Peter Kirsanow: Identity politics is one of the best ways of the left's view of America
Peter Kirsanow reacts to President Biden's equity agenda on 'Tucker Carlson Today.'
The Biden administration's equity agenda is part of a larger effort by Democrats to weaponize identity politics by dividing Americans against each other, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (USCCR) member Peter Kirsanow warned, citing the "poisonous" impact such initiatives have had on U.S. society in the last decade.
In the latest episode of "Tucker Carlson Today" available now on Fox Nation, Kirsanow discussed his extensive career fighting for equality as a member of the civil rights agency and why he fears President Biden's sweeping diversity and equity initiatives have dangerously popularized elements of gender and racial identity politics.
"The travesties of what’s transpired over the last 50 years -- but it’s been speeding up over the last 5 to 10 years – where we no longer identify as Americans, but as Barack Obama famously put it, ‘citizens of the world,'" Kirsanow said in a preview of the episode that aired Monday on "Tucker Carlson Tonight." "No, we are Americans and there is no place like America. It affords the greatest opportunity. It has been a mecca for everybody, whether they're oppressed or not, to come to. And I think we are squandering that inheritance. We are a country. We are not separate entities. We are not separate biological or racial, sexual groups. We are all Americans."
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According to the longtime attorney, Democrats are manufacturing the political divide in the country by classifying citizens based on race and gender as part of a long-time strategy to "coalesce certain groups to vote for them."
"I don’t mean to necessarily paint a gloomy picture on this or get conspiratorial, but you can actually look at what the left has been proposing for 50 or 60 years and some of it is coming into fruition and that is that the idea of America was something that they objected to," Kirsanow said. "They have a different idea of America. And identity politics is one of the best ways promoting their view of America."
"There is a retail aspect to identity politics," he added. "Democrats like to divide people on the basis of race and sex and other classifications so they can pander to those folks and get them to vote for them. Because their ideas are not something that you would ordinarily accept. Their political ideas, their policy prescriptions are not something that most people would adopt."
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"If you separate people on the basis of identity, appeal to them on that basis, which is a powerful appeal throughout history, but also dangerous one… they can coalesce certain groups to vote for them," he cautioned.
Taking aim at the government agency of which he is a member, Kirsanow slammed the USCCR for embracing policy prescriptions that further the Democrats' divisive political agenda.
"I think the Civil Rights Commission, at this point, is coming up with a lot of policy prescriptions that promote identity politics. And all I can say Tucker, it’s poisonous," he told the Fox News host.
"You can see it readily that it’s harming the United States of America. You see it in your schools and in corporations now. Americans are at each other throats. They are afraid to say certain things that you would ordinarily say as few as 5 to 10 years ago with impunity and not think anything of it. And when you censor people… ideas can’t be debated."
To watch Tucker's full interview with Kirsanow, subscribe to Fox Nation and stream the latest episode of "Tucker Carlson Today."
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