Canceling Comedians While the World Burns: A Critique of the Contemporary Left
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-07-01 07:51:21
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Ben Burgis
- ISBN：1789045479
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
Between the decline of the labor movement， the aftershocks of the falls of so-called "actually existing socialism，" and the long exile of even social democrats from the levers of real power， we have gotten far too used to thinking of leftism as a performative exercise in expressing our political commitments rather than a serious effort to achieve left-wing goals in the real world。 Cancelling Comedians While the World Burns calls for a smarter， funnier， more strategic left。
Reviews
Stephen Chastain
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WOW。 A critique of the left from a leftist perspective。。。 everyone on my Instagram feed desperately needs to read this book and take a good long look at themselves in the proverbial mirror。 What an intelligent and thoughtful breakdown of how major sections of the American left have become their own worst enemies。 "He critiques because he cares;" the purpose of this analysis is to point out why the left engages in self-defeating behaviors because the author wants to see the left succeed。 The cher WOW。 A critique of the left from a leftist perspective。。。 everyone on my Instagram feed desperately needs to read this book and take a good long look at themselves in the proverbial mirror。 What an intelligent and thoughtful breakdown of how major sections of the American left have become their own worst enemies。 "He critiques because he cares;" the purpose of this analysis is to point out why the left engages in self-defeating behaviors because the author wants to see the left succeed。 The cherry on top is Ben Burgis is an entertaining writer who can explain extremely niche topics in a way that makes them easily understandable even to those who don't live on Twitter。If you've ever gotten defensive at the term "virtue signaling" then please do your mental health， and the movement at large， a huge favor and read。 This。 Book。 。。。more
Jon-Erik
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Another candidate for “book we need” that falls flat。 The last one I tried was Tankie garbage… and this one is really just about Bernie。 As much as I dislike cancel culture on the right and left， I really wish we had a critique that didn’t engage in some other weirdness。If Sturgis thinks Bari Weiss is a “right wing hack” （she's "right wing" for caring about antisemitism）—o tempora， o mores—and being butthurt that people used Joe Rogan’s endorsement of Bernie against him is part of the problem of Another candidate for “book we need” that falls flat。 The last one I tried was Tankie garbage… and this one is really just about Bernie。 As much as I dislike cancel culture on the right and left， I really wish we had a critique that didn’t engage in some other weirdness。If Sturgis thinks Bari Weiss is a “right wing hack” （she's "right wing" for caring about antisemitism）—o tempora， o mores—and being butthurt that people used Joe Rogan’s endorsement of Bernie against him is part of the problem of cancel culture， he’s wrong。This is just special pleading in the 2016 primary that never ended。 No thanks。 I'm also not really sure how a proud member of the DSA can really complain too much about this， as this is an organization that has done plenty of "cancelling" and seems to be as immune to evidence as the Trumpy right， especially when that evidence is about winning elections。 （Young voters will save us！ If we just talk truth， we'll get everyone on board！）I sympathize with critiques that point out that， to the great relief of many of the power structures the critical studies left wants to deconstruct， class is basically absent from the “discourse。” But a good critique of cancel culture ought to not simply decide that the wrong people have been cancelled， which is the distinct feeling I get here。Too many more books like this and I might need to start rethinking my loathing of cancel culture。 。。。more
David Miley
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Burgis defines and takes down the worst impulses of the modern online Left。 It is wry， amusing， dead on accurate and sure to offend someone unless they don't recognize themselves。 The basic premise is that the online Left proceeds from a standpoint of weakness and lack of belief in their own potential to change the world。 As a result， they do what Leftists have done from time immemorial， performative virtue。 If you want to make change for real， this is essential reading。 Burgis defines and takes down the worst impulses of the modern online Left。 It is wry， amusing， dead on accurate and sure to offend someone unless they don't recognize themselves。 The basic premise is that the online Left proceeds from a standpoint of weakness and lack of belief in their own potential to change the world。 As a result， they do what Leftists have done from time immemorial， performative virtue。 If you want to make change for real， this is essential reading。 。。。more
Chris Oleson
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I'm a big admirer of Burgis's work and ideas。 I enjoy his own podcast as well as his frequent past appearances on the TMBS， David Feldman， etc。 The book doesn't disappoint。 It's an entertaining， thoughtful， and compelling。 And not all of the material and instances and essays are mere rehashes of common themes。 Now get Twitter and start organizing。 I'm a big admirer of Burgis's work and ideas。 I enjoy his own podcast as well as his frequent past appearances on the TMBS， David Feldman， etc。 The book doesn't disappoint。 It's an entertaining， thoughtful， and compelling。 And not all of the material and instances and essays are mere rehashes of common themes。 Now get Twitter and start organizing。 。。。more
Christopher
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