Can "Woke" Ideology Be Put To Sleep?
"Cancel Culture has captured campus: Woke ideology has become increasingly powerful and intolerant" the headline observes.
The background, in a piece by Eric Kaufman, Prof of Politics in the UK at U of London:
Here is all you need to know. Society is made up of invisible force fields, handed down by history and keeping oppressed groups in their place. The Force, designed by oppressor groups, in particular white men, controls you through the words you use, and the meanings attached to those words. Constructed by the evil Force in a bid to control your thought, what we think of as "knowledge" makes you accept and reproduce hierarchies of race, sexuality, gender, disability, even weight. The "real world" and science are illusions created by the Force to maintain the hierarchical system. Reality doesn't exist, only perception.But help is on the way, for we now have the cure for this problem: Critical Theory. The goal of "Theory" is to overthrow the Force, liberating the disadvantaged from their mental slavery to usher in an epoch of perfect equality, or even -- dare we hope -- turn the tables on the white cis-het male oppressor. If you fall into a hegemonic category, you must repent of your privilege and become an ally to the oppressed. If from a victim group, you must wake up and fight against lies about "objective truth", "free speech" or universal standards, which are oppressing you and erasing your identity.
If you have the temerity to disagree with this conspiracy theory, or demand evidence for its sweeping claims, you're part of the problem, helping to reproduce the Force and uphold the System. Time for your re-education, otherwise known as diversity training.
Critical Theory is the philosophy which underlies Wokeness. It consists of layers of assertions, built up over time, with each new generation of theories building on the inventions of previous theorists. Using moral self-righteousness and the leftist monoculture of the soft social sciences to shield them from scientific scrutiny, its practitioners have founded a series of fields such as queer theory, critical race theory, fat studies and critical gender theory.
Gradually, these have intersected and morphed into an all-encompassing Theory, which today's identity politics activists use to justify a ratcheting programme of language policing, Twitter mobbing and re-education. When challenged, they wheel out Theory buzzwords like "white fragility", "heteronormative" or "microaggression".
...Meanwhile, says (Emeritus Prof Of English from UC Santa Cruz, John) Ellis, the university is failing its students. A succession of studies show that graduateliteracy levels and general skills have slipped compared to past generations. In one study, 45% of students showed no skills development over their entire university course. Meanwhile, implicit racial quotas at leading universities have resulted in minority students with weaker results being improperly allocated to universities that don't match their aptitude, producing high dropout rates or transfers to less rigorous courses -- with their relative lack of success in prestige fields then blamed on a racist curriculum rather than a flawed admissions process.
Universities have stonewalled attempts to obtain data on graduation rates for preferentially-admitted students, Ellis writes, because "they don't want anyone to know the damaging results of these policies...the harm they do to black students".
And the upshot, quoting Ellis and Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay:
Ellis believes that universities have passed the point of no return and cannot be saved from within. The only hope is for outside intervention, from donors, trustees or the Government. However, time is short, for Social Justice is now taking root outside the campus, from K-12 schools to corporations. As new generations are raised to prioritise sensitivity to minorities (as interpreted by Theory) over truth, the common sense of the off-campus majority may no longer exist in sufficient strength to resist dogma.Pluckrose and Lindsay, inhabiting the more intellectually plural world of commentary and journalism, believe good ideas will win out over bad. Ellis, who has seen the face of repression first-hand within the American university system, is, in my view, more realistic.
Conservatives and traditional liberals naively expected the political correctness and speech codes of the 1990s to fade away. They wasted their energy on economics and foreign policy, neglected the culture and are now in danger of losing it altogether. Only an active mobilisation, involving the intervention of elected governments, can hope to reverse Theory's capture of elite institutions, the current slide toward collective unreason and the emergence of a truly Orwellian public culture.
You can dislike Trump and be against all these things:
When people say Trump's executive order against Critical Race Theory training is bad, ask them why they support racial and sex stereotyping and scapegoating because that's what the order actually bans.
— Sexy James Lindsay, binary math mind (@ConceptualJames) October 26, 2020
Ellis believes that universities have passed the point of no return and cannot be saved from within. The only hope is for outside intervention, from donors, trustees or the Government.
"The government" is supposed to get involved in the running of private colleges? But I thought everything the government touches just gets even more fucked up?
