And there you have it — for zealots like Snyder, there is no such thing as neutral ground in a holy war. Likewise, Jamelle Bouie informs us, with a pointed stare and a raised eyebrow, that using a useful descriptor like “virtue signaling” makes you guilty by association with the alt-right. Okay, fine, you got me, I surrender. Yes, I only recently stopped beating my wife. Yes, I’m a conservative. Yes, I consort with neo-Nazis in the darkest corners of the web where we plot foul deeds. Yes, I’ve sworn fealty to the Trumplord. There’s no point in arguing. Confess early, confess often. Cheerfully admit to anything and everything in the hopes that your inquisitors will conclude you’re too insane to understand what you’re even saying.
Ben additionally makes an interesting, related point here: what does it even mean to call yourself a progressive when you oppose much or most of what modern progressivism preaches and practices?