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/211/ Unlocking the Lockdown Left ft. @galexybrane (Patreon)

Published:
2021-08-24 07:00:06
Imported:
2024-07
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On lockdowns, education, and the left.

California middle-school teacher and social critic Alex Gutentag (@galexybrane) joins us to talk about the depredations of lockdown in California and the wider world.

How has lockdown affected different segments of society, and how damaging have school closures been on education? Why has the professional middle class been so in favour of widespread restrictions – and how did the left go from backing Medicare 4 All to cheering on lockdowns in the space of a few months?

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Caleb

I worked on the Bernie campaign. I can confirm what Alex and Phil said about the Berniecrat left transferring its hopes from the candidate to the pandemic as the vehicle for social reorganization. That the pandemic would vindicate the left's position vis-a-vis healthcare and affirm the need to expand the redistributive responsibilities of the state were appeals the campaign made to voters and especially donors during its final 6-8 weeks. During that time, a period of extremely grim NGO-ification, almost all regular political fundraising stopped and proceeds were redirected to mutual aid groups and worker relief funds. So yes, whatever kind of belief staff and supporters placed in the campaign's ability to organize people around its agenda was substituted for the delusional faith that reality could take care of politics for us.

Carson H

Alex's perspective as a teacher of working-class children is valuable, but going by her Twitter, it does seem like she's willing to flirt with some pretty boomer-brained notions when it comes to vaccines. Don't get me wrong: I also oppose the indefinite extension of COVID-related restrictions (masking, distancing, etc.) once there has been a reasonably high uptake of shots in a given place. There are a disturbing number of people (especially among the PMC) who seem to be in favour of such an extension. If you're downplaying the importance of vaccines, though, it's back to choosing between "just isolate all the old and/or sick people forever" and outright denialism.