While reading the article, I began thinking the same thing. They operate in cells so they can claim they are not an organization (despite existing worldwide).
Once woke succeed with their Cultural Revolution we'll live with serene images of divine, harmless nature where all is peachy and every tiger is a self-aware, inclusive, meditating vegan.
To me "woke" is basically Marxism re-labeled. It is insidious at it's core and once implemented will destroy whatever it touches. When has Marxism succeeded, sustained itself and made life better for it's followers? That may be the question to fire back at the woke activists (or Bernie Sanders).
Wokism is Marxism, it as simple as that. Everything the woke espouse is based in critical theory, critical law theory, critical race theory, Marxist liberation theology and critical social justice theory. To put it succinctly it is Marxism relabeled.
Linguistic flim-flam is essential to leftism. Their language operates at the level of signaling rather than of discourse, so argument, which entails the possibility of refutation, is impossible. That is why their writings are so impenetrable, yet so effective in galvanizing political movements.
When a leftist speaks, ask what they are doing rather than what they are saying. Leftists don't argue. When they label their opponents as 'racists' or 'fascists,' etc, they are not describing them, but branding them as pariahs, beyond the pale of humanity. It is a verbal action, like casting a curse.
I think this is atavistic behavior. A legacy from the time our ancestors wandered in small groups. Leftist behavior is the instinctive, pre-verbal, politics of small groups, where one's position in an unstated hierarchy was crucial to survival. If an individual's position in that hierarchy became negative, they would become an outcast, subject to abandonment and violence. Leftist verbal attacks are intended to turn people into outcasts.
Their aversion to being labeled stems from the fear that their verbal magic will be used on them.
"Woke" is Lia Thomas swinging his pecker in the women's locker room and cheating in the pool. Put an 8x10 glossy photo of that guy in the dictionary as the definition of "woke"
I am fascinated with the Woke's interest (obsession?) with avoiding being defined. Similarly they also seem interested in hiding from plain view what they do in plain view. For example, they do drag shows in plain view but don't seem to want press scrutiny for those events. Libs of Tik Tok does basic play-back of woke accounts and that is perceived as some kind of violation or "harm."
There is no way this could be anything but organic. What is it about Woke that results in such an activist's commitment to something that they don't want exposed to sunlight? Its almost as if they are worshiping their own Shame.
James Lindsay has attributed this to a tactic he calls "mid-level violence." It is based on the premise that for the left, the reaction they provoke is the action they seek. To achieve this, they will aggravate their target without crossing an explicit line that would have it labeled as violence. Think of a small kid persistently waving his finger in another's face while repeatedly declaring "I'm not touching you!"
The drag shows for children are a provocation which they can justify by insisting "we are only being inclusive. what is wrong with being inclusive?" The parents are left with the choice of having to accept the provocation, in which case the Woke win, or by reacting, which is portrayed as violent and bigoted, in which case, the Woke also win.
Leftists have tactics rather than theories. You can point out their hypocrisies and contradictions all you like, but none of this matters if their tactics all work coherently to the same end.
"Leftists have tactics rather than theories. You can point out their hypocrisies and contradictions all you like, but none of this matters if their tactics all work coherently to the same end."
First it was "there's no such thing as cancel culture" then it was "no one is teaching critical race theory" (until people tried to ban it, then it became an essential part of every education) then the same for gender theory in schools.
It is very odd, i've never seen a political movement before push for certain policies while at the same time denying they're doing so and attacking anyone who says it.
My only guesses are: liberals and leftists live in hothouse environments where all dissenters (and esp conservatives) have been banished, so they're not used to reasonably defending any of their positions; in the Age of Identity a political or social belief is not just an idea or opinion you hold, it is a sacred part of your person, almost like a limb, and thus any disagreement with it is immediately treated as a personal attack; and also, so many of these beliefs seem more theological than political or rational, Trans and BLM etc are sacred beliefs for liberals, so debating them feels the same way to them that debating the historicity of Jesus feels to fundamentalist Christians.
Also, liberals and leftists have had amazing results, basically conquering the entire culture from academia to Hollywood, by pursuing the same single strategy: the Bigotry Accusation. Claiming everyone not on their team, everyone who questions their dogma, is a secret bigot just yearning to bring back Jim Crow is their go-to move, and they will keep going to it as long as it keeps working.
You and Dr. James Lindsay are my two favorite thinkers on the problems inherent in this illiberal Marxian movement. As soon as I have an income again, I am definitely upgrading to paid. This one is getting shares everywhere. More people know what to do when confronted by these people.
Originally, "woke" meant to be alert to how things might affect disadvantaged or marginalised others, an extension of the politeness that we should always consider the impact of our words and actions on others. Nothing wrong with that, really. But like "political correctness" and the other near-synonyms of the concept over time, the meaning expanded, yet people expected to be given credit for the same level of innocence and kindness when they were actually smuggling in accusation and condemnation.
It is similar to the CS Lewis example in The Screwtape Letters, of people even in the same family expecting to inflict maximum damage while maintaining maximum deniability. "All I as is what time dinner is going to be ready and she flies off the handle." The senior demon assured his trainee that it was great fun to watch humans do this.
This is the same reason why Antifa like to pretend they don’t exist
While reading the article, I began thinking the same thing. They operate in cells so they can claim they are not an organization (despite existing worldwide).
Great work, thanks!
Once woke succeed with their Cultural Revolution we'll live with serene images of divine, harmless nature where all is peachy and every tiger is a self-aware, inclusive, meditating vegan.
