I hope we're just misunderstanding each other about what sort of criticism we're talking about. Because I do think it's possible for criticism to be productive, even though I see much of it as negative and unproductive (only when it serves to harden divisions, further antagonism, moralize, things along those lines--that includes creating identities as members of social groups (vs. as individuals), e.g. black pride). And I do think there's an objective truth to the matter, whether or not either of us is supporting a position that corresponds to it.

I admit I'm taking a lot from Nietzsche and Bourdieu and Judith Butler and various other authors and Steve...so it'll probably take a lot to convince me otherwise.