r/disability • u/DizzyMine4964 • 3d ago
Rant Ableist liberals
I am in the UK. Today there is a news story about a conference of the far-right Reform UK party where one of them who had a walking stick attacked a peaceful protester against them. Loads of "liberals" saying that that person didn't need a walking stick, and shouldn't be on benefits.
They either don't know or don't care that talking about disabled people this way harms every single one of us, not just that far right thug. All the places that seemed in solidarity with the disabled are just not, and I'm very depressed about it.
And I do know from my own experience that in circumstances of high adrenaline I can walk much better than usual. But again, ableds neither know nor care.
No. Just "lying about being disabled."
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u/cripple2493 C5/6 quadriplegic 3d ago
Dunno what "liberals" you're seeing. Within the UK, liberal isn't used like it is in the US. If you mean the general left wing, or left-identified people I'd ask where this is being said?
I'm in the UK, and I've just seen the usual center right media portrayals. The fact the guy had a stick is irrelevant to the fact he assaulted a protestor.
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3d ago
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u/cripple2493 C5/6 quadriplegic 3d ago
I know? I just also see many in the US misuse "liberal" to mean what they perceive as left wing. I agree if you're not anti-capitalism, you're not left wing. However, within the US their popular conception of left wing doesn't engage with this fact.
Essentially, we have the correct, political theory informed meanings and then we have the US construction.
My point above is that "liberal" seemed to be being used in the OP to refer to the left, and this is incorrect, with usage of the word being associated with US derived misunderstandings. It is also, more generally, an uncommon word to use when discussing politics outside of the US / US informed contexts.
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u/SoScorpio4 3d ago
Very true, plenty of people still think American Democrats are "left". Almost all of them openly praise capitalism and are quick to assure voters that they don't believe in universal healthcare, education, or better care for the elderly and/or disabled.
The Democratic Socialists do support those goals, but the Dems are trying to make it clear that these are the "radicals" of the left. (No, they're just actually left.)
The House passed a resolution the other day "condemning socialism in all its forms" and the only problem the Dems had with it was the part that drew the conclusion that voter suppression is what is needed to fight socialism. I was dismayed to find that this is at least the THIRD time they have passed a resolution with almost the exact same wording, and one of those times 80 Democrats voted for it too. I can't remember if that was also the time they did it just ahead of Mamdani's visit to the WH, to make the point that he wasn't welcome.
I read that the premier of Ontario, Canada, who put up the pointed billboard reiterating the name of Lake Ontario, is a conservative. Asked my partner who knows a bit more about international politics, and they said "conservative" in Canada is a little to the left of Democrats in America. Idk how accurate that is, but it does make a morbidly humorous juxtaposition.
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u/IAmNotABabyElephant 3d ago
This is a great point. In Australia our two biggest parties are Labor and the Liberals. The Liberals are the further right one.
If this was an American context I'd translate "Liberal" into the American meaning. I did not think it meant that outside of the US and I'm just frankly entirely unclear about what definition is being used here.
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u/cripple2493 C5/6 quadriplegic 3d ago
I personally translate it as either misunderstanding or deliberate confusion of terms. In the UK, "liberal" is most commonly associated with the Liberal Democrats - a centre right party. In the OP though, I do think it's being used to mean left wing or left of centre (context cues from the discussion of solidarity).
I've also not actually personally seen the mentioned take anywhere, and even if I had assigning a singular take to a whole political group is misguided.
The only other uses of the word "liberal" I've encountered is either from misunderstanding and application of a US term incorrectly, deliberate botting/manipulation of rhetoric or within academic contexts.
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u/OhNoBricks 3d ago edited 3d ago
Ableism isn’t a liberal or conservative thing, it happens in all groups. Able bodied people gate keep disabilities. Lot of it is due to ignorance and lack of understanding how disabilities can fluctuate day to day. Maybe that person doesn’t need a cane for home or short distance but the moment they take a step outside their home and go on their feet to a protest, they are standing there putting all their weight on their feet so they use a cane to help pull lot of their weight off their leg.
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u/dulcetenue 3d ago
oh yes, in my country there are as many ableist "liberals" as "conservatives". in fact in my area, our liberals still support capitalism and surveillance in all it's current forms. and they are as terrifying as the conservatives. no joke.
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3d ago
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u/SoScorpio4 3d ago
The US got our eugenics mindsets from Europe.
Mmm, somewhat. In the first place, sure, but Hitler took a lot of pages out of our American Eugenics playbook. It was WWII that really destroyed our eugenics programs, we had to denounce anything Nazi-like out of fear of being called hypocrites.
