this appears exceedingly absurd because jello's a public figure with known positions, and strong anti-racist credentials. we know jello's position is not racist, and these guys are going after the wrong guy.
but this happens all of the time. in the end, what you're seeing here is the reason occupy evaporated. instead of getting people that agree with each other working together, you get these pointless arguments pushing divisiveness, and eventual disassociation. the artificial divisions pushed from the top overpower, and nothing gets done. eventually, people look around and realize the only people still there are white men.
it didn't happen overnight. it's the crux of organizing since 1965. and it may take as long to spin the focus back around on class as it did to spin it off it. this is deep damage. but that just means it's necessary to take a good, hard look at it.
it's not an ideal tactic, but i think that the left needs to grow a bit of a backbone with this, that organizing groups need to take the initiative in expulsion and ostracism of people that refuse to accept an egalitarian basis rather than let themselves continually be eaten out from the inside by these foucaldian conservatives in sheep's clothing.
and, in turn, this may help recapture the working class from the republican party, who has taken advantage of the situation and is the prime winner of the infighting.
i mean, jello was smart about this, but he's approaching it like he's getting picked on by a jock - which is telling. instant "you're bigger than me, but i can outsmart you" reaction. in this case it's true.
"he's one of them, not one of us."
that is: class. not race. with a little psychology thrown in. smart.
it wouldn't be so effective if his "opponents" had masters degrees. then you're arguing with these whacked fundamentalists. smart people. just extremists, and fully convinced.
i mean, here's the thing: i'm in the audience, and your religion can't affect me. i need a different type of argument. i have a different epistemology. but i'm not the norm.
the norm is much more swayed by the group, by appeals to emotion, etc. so, these arguments have a certain effectiveness that can't be effectively countered without using their tactics. we're not robots. i've been trained to think like one, but most people just aren't. so, then, it's like...i don't want to live through the fucking reformation...i'd rather stay home....
and, you're stuck with this just irresolvable barrier. if leftists ought to be realists, it's gotta be looked at squarely. the classical anarchists, with their enlightenment principles in science and logic, are simply not on the same side as the post-everything subjectivists, with their screwy logic, rejection of empiricism and orwellian language. either both ideas need to be put aside, which is virtually impossible as it's epistemological, or these groups need to go their separate ways.