Only an active mobilisation, involving the intervention of elected governments, can hope to reverse Theory's capture of elite institutions, the current slide toward collective unreason and the emergence of a truly Orwellian public culture.
But I thought elite was a bad thing?
And, again: smaller government?
And: replacing a "truly Orwellian public culture" with a system of universities where the government "intervenes" to provide pedagogy? I'd call that just replacing one thoughtcrime for another, except one would have the force of law rather than custom.
This is a terribly confusing, and just plain terrible, essay. I'm surprised it came from the pen of a professor at the University of London, but I guess it just proves his point that most of what's being taught in college is rot.
Kevin at October 25, 2020 10:30 PM
Woke ideology is promoted by rich (mostly Jewish) elites in a top down fashion. The only reason dumb college students hate white men is because their professors and the media tells them that it is good to hate whites. Maybe you can tell your co-ethnics to ease up Amy.
GuyWhite89 at October 26, 2020 6:02 AM
I think we need to be more honest about IQ. Since the average black IQ is one standard deviation lower than the average white IQ it is perfectly understandable why blacks do worse then whites (or why us Jews do so well given our high average IQ).
But if all races have the same IQ (the official stance of polite society) then woke ideology makes perfect sense. After all if everyone is the same only racism can explain differences in group outcome.
You can't fight "wokeness" or "critical race theory" without addressing IQ differences.
I wish this IQ stuff wasn't real. It almost makes me want to become a young Earth creationist preacher so that I could deny evolution. But for better or worse I am a humble heterodox-orthodox Darwinist Rabbi.
Heterodox Orthodox Rabbi at October 26, 2020 6:18 AM
Kevin, are you really so ignorant to not know how many publicly owned universities are out there? University of Oklahoma. University of Kentucky. University of California, Berkley. Kinda a theme going on there.
"But if all races have the same IQ (the official stance of polite society) then woke ideology makes perfect sense." ~Heterodox Orthodox Rabbi
No. Even then it doesn't work. A coin has a 50/50 chance of landing heads. Try tossing a coin. It doesn't land head, tails, head, tails, ... Statistics doesn't work that way. I agree that not everyone is equal. But even with everything being the same you will still see many of the same results we see today.
Ben at October 26, 2020 6:44 AM
Not entirely, culture plays a pretty strong role.
Conan the Grammarian at October 26, 2020 7:24 AM
Conan: "culture plays a strong role"--this is absolutely true but is strongly denied by the Woke. All people are identical and there is no such thing as culture. The fact that blacks commit more murders and lack interest in school are blamed on racism not the gangsta culture in the inner city. And for that matter, the higher grades of asian kids relate directly to these kids doing more hours of homework which again is cultural. Notice how virulent the attacks were on Amy Wax for pointing out the cultural aspects of success--that the culture of success such as finishing school, showing up on time, dressing nicely, etc are all open to anyone (and adopted by many immigrants). Instead, the Woke want all standards done away with (unless of course it is their personal doctor or auto mechanic).
cc at October 26, 2020 8:10 AM
> Maybe you can tell your co-ethnics
> to ease up Amy.
Maybe you can tell yours to teach punctuation. And cosmopolitanism… Y'know, getting outta the house now & then.
Crid at October 26, 2020 8:26 AM
Lessee here:
These guys are almost certainly:Rather than pester attractive coastal bloggers, I think they should visit Carbon14.com, the dating site for seniors.Crid at October 26, 2020 8:35 AM
If cosmopolitanism is so great crid why isn't Israel cosmopolitan? Why do white countries need to be cosmopolitan but Israel can stay majority Jewish?
Are you pointing out minor punctuation mistakes because you can't address the argument little man?
GuyWhite89 at October 26, 2020 8:59 AM
Ben skips commas too.
Crid at October 26, 2020 9:24 AM
How about we just cancel the culture that engages in rioting and continually makes childish demands?
You may have heard of it. The San Diego school system just decided that this group is not capable of performing, so it dropped standards. Again.
Radwaste at October 26, 2020 9:25 AM
> How about we just cancel the
> culture that engages in rioting
> and continually makes childish
> demands?
Do you mean the wispy affiliation of (or mere affinity between) coddled, twat-like children of wealth (and alcoholic stepparents) who are terrified of race as they are of almost every human distinction which might cause a moment of awkwardness in adult life, and who are lashing out in transparent psychological projection?
