Ideology is out, identity is in

You are not arguing that identity politics is just simply wrong.

Oh, no.

What you’re arguing is that it’s a problem when it gets to a point where it says, “Because of my group identity I should not be criticized. I should not be forced to submit to any kind of cultural norm.” Where does identity politics cross a boundary?

There’s a couple of different boundaries. The assertion that all cultural groups are basically equal is problematic. This has been a real issue with Muslim immigrant communities in Europe. I want to be very careful because this is kind of delicate ground. It is true that there’s a culture in these communities that does not treat women well. It does not treat homosexuality the way that mainstream society does. There’s anti-Semitism. All of these problems are embedded in their cultural values.

You can take one of two positions. You can say we live in a liberal society where our values are to respect the rights of individuals, or [you can say] we live in this kind of pluralistic, multicultural society in which all cultures are equally valuable, even if some of those cultures oppress individuals that are members. I just think in a liberal society you cannot possibly take that second position.