1. Those old criticisms of sexism, racism, heterosexism, etc. that were aimed at attainment of equal rights become neutralized at best and become agents of capital and empire at worst."
What does neutralized mean? That nothing is gained from blows against sexism? ANd what is the talk of agents? Do you think Bush would tell his base that his sanctions on Iran are on the behalf of gays? Really what is the proof that the gay international is the agent of imperialism. Is Bush funneling money to underground gay groups in Iran to destabilize the regime and to abortion rights activists in Venezuela? Give me a break.
ANd of course these discriminations haven't been abolished and to look at those criticisms as hoary ones in the service of capital and empire is just tough guy theatrics. Such haugty words from someone who has very little empirical or theoretical to say about capital and empire! It may be true that you can't champion your oppositional third world regime of the moment if you care around sexism and heterosexism. But you can still fight the desperate and violent and objectively failed imperialism of your state without the tough guy waving away of the lesser yet cynically sinister breeds fighting sexism, racism, heterosexism,along with ETC.
The point is to demonstrate that your partisan interests are not only compatible with universal emancipation but a necessary vehicle to it.
The point is not to reveal yourself as a paranoid who writes off to the DARK SIDE everything but your own main objective--the brave defense of bloated third world rentier states suffering from Dutch disease.
Rakesh