I think the biggest problem with leftist video essays is that they are full of theory. Like whatever issue they talk about, it's almost always just an excuse to talk about theory. And I think this prioritization of studying theory over looking at situations objectively, without prior bias, is one of the biggest faults of the contemporary left.
The problem with force-fitting events in the world out there to pre-existing philosophical theories is that you inevitably end up with a biased view of events. You end up with a biased and incomplete understanding of what is actually happening. And that is not helpful for achieving anything. It would just make everyone confused, which would make progress and good outcomes even more out of reach. Thus the theory left, far from being 'progressive', actually leads to pointless and needless detours in our quest to understand the truth and make things better.
Moreover, leftist cultural theories are often rooted in postmodernism and critical theory, which is under the umbrella of what is called the 'conflict theory of sociology', which sees human relations as driven more by conflict than by consensus. Thus leftist cultural theory has a strong tendency to pit one group against another, which would only lead to more polarization in the real world. This polarization is harmful if what we want is to find some common ground to move forward on. What I'm most worried about is that the polarization caused by leftist theory makes a rational and productive discourse essentially impossible, thus prolonging the conflict and suffering on all sides needlessly.
Furthermore, leftist theory is ultimately tied to a wider agenda. I think there are actually many people out there, like myself, who are fed up with people with an agenda in general, and just want us to be free of all these agendas. Both the left and the right have a set agenda that is rooted in their long-running ideological obsessions. The clash of these obsessions are the root of the culture wars, which, let's face it, normal people don't want at all. This is why many of us wish that those agendas and those ideological obsessions would just go away. From this point of view, leftist cultural theory is certainly part of the problem, and not part of the solution.
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