There are several other wacky beliefs that get circulated on the left, such as abolishing the police, abolishing prisons, that speech is violence, and so on. These also get pointed to when a politician on the left shows support for these. However the belief that men can become women is next level bizarre, trying to upturn something so fundamental to our existence and understanding of the world - like flat-earthism - and that's why the right have focused so heavily on it as an attack line.
To be more charitable: people should really read more and try to understand more about the difference between biological sex and gender. Many people think there is no difference and that's why they have such a reaction: "but they are trying to change something fundamental about biology!".
I used to have trouble with it as well, coming from a more traditional society.
As for the other wacky beliefs: they are mostly exaggerated. When talking about police, most leftist I know don't _literally_ want to just dismantle the whole thing and replace it with nothing. The point is to highlight the absolute lousy state of affairs, more than it is to discontinue the notion of policing.
Agreed, and if the position being advocated by many on the left was merely that people should be free to express themselves however they please, I don't think the right would have found it an effective line of attack. Most people on the libertarian branch of the right would likely agree in principle too.
I think that it was very strange how this became such an issue. Like, as long as it doesn't hurt anyone, who cares about another's gender expression?
But it's such a tiny proportion of the population, and matters much less than making things better for the populace (which is the whole point of governance).
I'm not a Marxist, but the whole culture war stuff is very very convenient for those who don't want to work on reducing inequality (by taxing the upper earners more). And given how much of the Democratic vote is dependent on these people, I guess it makes political sense in the short term.
> the aspect of males in female sport, highlights a set of absurd beliefs that are unfortunately quite common on the left
You're playing right into the hands of the kleptocracy by trying to start this dumb-ass discussion up again.
There are several other wacky beliefs that get circulated on the left, such as abolishing the police, abolishing prisons, that speech is violence, and so on. These also get pointed to when a politician on the left shows support for these. However the belief that men can become women is next level bizarre, trying to upturn something so fundamental to our existence and understanding of the world - like flat-earthism - and that's why the right have focused so heavily on it as an attack line.
> the belief that men can become women
To be more charitable: people should really read more and try to understand more about the difference between biological sex and gender. Many people think there is no difference and that's why they have such a reaction: "but they are trying to change something fundamental about biology!".
I used to have trouble with it as well, coming from a more traditional society.
As for the other wacky beliefs: they are mostly exaggerated. When talking about police, most leftist I know don't _literally_ want to just dismantle the whole thing and replace it with nothing. The point is to highlight the absolute lousy state of affairs, more than it is to discontinue the notion of policing.
Dunno while I'm replying to a random anon, but anyways.
People can not (mostly) change their sex (AFAB etc).
However, there are a vast proportion of potential gender expressions, and it should be entirely uncontroversial that people can choose from them.
And now, given that I have disagreed with both partisan (US) positions on this, I'll withdraw.
Agreed, and if the position being advocated by many on the left was merely that people should be free to express themselves however they please, I don't think the right would have found it an effective line of attack. Most people on the libertarian branch of the right would likely agree in principle too.
I think that it was very strange how this became such an issue. Like, as long as it doesn't hurt anyone, who cares about another's gender expression?
But it's such a tiny proportion of the population, and matters much less than making things better for the populace (which is the whole point of governance).
I'm not a Marxist, but the whole culture war stuff is very very convenient for those who don't want to work on reducing inequality (by taxing the upper earners more). And given how much of the Democratic vote is dependent on these people, I guess it makes political sense in the short term.