Post
"Chris Hipkins says he's comfortable being called a socialist, Zohran Mandani wins the New York mayoralty, and this is the question we've been asking ourselves all week; is Woke back?"
#WallaceChapman, 2025
https://www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/politics-nz?share=b80fcdfb-3903-482c-926e-50dcf1983607
Huh? No. Obviously not. How did it take you more than 2 seconds to answer that?
(1/?)
I agree with Toby Manhire that "Woke" has become a meaningless buzzphrase. I'd add that it's mainly a boogieman of the far right.
But to the degree that people using it have something meaningful to say, what they're criticising is the politics of war criminals like Blair and Clinton. A thin veneer of identity politics, used to con the centre-left and other well-meaning but naive activists into supporting centre-right liberalism and authoritarian crypto-conservatism.
See my pinned posts
(2/?)
Socialism is... not that. It's an economic program of redistributive policy, support for universal services, and public ownership of infrastructure.
Yes, these days it comes with socially progressive attitudes. Based on a belief in universal human rights and economic inclusion. Including for women, brown people, queers, travellers, disabled, and all the other groups fascists target.
Not shallow pearl-clutching about the marginalised group of the week, disconnected from economic reality.
(3/3)
@strypey
I like to think socialism is just capitalism but with a re-investment policy focused on capitalism's most important resource: Citizens.
@grantpetersen I think it's both simpler and more accurate to say that socialism is about looking after everyone, whereas capitalism is about looking after capitalists. Either can be combined with a market economy or a command economy, that's more the political aspect of political economy.
But having said that, your explanation is probably an easier sell to people who assume capitalism = market economy. Despite the history of capitalism emerging as a hedge against market freedom (from rents).
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