To me "woke" is basically Marxism re-labeled. It is insidious at it's core and once implemented will destroy whatever it touches. When has Marxism succeeded, sustained itself and made life better for it's followers? That may be the question to fire back at the woke activists (or Bernie Sanders).
Wokism is Marxism, it as simple as that. Everything the woke espouse is based in critical theory, critical law theory, critical race theory, Marxist liberation theology and critical social justice theory. To put it succinctly it is Marxism relabeled.
Linguistic flim-flam is essential to leftism. Their language operates at the level of signaling rather than of discourse, so argument, which entails the possibility of refutation, is impossible. That is why their writings are so impenetrable, yet so effective in galvanizing political movements.
When a leftist speaks, ask what they are doing rather than what they are saying. Leftists don't argue. When they label their opponents as 'racists' or 'fascists,' etc, they are not describing them, but branding them as pariahs, beyond the pale of humanity. It is a verbal action, like casting a curse.
I think this is atavistic behavior. A legacy from the time our ancestors wandered in small groups. Leftist behavior is the instinctive, pre-verbal, politics of small groups, where one's position in an unstated hierarchy was crucial to survival. If an individual's position in that hierarchy became negative, they would become an outcast, subject to abandonment and violence. Leftist verbal attacks are intended to turn people into outcasts.
Their aversion to being labeled stems from the fear that their verbal magic will be used on them.
"Woke" is Lia Thomas swinging his pecker in the women's locker room and cheating in the pool. Put an 8x10 glossy photo of that guy in the dictionary as the definition of "woke"
I am fascinated with the Woke's interest (obsession?) with avoiding being defined. Similarly they also seem interested in hiding from plain view what they do in plain view. For example, they do drag shows in plain view but don't seem to want press scrutiny for those events. Libs of Tik Tok does basic play-back of woke accounts and that is perceived as some kind of violation or "harm."
There is no way this could be anything but organic. What is it about Woke that results in such an activist's commitment to something that they don't want exposed to sunlight? Its almost as if they are worshiping their own Shame.
James Lindsay has attributed this to a tactic he calls "mid-level violence." It is based on the premise that for the left, the reaction they provoke is the action they seek. To achieve this, they will aggravate their target without crossing an explicit line that would have it labeled as violence. Think of a small kid persistently waving his finger in another's face while repeatedly declaring "I'm not touching you!"
The drag shows for children are a provocation which they can justify by insisting "we are only being inclusive. what is wrong with being inclusive?" The parents are left with the choice of having to accept the provocation, in which case the Woke win, or by reacting, which is portrayed as violent and bigoted, in which case, the Woke also win.
Leftists have tactics rather than theories. You can point out their hypocrisies and contradictions all you like, but none of this matters if their tactics all work coherently to the same end.
See: New Discourses - Mid Level Violence.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDJSyohaqJU&t=609s
Yeah. That's helpful. That tactic totally breaks from rational thought, arguments and logic--all of which they seem to avoid masterfully.
"Leftists have tactics rather than theories. You can point out their hypocrisies and contradictions all you like, but none of this matters if their tactics all work coherently to the same end."
100% yes...love Lindsay
yeah i've been perplexed by this too.
First it was "there's no such thing as cancel culture" then it was "no one is teaching critical race theory" (until people tried to ban it, then it became an essential part of every education) then the same for gender theory in schools.
It is very odd, i've never seen a political movement before push for certain policies while at the same time denying they're doing so and attacking anyone who says it.
My only guesses are: liberals and leftists live in hothouse environments where all dissenters (and esp conservatives) have been banished, so they're not used to reasonably defending any of their positions; in the Age of Identity a political or social belief is not just an idea or opinion you hold, it is a sacred part of your person, almost like a limb, and thus any disagreement with it is immediately treated as a personal attack; and also, so many of these beliefs seem more theological than political or rational, Trans and BLM etc are sacred beliefs for liberals, so debating them feels the same way to them that debating the historicity of Jesus feels to fundamentalist Christians.
Also, liberals and leftists have had amazing results, basically conquering the entire culture from academia to Hollywood, by pursuing the same single strategy: the Bigotry Accusation. Claiming everyone not on their team, everyone who questions their dogma, is a secret bigot just yearning to bring back Jim Crow is their go-to move, and they will keep going to it as long as it keeps working.
This is excellent. I just made a similar point about labels. The Left trying to cast off labels that have become political liabilities is nothing new.
https://markmarshall.substack.com/p/why-are-the-woke-suddenly-disliking
I love the zebra analogy! Maybe we should replace zebra for woke and really bamboozle them.
I learned recently that a herd of zebras is called a “dazzle.”
Is it a coordinated attempt to hide their worldview? Or is this spontaneous?
You and Dr. James Lindsay are my two favorite thinkers on the problems inherent in this illiberal Marxian movement. As soon as I have an income again, I am definitely upgrading to paid. This one is getting shares everywhere. More people know what to do when confronted by these people.
Originally, "woke" meant to be alert to how things might affect disadvantaged or marginalised others, an extension of the politeness that we should always consider the impact of our words and actions on others. Nothing wrong with that, really. But like "political correctness" and the other near-synonyms of the concept over time, the meaning expanded, yet people expected to be given credit for the same level of innocence and kindness when they were actually smuggling in accusation and condemnation.
It is similar to the CS Lewis example in The Screwtape Letters, of people even in the same family expecting to inflict maximum damage while maintaining maximum deniability. "All I as is what time dinner is going to be ready and she flies off the handle." The senior demon assured his trainee that it was great fun to watch humans do this.
Best post yet
Very nice