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  1. “Woke” is another of those “I don’t know how to define it, but I know it when I see it” derogatory weapons of the right whingers – see also “PC Gone Mad” (Previous).

  2. “Woke” is another of those “I don’t know how to define it, but I know it when I see it” derogatory weapons of the right whingers – see also “PC Gone Mad” (Previous).

    1. Oh no, everyone who isn’t a wokie knows very well what the term means.

  3. This sounds nothing like New Zealand politics. The whole “woke” premise is based on the postulate that the Left alone is guilty of psychological coercion and behavioural regulation and that it still does so. And my response would be no, it doesn’t. That was largely a legacy of the Muldoon era and as the eighties and neoliberalism gained hegemony, structural analysis became a prerequisite. I reject the proposition that identity politics is necessarily one of declaration and recognition alone- not for me, it isn’t. Look at the abortion rights movement, which is based on a nuanced and complex understanding of how numerous forms of oppression and resistance shape womens/pregnant peoples reproductive rights. Look at Maori resistance as the current regime attacks their hardwon land and cultural reclamation campaigns, which make no sense without a materialist framework. And lastly. LGBTQI+ politics.

    As a gay socialist, I fought to protect the healthcare system from neoliberalism during the eighties and nineties because of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the cruelty and sadism that engulfed people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States. Thankfully, we took a sensible turn here and that level of carnage was spared us largely, although we still lost community members. Insofar as the trans community goes, they have had to deal with three decades of neglect when it comes to their rights to accomodation, employment and service provision. ***Of course**** they’re pissed off and militant (and since when was that a dirty word on the left?). Most trans radicals would identify as socialists or anarchists, you do realise?

    If anyone’s guilty of shallow identity politics, it’s the raving right opponents of transgender rights. Witness Winston asking what is a woman in Parliament, at the very time that the current slahed pay equity. Labour leader Chris Hipkins retorted that under the Coalition, the definition is someone who its okay to pay less. And haven’t the Canadian and Australian elections both shown that anti-trans dog whistling is ebbing as a far right mobilisational tool? It didn’t work for Poilievre and Dutton, and Winston is going to find that it won’t save his bacon in 2026.

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