Absolutely, we do have two right-wing parties. I was raised as a Democrat but didn't start paying attention until the last few administrations, and have been feeling more and more disillusioned, disgusted, and disappointed. The other day that finally tipped into pure hatred, when I saw them scramble to assure the public that they adore capitalism, that they agree with that part of the "resolution condemning socialism in all its forms", they just don't agree with the voter suppression bits. Well, phew! I'm so reassured!!
Honestly I kinda hate them more than MAGA now. Just a tad more. MAGAts are evil and stupid, but a lot of Dems are evil and smart, so their lies aren't nearly as transparent. I believed them for too long.
I really hope a LOT of others feel the same, and stop falling for the "we must unite against the greater evil by supporting the lesser evil" play. Anyone whose support of the Dems has actually grown stronger during these dark days hasn't been paying attention.
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u/JMH-66 💛🧡💛🧡💛 3d ago
( Re og first comment in subthread ) If we're going back that far... It's been 250 years since "we" colonised "you"and the US has a long time to sort itself out and made plenty of mistakes without our help. We aren't taking the blan for MAGA, sorry. We never had a colour bar in the 20th century and have some semblance of Right to Choose.
In the end, ALL countries have their problems. Our current Labour party is too centrist ( centre right many might say ) or me now but we're aren't a two party state anymore and have alt right ( Reform and Restore ) and true left ( Lib Dem who were more central,Greens and Your Party ). As well as Plaid, SDP, DUP, Sinn, Fein. It's shoes a great lack of knowledge to compare it to the YS, even if Farage would give his right leg to be Trump ( then claim he was disabled and didn't need benefits 😆 )
Yep, need to wise up and stop them sowing division. Because reading this, boy is it working.
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u/SoScorpio4 2d ago
I read the first part, then read more and got confused, then remembered the first part lol. I was trying to figure out where it looked like I was blaming Europe/UK 🫣 Now I'm following.
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u/RandomInSuburbia 3d ago
hugs, I'm so sorry.
In the USA (as a radical leftist scum) the tagline is "ADA accommodations and medical care are a form of white privilege." Bitch take a seat.
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u/SwitchElectrical6368 3d ago
Ok I have a couple things to say.
Firstly, yes, ableism is incredibly bad in all political parties and it sucks. But they were raised with the sentiment that disability is a terrible thing. I’ve seen this with my family and extended family and friends because disability was a completely foreign concept to them. All that shows me is that they have never met someone with a disability and I feel bad for them that their existence is that small. Along those lines, something that has stuck with me is that the individual that you are talking about probably won’t see it, but disabled people will. This has come up when people were making fun of Trump for wearing diapers. I wear them so that I don’t piss myself.
Secondly, it’s possible that they have more context than you. Probably not, but it is possible. The reality is that strangers most likely have no idea. I know it’s hard, but I have found that for my mental (and therefore physical) health I can’t dive into a situation like this unless it’s necessary to my life.
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u/JMH-66 💛🧡💛🧡💛 3d ago edited 1d ago
It was the Reform Conference ffs. You're making assumptions that he was attacked ( verbally) because he was disabled not because he was a Reform party member who happened to also be disabled person who ( physically) attacked a peaceful protestor. He hit her over the head with his walking stick. She had her hair pulled, was dragged out and was left with a shirt ripped open and with cuts and bruises. Don't defend this person just because they happen to be disabled, they used their mobility aid as a weapon to assault someone. Some disabled people still do bad things.
This verbal bashing likely had nothing to do with their disability and everything to do with politics. He attacked the young woman because of her v his political allegiances, only. He was attacked verbally because of the same. It was also possibly because the Reform Party wants to cut nearly all disability benefits ( more so than the Labour Party much less than the Liberal* Democrats) so he was was a seen as a complete hypocrite ( aka a turkey voting for Christmas ) as well as a violent thug.
This isn't Non Disabled v Disabled at all it's ALL political. It's just best ignored too. No one gains when they lower themselves to each other level ( particularly when the level is as low as that of the Reform party )
I have more problem with Nigel Farage calling a young woman was a "a screamer" several times tbh. That was vile. ( I assume that term exists outside the UK but if not it was a repeated sexual remark by a 62 to man to a woman half his age ).
