emerging option is virtual reality-based art. Hopefully, hard drug use would also be abated by cheap access to these kinds of commodified experiences.

[@bitchpuddin]

Yes at 58 min white cup floats !

[@joanofarc33]

Trust me It’s not just the right who sees entrenched victim hood neatly wrapped up in identity politics.

[@eljeer123]

I am reading the book right now so far it's very good and clear in raising the centrality of class struggle without negating racism. There has been a rediscovery of the historical black/white socialist movement in the U.S. during the 1900s to 1930s which was groundbreaking in their analysis,program and activity. This discussion is too academic and abstract. Skip the panel discussion and just read the book.

[@egorka2201]

what about class?

[@Murmurrr]

egorka2201 different book?