Culture commentator James Mariott has reverted to his usual depressing form with a tour of new pro-Trump internet presences and the failure of cancel culture to do other than encourage them. Both sides manage quite a good imitation of obnoxious kids of around 12 in the school playground. 

Yet for sheer perversity it is hard to beat the recent craze on the 'radical' left for 'identity politics'. If history were not more than enough to make the point clear, a moment's thought should tell anyone that nationalism, racism, and sexism are all instances of identity politics. The first of these is clearly the most popular in modern times, although in earlier societies family and tribal identities had at least as strong a grip. Religious identities - which can come anywhere on a political spectrum - feature strongly now, as they always did.

Human beings have been seeking identities, and then clinging to them like barnacles, since time immemorial. Only since the French Revolution introduced us to the labels 'left' and 'right' have any political identities been shoehorned under them. But there is no sign that such identities will cease to connect frequently with so-called 'conservative' societies or 'right-wing' politics. 

I hear it said that emerging political star Kemi Badenoch wants to ensure that Britain does not import tribal conflicts resembling those of her native Nigeria. As Britain, along with the rest of the 'West', has plenty of modern tribal identities, and associated conflicts (more likely than they used to be to burst into violence), it is only too likely to be a case of: Good luck with that one, Kemi.

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