7 Comments

On an individual level, for many people allyship is largely a protective covering or camouflage, isn't it? "Please, please, please don't notice that I'm white, male, affluent, straight etc." Bumper stickers cover a multitude of sins, or at least people hope that they do.

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Yeah, so much virtue signalling boils down to "I'm one of the good ones, please don't fire me and continue to date me."

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Most of the time allyship is just virtue signaling

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As a mixed race "minority," I couldn't be happier with the death of allyship and faux solidarity. This breed of liberalism has long overstayed its welcome. The internet (and msm) has a way of promoting the wrong voices. Kinda like vegan extremism and greenwashing in order to "save the planet," while ignoring authentic activism of the real world.

Even if the concept comes to an end, my inner skeptic says it will only be replaced by some other shallow virtue instead of genuine principles. Groupthink is horrendous.

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My "allyship" has remained as its always been: 'full-throated" where warranted and not where not. Maybe a lot of folks thinks I am a shitty (or great, or lukewarm/-cold) "ally", IDK. I like the essay a lot but (as with deBoer's these days) I wonder how much of the concern discussed is reflective of anything but a narrow slice of disengaged (or perhaps too, but too narrowly engaged) social media users? But I know I don't see or hear everybody, so who knows.

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I've always called myself a co-belligerent; I support liberal and some leftist causes, but I don't make a big deal about it. This is partly because I don't like to stand out, but mostly because identifying as one is free license for your "allies" to nitpick every other views you have, and how sincerely you hold them. And since everything is polarized, you don't get a choice. You're stuck with whatever random positions your team picks...even when the team itself switches sides (which side is against vaccines, again?). It's one giant wrestling match, and you'd better observe kayfabe and cut a STRONG promo, or you're not getting in the ring.

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That’s it in a nutshell. Well, not exactly a nut shell, but dead on. I’m going to share with a good young friend who is ‘on line’ and feels compelled to take a position by her keyboard warrior friends, but is very uncomfortable doing so. Thanks, this will clarify and help.

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