[Ipg-smz] Bro culture in action

[Matt Heusser]

Hey Tom -

I saw that pitchwhiz pitch too, was vaguely interested but assumed it would
result in some sort of pit of snakes and steered clear. Looks like I'm not
too wrong.

*To Work toward agreement between us:*

I would characterize the edtior's suggestion as a sort of sophomoric
response to what he viewed as a sort of personal attack delivered through
his identity group - men, white men, men who express values and behaviors
considered as traditionally masculine. The difference between the title
(how to adapt) and the intent (that's feel good not all men etc) is a
little disturbing.

Starting with where we agree, I have to *diverge into where we disagree.*

That magazine, or whoever wrote that abstract, wrote it because they feel
they are attacked. The kicker is that they are.

There certainly are voices within the #MeeToo movement that consistently
use tactics of blame and shame related to an identity group. Young white
men of privilege, for example, are immediately guilty until proven
innocent. Even if they are not guilty, simply by existing in the western
culture's normative worldview, subscribing to it, and attempting to climb
the ladder, they are endorsing a negative culture and thus part of the
system. So they are part of the problem. If they reply "not all men",
they'll be laughed at, mocked, told there is a hashtag for such an ignorant
response. They'll likely be told to educate themselves.

Those blame, shame, and identity politics tactics can be objectively
identified. Hire a linguistics professor, have the professor watch a few
dozen videos and look at the people with the loudest voices, the ones that
get on television. He will see these tactics.

There are a few possible natural reactions to these tactics - defense (as
the editor did), retreat and bow out, or choose to become an ally.  The
very existence of the term "ally" implies that people are split into
groups. There are the oppressed, their allies, and then there are the
/opressors/. To defend oneself, or a group, puts one in the group of
oppressors.

When called on this, the common response is a fallacy of equivocation.
"Hey, wait, no, we're just saying lots of people have been harassed. It's
not an accusation."

Oh yes it is. This is something we can measure reasonably objectively with
linguistics and symbolic logic.

It might not be all feminists, or all #meeToo-ers, but that's kind of the
point. Instead of painting the whole movement with a broad brush, let's
call out the individual bad actors within #MeToo that are using bad
tactics. Identify the tactics and specific people, don't blame the identity
group.

I suppose that's a good lesson for us all around.

I'm copying -pol. If folks find this conversation distateful I don't see a
need to continue it on my side.

Thank you for being a group that I can trust with my personal opinions on
such a controversial topic.

--heusser
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