On wasting time on your identity so you can be a good liberal after all

I dated a Jewish woman who had discovered to some satisfaction that the Yiddish world once had within it the possibility of a left-wing politics. That was true, as it was of the Jewish world generally, and still is.  But I could not understand that she would think it is possible to be on the left politically because that is a possibility of and within her familial and communitarian identity.  I studied enough philosophy that I can make no sense of a think that derives one’s notion of what is true, good, or right from a prior assumption of an identity.  I inferred that she wanted to affirm her familial sense of belonging because that made her happy and seemed important, and of course think that is absolutely fine and probably good.  It is irrelevant to anything political. 

Judaism can be found to refer to such possibilities, but they do not refer to it.  The “direction of referral” here is essential, and the consequent affirmation today is subject of a very important affirmation.  Many things in your personal background may causally ground your thinking, but they cannot justify it.  The sole and sufficient reason to affirm the justice or truth of any proposition is on the grounds of reason and evidence available to every person who is able to speak and understand the language in which the proposition is uttered. No one’s identity ever made anything true or false, nor right or wrong.

The Jews who perished in the Nazi camps died the same way the many non-Jews who shared their fate also did. Solidarity with victims is the solidarity due to persons as persons. To deny this is to be a racist or some other kind of exclusionary identitarian.

It is, sadly, still possible today for nation-states to be founded on the basis of exclusionary identities. And for them to fight wars to maintain their fortress state at all and any cost.

The next person who tells you they support Israel “because I am Jewish,” tell them, “nonsense!”
Jewish left-liberals say, I oppose the war “because I am Jewish and it is against our principles.”
This is useful to say as rhetoric to persuade other Jews. That is the utility of this.
I met some Jews who are studying Judaism in order to affirm that they don’t have to be nationalists who support genocide. This is a mistake, because you don’t need it for that. It has other uses, which good ones.
Those are worth affirming if doubted, that’s good and fine, but:
Why waste your energy learning something obvious?