i think that there is a type of person who treats politics as fundamentally a type of discourse, and all political acts as fundamentally discursive rather than material. this is why people say that they are not voting "to make a statement:" political action consists of statements made the powerful.

Yes, I see a lot of people who seem to think the primary aim of politics is distinguishing the Good people from the Bad people. Real world outcomes are only relevant to the extent that they reveal people to be Good or Bad by suitably supporting or opposing them

in this view, there is no way in which a person can be "in charge" or have some duty related to the power they have; all they are doing when they "do politics" is saying things.

Though systemic discourse shapes material realities by enabling or curtailing material possibilities in the social & political world. Individual discursive acts are not enough, but collectively they can shape material action and outcomes.

📌

It's incredibly weird that you see this framework so much from (and it was originally developed by) people who would claim to be Marxists. It's such an anti-Marxian political philosophy and I genuinely don't understand what's going on there

i think this is insightful, and is also why some people feel like if you *don't* comment on an issue, it means you're inherently pro the status quo