Trump & The Left’s Identity Politics, by Rod Dreher.

I think Donald Trump’s whining about the ethnicity of the Hispanic judge in his Trump University case is shameful, and yet another example of his gross immaturity and narcissism. It is dangerous to have a presidential candidate openly question whether a judge can be fair because of his ethnic background.

That said, is this not what the Left does constantly, and has done for a long time? Claim that members of minority groups must have special privileges, because it is impossible for a white-majority society to be fair to them, on account of the majority being white, cisgendered and heterosexist?

Trump fights using the tools the PC crew have long used, but which most non-PC people have been loathe to use.

Crude as he is, Trump seems to get in ways that no other senior Republican gets is the degree to which American politics, cultural and otherwise, have become about raw racial and demographic power.

I suppose you could plausibly argue that they always have been, but at least most of us tried to argue in classical liberal terms for a more fair and just society. What Trump seems to be saying is, “And look where that got you, white people.”

Again, this is a dangerous thing to say in a pluralistic democracy, and it troubles me deeply that Trump says it. On the other hand, there is some truth in it. For years I’ve been saying that the militant identity politics practiced by the Left is sooner or later going to call up the same thing on the Right.

The PC have encouraged and exploited tribalism for their own political gains since the 1960s. Now, finally, they are being repaid in kind. Militant tribalism works, but makes everyone poorer – but if you don’t participate you lose.

Like Lee Kwan Yew of Singapore said: “In multiracial societies, you don’t vote in accordance with your economic interests and social interests, you vote in accordance with race and religion.”

hat-tip Stephen Neil