Why Class-First Leftists Are Wrong

Class-first leftism is the belief that economic class is the main form of oppression in the U.S. and the world, and that other forms of discrimination relating to identity — racism, sexism, homophobia, etc.— would be relative non-issues if we could attain economic equality. Class-first leftists are a relatively small part of the left, but they have an outsize influence on intra-left debates, in part because reactionaries find aspects of their analysis congenial, and eagerly amplify them to critique other leftists. As a result, class-first leftists make it harder to fight oppression on numerous axes, including, unfortunately, class. Read Full Article »