I am TOTALLY on your side with that, Raddy! I think those little punks need to stay in their rooms and do their homework! Not kidding!
Crid at October 26, 2020 9:51 AM
"The government" is supposed to get involved in the running of private colleges?"
They're already there. QEfin'D
I R A Darth Aggie at October 26, 2020 10:14 AM
For sport I’ve asked a few people what Critical Race Theory is. I’m not sure and I won’t look it up. That would spoil the fun. Plus, I might get infected by a full strength dose. None in my survey could answer.
Kaufman’s article, which The Goddess has provided, demonstrates the crude destructive power of CRT. But his idea of an all-encompassing Theory falls short.
This week The Federalist has an article titled, “Big Tech Slept With Communist China And Brought Venereal Censorship Back To America.” An outrage as you would expect.
One of about 50 links in the article introduces the Chinese “social credit scoring” system. (Campbell/Chengdu, 2019) This is the Unified Theory.
Using financial and behavioral data, social credit scoring is designed to “allow the trustworthy to roam everywhere under heaven, while making it hard for the discredited to take a single step.”
We’re already seeing denial of service for not wearing Covid masks: understandable. But what if you get denial of service for not having the vaccine? Or you get a lower credit score because you attended the “wrong” political rally? Or you are denied air travel for not paying a fine? CRT is an ogre in the Academy. Social scoring is a broad road for the Anti-Christ.
Spiderfall at October 26, 2020 10:49 AM
> I’m not sure and I won’t
> look it up. That would
> spoil the fun.
I do that a lot. A whole lot. An awful lot.
Crid at October 26, 2020 12:05 PM
Wrote Ben:
Kevin, are you really so ignorant to not know how many publicly owned universities are out there? University of Oklahoma. University of Kentucky. University of California, Berkley. Kinda a theme going on there.
Yes, I am aware; it's the reason I wrote "'The government' is supposed to get involved in the running of private colleges?" Emphasis on private.
I read the essay again and it seems even more muddleheaded than I originally thought. He's advocating for the government -- whichever is in power at the time -- to set standards at privately owned universities. That is a truly remarkable stance and probably more radical than any of the on-campus "heteronormative" and "preferred pronoun" nonsense.
Kevin at October 26, 2020 1:12 PM
Well Kevin you are going to have to point out the part referencing private colleges. I do see a reference to Stanford, a private college. But in the same sentence Berkley is referenced, a public college.
Like you I don't exactly care for the article but best I can tell you didn't understand barely any of it.
As for various governments setting standards at private universities, far from being radical this is current standard practice. There are a variety of mechanisms by which bureaucratic rule is enforced but it is current standard policy.
Ben at October 26, 2020 2:46 PM
" rich (mostly Jewish) elites "
Now are these the baby-eating elites or the Christ-killing elites? Because it's important to know which ear in which to wear the turnip at midnight under the clock tower. Knock thrice, make the call of the thrush and show the signet ring when you answer the riddle. All will be revealed!
Until then - silence.
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at October 26, 2020 5:58 PM
"Now are these the baby-eating elites or the Christ-killing elites?"
Hey Gog I was thinking more along the lines of the Sulzberger family that runs the New York Times which publishes endless anti-white articles.
Gog can you level with me? Why did you pretend my comment was about crazy Q-anon style conspiracies? That was very dishonest of you.
Also I'm not gonna be silent, and you have no power (or ability) to silence me. I'll just keep noticing patterns and telling people about them.
GuyWhite at October 27, 2020 6:29 AM
> Also I'm not gonna
> be silent
Yes you are! The powerful international cabal of sinister forces *WILL* silence you! Because of your guywhiteness, your range of communication will be entirely circumscribed. Damn... You can't even start the "argument!" You're darkly enveloped in a web of suppression and cunning...
Sucks to be you!
Try being more serious about things. If people knew you weren't kidding, you'd be much more persuasive... At least among the co-ethnics.
Crid at October 27, 2020 7:41 AM
Also... For the love of God, man...
GET GOG TO LEVEL WITH YOU!
This is serious!
Crid at October 27, 2020 7:52 AM
You'd think Jewish rye would be witty but it hardly lives up to its name.
Is it a global conspiracy or anti-white plot? I blame the Jew AND the Federal Reserve. (It's not really a government agency, you know).
Next week: flying saucers don't have matching cups. What's up with that?!
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at October 27, 2020 9:25 AM
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