Maybe I’m the only one who will appreciate it but Jacobin posted the following article and I thought the comments on Twitter were incredibly revealing:
The following is a selection of the replies they received- about half of the total. The tweet I picked comes from a variety of positional and ideological angles, but an overall pattern emerges.
My question is why are the people in Jacobin’s comment section so grumpy?
For example, I’m autistic myself, and not a huge fan of bar culture, but I’d never dream of saying “Why are you praising bars when I as an autistic person do not like them?” Similarly, I’m open to the idea that maybe the world would be better if there was less alcohol consumption- however, I’d never dream of doing a “How dare you commend the accursed liquid to our vulnerable young gentleman!” routine. As for the pandemic- there is no indication COVID-19 will ever go away, and it would be unreasonable to expect people to stop going to bars forever. But arguing with these people misses the point. The more interesting topic is what gives so many people- all over the ideological spectrum but especially on the left, have the overwhelming urge to scowl at Jacobin?
There is something- some factor- that makes Jacobin’s comments so distinctive. And despite the distinctiveness of these comments, I sometimes feel it contains the master key to understanding the left. I feel like if only we could overcome this phenomenon and its root causes socialism could advance with little check.
The modern American Left has become a deeply pessimistic, anxious and misanthropic movement. That is partially because of the people they attract and the internal culture they maintain. I don't know if this is fixable, though I do think it is a major obstacle for socialism in the US-- the left is really unproductive at achieving its goals! (By left here, I mean leftists/socialists)
In my experience, this is typical of comments sections anywhere that doesn't moderate all comments and block trolls.