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smokingbootInteresting. Not as sparky and fun as Matt Taibbi but it has a lot to say that's useful.
https://medium.com/rebel-wisdom/sleeping-woke-cancel-culture-and-simulated-religion-5f96af2cc107
Paragraphs that strike me:
"... Sociologist Aaron Antonovksy has proposed that a ‘Sense of Coherence’ — in which we which we feel our life fits into a wider scheme of meaning — is crucial for our wellbeing and a sense of meaning in our lives. Wokeism takes away coherence by replacing the sanctity of the individual with the sanctity of the group identity they believe constructs that individual (it could also deconstruct and thereby free them, if everyone would just use the right language). The result is an ever-shifting, dangerous world where you might be erased at any moment. Under this existential strain, it is no surprise that Wokeist adherents swing between compensatory narcissism, depressive nihilism, and find almost everything offensive...
...In Wokeism, true human empathy becomes a performance through virtue signalling on Twitter. True systemic change is simulated by a hashtag over a profile picture. And always the complexity and rawness of being human is boiled down to a single, rigid belief: you are an individual participating in or victimised by systems of oppression."
...The largest threat toward our civilisation would be a serious challenge to the corruption of our financial and political systems. A serious, concerted effort to address growing wealth inequality, lack of class mobility, environmental degradation and wide-spread corruption. As Adolph L Reed pointed out on a recent episode of the Useful Idiots podcast, the systemic issues that Wokeism sees as identity issues are often are primarily class issues. However, solving class issues requires genuine systemic change. Endless argument about identity does not, and is therefore selected for by institutions in order to maintain the status quo."
The bold is mine, highlighting something I find particularly disturbing about Wokeism. It's easy. It belongs in the pack and censures everyone outside it. Hard to see the difference between that and any 16th century village looking for a witch to burn, hard to avoid the assumed ownership of moral standards so self evidently correct as to be unquestionable, as though the mob with pitchforks didn't feel its rectitude to be a matter absolute down through the ages.
In short, it's the same old clamour to be accepted and to find a scapegoat that unites the tribe in the bonds of loathing. No-one enjoys power more than the weak.
Of course, there's the desire to do good too. But just how important this is to the phenomenon?
https://medium.com/rebel-wisdom/sleeping-woke-cancel-culture-and-simulated-religion-5f96af2cc107
Paragraphs that strike me:
"... Sociologist Aaron Antonovksy has proposed that a ‘Sense of Coherence’ — in which we which we feel our life fits into a wider scheme of meaning — is crucial for our wellbeing and a sense of meaning in our lives. Wokeism takes away coherence by replacing the sanctity of the individual with the sanctity of the group identity they believe constructs that individual (it could also deconstruct and thereby free them, if everyone would just use the right language). The result is an ever-shifting, dangerous world where you might be erased at any moment. Under this existential strain, it is no surprise that Wokeist adherents swing between compensatory narcissism, depressive nihilism, and find almost everything offensive...
...In Wokeism, true human empathy becomes a performance through virtue signalling on Twitter. True systemic change is simulated by a hashtag over a profile picture. And always the complexity and rawness of being human is boiled down to a single, rigid belief: you are an individual participating in or victimised by systems of oppression."
...The largest threat toward our civilisation would be a serious challenge to the corruption of our financial and political systems. A serious, concerted effort to address growing wealth inequality, lack of class mobility, environmental degradation and wide-spread corruption. As Adolph L Reed pointed out on a recent episode of the Useful Idiots podcast, the systemic issues that Wokeism sees as identity issues are often are primarily class issues. However, solving class issues requires genuine systemic change. Endless argument about identity does not, and is therefore selected for by institutions in order to maintain the status quo."
The bold is mine, highlighting something I find particularly disturbing about Wokeism. It's easy. It belongs in the pack and censures everyone outside it. Hard to see the difference between that and any 16th century village looking for a witch to burn, hard to avoid the assumed ownership of moral standards so self evidently correct as to be unquestionable, as though the mob with pitchforks didn't feel its rectitude to be a matter absolute down through the ages.
In short, it's the same old clamour to be accepted and to find a scapegoat that unites the tribe in the bonds of loathing. No-one enjoys power more than the weak.
Of course, there's the desire to do good too. But just how important this is to the phenomenon?
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no subject
Date: 2020-07-20 02:46 pm (UTC)Thank you for bringing it to my attention.
no subject
Date: 2020-07-31 10:01 am (UTC)