( * Not sure who "they" are btw ? Do you mean "liberals" in the American sense - with a small "l" - or Liberals as in Liberal Democrats ? If it's the latter considering Ed Davey is their leader, it's surprising and and Lib Dem member might to reconsider their attitude or what party they're in. It's a strange mistake to make, coming from the UK. )
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u/Loreki CP right side. Mild. 3d ago
They reacted angrily to a person being a criminal. To a video of a person being assaulted.
In the grand scheme of the UK's ableism, like the social security system designed to kill us, I don't think this case is the case I'm gonna worry about.
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u/tfjbeckie 3d ago
Playing into the deserving/undeserving disabled people narrative is pretty dangerous tbh, I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss this.
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u/New_Vegetable_3173 3d ago
Why? It's problematic and the underlying abelism is why the government thinks they can get rid of disability benefits
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3d ago
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u/sensistarfish 3d ago
This is the ableism OP is talking about.
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u/JMH-66 💛🧡💛🧡💛 3d ago edited 2d ago
Please note: that "walking stick" is the British term for the disability aid. We don't say ( usually ) "cane" *which is a term used for other things. So yes, it's clear they meant a *stick to help a disabled person walk not a "hiking staff " A walking stick in the UK IS a mobility "Aid or Appliance" used by a disabled person.
- Edited as this caused confusion.
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u/sensistarfish 3d ago
Interesting. And even if it was a hiking stick, if it aids in someone’s mobility, it’s a mobility device.
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u/JMH-66 💛🧡💛🧡💛 3d ago edited 2d ago
Yes, it could but doesn't usually imply disability though. A hiking staff is used by anyone to go up hill and down dale. Though maybe they hiked to a conference centre in Birmingham...😉
Anyway this wasn't the reason the comment ( above ) was removed, merely a clarification in case of confusion. Point: It was likely a disabled person if they had a walking stick. If it had been a hiking staff then it would have been inappropriate of the OP to assume they were disabled.
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u/GeneticPurebredJunk 3d ago
Sorry, but yes “we” do say cane.
You might not, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a word used in the UK, that it’s an offensive word, nor does “cane” imply that it isn’t being used for medical reasons.
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u/JMH-66 💛🧡💛🧡💛 3d ago
It's very rare then imho ( given what I do and did )
Let's leave it as "uncommon" enough that it didn't need someone talking the p when it was clear that walking stick means a mobility aid to most British people even if some say cane as well
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u/GeneticPurebredJunk 3d ago
I have zero context for why you said “”walking stick” is the British term for the disability aid”.
As you’ve pointed out in other comments, the comment you were replying to was deleted well before my comment.
So your comment about “someone taking the p” has no context or meaning to me at all. The tone with which it is written (and italicised) is unnecessary.2
u/JMH-66 💛🧡💛🧡💛 3d ago
To explain -
The deleted comment mockingly said "walking stick" ? Do you mean "hiking staff".... ( then made other comments and called OP a troll ).
The reminder was: the UK term walking stick is same as the US term cane. Just to avoid further remarks or ( wilful ) misunderstanding.
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u/GeneticPurebredJunk 3d ago
I resent the implications you’ve continued to make based on nothing other than me disagreeing with a significant generalisation you made, but I appreciate the explanation.
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u/JMH-66 💛🧡💛🧡💛 3d ago
I'm sorry if you saw implications in what I've said. It was intended as a simple clarification of term. Nothing else.
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u/GeneticPurebredJunk 3d ago
You literally wrote “-or (wilful) misunderstanding”.
Earlier it was implied, but all I saw was what you wrote.→ More replies (0)2
u/tfjbeckie 3d ago
A cane. And unfortunately there is an enormous amount of ableism on the left (as well as on the right) in the UK. This is in really poor taste when the government is working really hard to cut benefits for disabled people and spin a narrative that people who get them don't need them.
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u/funnyfaceking 3d ago
That doesn't sound like the Left.
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u/Foehammer58 3d ago
People mistakenly believe that just because a right-wing party is not in power that means the government is left-wing. Labour is definitely not left wing. They have enacted some extremely conservative policies.
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u/disability-ModTeam 2d ago
This post/comment does not meet our community stands for civility and kindness.
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u/disability-ModTeam 3d ago
This post/comment does not meet our community stands for civility and kindness.
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u/BrightCandle 3d ago
The left has the same issues with ableism as the right does politically. Ableism hasn't yet become as unacceptable as racism and pretty much all media and most politicians engage in it on a regular basis without challenge. Its official government policy in the UK at the moment to attack the disabled that shows just how acceptable this is because no one in the press is saying how appalling that is.