David RobertsMar 17
Really love this piece, captures something I've wanted to say for a long time. There's an "every accusation is a confession" aspect to this, of course -- nobody is more sweatily obsessed with performance &image than MAGA types -- but there's also something deepers going on.

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:qnyq7wies2uc56bzqmfz4q25/post/3mhbjfhylpk2a
Show threadDavid RobertsMar 17
If you're a man performing traditional manhood, it's not performance. It's only performance if it diverges from conventional power hierarchies. If you're a lawmaker passing laws & regulations that enforce sprawl, it's not social engineering. It's only social engineering if the result is different.
Show threadDavid RobertsMar 17
If you're angry & belligerent, it's not emotional. It's only emotional if you evince vulnerability or sadness. If you force clerks in stores to say "Merry Christmas, it's not imposing your values. It's only imposing your values if you ask them to say "happy holidays" to accommodate other faiths.
Show threadDavid RobertsMar 17
If you attack the capital with a mob, you're still "law & order." You're only against law & order if you agitate in favor of egalitarian policy. And so on. I could list parallel examples all day. The point is that conservatism only has one mode of analysis & engagement.
Show threadLouise Auerhahn 🏳️‍🌈
@volts.wtf If you are enforcing which bathrooms people use, who is allowed to marry, or forced pregnancy, none of that is "gender ideology". It's only "gender ideology" if you try to lessen the enforcement of patriarchal gender mandates.
Mar 17 at 8:04pmWeb