Divide and Conquer in a Pre-existing Fragmented World
In a previous blog, I discussed Don Brash and the Orewa speech, highlighting how a call to address social injustices was misconstrued as a demand for privileges and special treatment. This phenomenon mirrors the dismissive responses seen across various social justice movements: the "not all men" rebuttal to the #metoo movement, the "all lives matter" retort to the #blacklivesmatter initiative, and accusations of a "gay agenda" or "women's agenda" in queer and feminist activism. The fragmentation within critical theory, characterized by its division into specialties focused on distinct axes of oppression, may not just obscure intersectional concerns for individuals sidelined in isolated movements but also facilitate a divide-and-conquer strategy. However, this strategy doesn't even require division, as the isolation is pre-existing—merely waiting to be exploited.
By isolating critical theories and concentrating on singular aspects of oppression while maintaining equality in other areas, we inadvertently enable a response that seeks to overpower an already isolated minority. This minority appears to demand unreasonable measures to rectify their specific form of oppression. The argument against focusing society's full attention on the concerns of trans individuals, indigenous groups, or any other marginalized community suggests that doing so would neglect broader issues that impact everyone, such as class disparities or global health crises like cancer. According to this perspective, prioritizing minority issues would divert resources and attention from these overarching societal challenges, causing progress to stall and society to regress.
This reasoning is deeply flawed but seemingly supported by the segmented nature of labor in critical theory. The division among critical theories not only weakens the collective power of social justice movements but also overlooks the potential for a unified approach that addresses both specific injustices and broader societal issues. By fostering collaboration across different areas of critical theory, we can form a more cohesive and powerful response to social injustices, one that acknowledges the importance of both individual and collective struggles. This united front could challenge the existing power structures more effectively, ensuring that addressing the needs of marginalized groups doesn't detract from the broader goal of societal progress but rather contributes to it, illustrating that the fight against specific and general injustices is not mutually exclusive but complementary.
