To me, "woke" is the worldview that your lot in life is determined by oppression and privilege. In other words, your success is an accident of birth, not a result of your effort. Antiracism is the animating principle behind wokeness, which requires its parishioners to affirmatively try and dismantle power structures and rebuild them under the rubric of equity, which means equality of result, not equality of opportunity.
Ultimately it is a utopian fantasy, not too dissimilar to the Communists, Fascists and Progressives of yesteryear.
Another fine column. You totally nailed it. The intolerant left is puritanical to the extreme, and simultaneously calling out for ridicule desperately.
While "woke" might have started out as something positive, this is the definition today: "However, the term can also be used in a more negative way to criticize people who are seen as overly politically correct or who are accused of performative activism, where they only engage in social justice issues for the purpose of appearing virtuous or gaining social capital."
And, yes, it is very much a religion. When you have scientists *apologizing* for their findings because they "offend" people, you are dealing with a religion.
Good article Sasha, BUT...... You're probably too young to remember it, but the words "under God" were not part of the pledge until the 1950s. I was in grade school when they were added. I remember my teachers and parents being opposed to the addition of the words. Baptists, in particular, were opposed because we believe in separation of church and state. The words were added by President Dwight Eisenhower at the suggestion of a Scottish - NOT American - preacher he heard in a prominent church in New York. The pledge as recited now was penned by a Baptist preacher named Francis Bellamy who deliberately made no reference to God because of his deep belief in the separation of church and state. It did not become officially recognized by the US government until 1942 when Congress adopted it during the dark early days of World War II.
Everything about the woke mind virus is frightening, but the most disturbing aspect is the clear intent to destroy our language, and thus destroy thought itself.
Thanks for the great essay, and for focusing attention on the attempted murder of the English language.
Puritans, Hammerpants and Ramaswamy all in one drop! Love this piece Sasha. Language manipulation is toxic to a free society, we combat this by refusing to repeat the Newspeak, no matter how often MSM chooses to use/print. Use our own language and be prepared to explain it if needed.
You're right that we've never had an internet before, and that's what's new.
Were we all to share one bloodstream, we would all die from shared infections.
The internet is a shared knowledge-stream carrying infectious mental illnesses, like woke and trans. Maybe we will die from them, or maybe we will recognize and reject them.
When critical thinking is cast aside, a kind of mind numbing solipsism seems to be adopted. Never mind Ockham and clear headed conclusions based on falsifiable principles, hail to the reign of subjective, blind force that squeezes all nuance and real, open thought into a set of ideas that are approved and acceptable. This mind hates ambiguity, the essence of the human condition.
Wokism is justifying the rewriting of books and history to avoid upsetting or offending woke idealists. If you sanitize books like Tom Sawyer, or especially Huckleberry Finn, then people never get to understand their message or the past in which they were written. Mark Twain was a gifted satirical writer, who was also strongly against racism and slavery.
I watch BOSCH. I liked the books which are of course set in LA although I find the TV show so-so. Anyway, in one episode there was a meeting between four important power brokers. I believe the meeting featured the Mayor, the DA, the Chief of Police and a prominent Defence Attorney. They were all Black. I didn't need to see a white character in the room, but I couldn't help but wonder why they couldn't throw at least one Latino in the mix. I don't live in LA, but I've been there and I know the city is way more Mexican and Central American than African American. This to me, was an example of woke.
To me, "woke" is the worldview that your lot in life is determined by oppression and privilege. In other words, your success is an accident of birth, not a result of your effort. Antiracism is the animating principle behind wokeness, which requires its parishioners to affirmatively try and dismantle power structures and rebuild them under the rubric of equity, which means equality of result, not equality of opportunity.
Ultimately it is a utopian fantasy, not too dissimilar to the Communists, Fascists and Progressives of yesteryear.
Sasha, you Rock!
Another fine column. You totally nailed it. The intolerant left is puritanical to the extreme, and simultaneously calling out for ridicule desperately.
Keep them coming. You are the best.
Woke is apologizing for everyone but yourself.
While "woke" might have started out as something positive, this is the definition today: "However, the term can also be used in a more negative way to criticize people who are seen as overly politically correct or who are accused of performative activism, where they only engage in social justice issues for the purpose of appearing virtuous or gaining social capital."
And, yes, it is very much a religion. When you have scientists *apologizing* for their findings because they "offend" people, you are dealing with a religion.
I like the woke.
Pre-woke, it took time and effort to find out that you had nothing in common with someone.
Now its easy.
"By now, though, it has become a full blown political movement, a religion, that keeps evolving, or devolving, inventing new rules as it goes along."
Calvinball in real life!
Excellent piece, once again, Sasha!
Truly splendid!!
Woefully
Obnoxious
Killjoy
Extremist
If you hyperventilate when you see, hear, or read something you don’t like you are woke. Simple.
Thanks from Oz.
Good article Sasha, BUT...... You're probably too young to remember it, but the words "under God" were not part of the pledge until the 1950s. I was in grade school when they were added. I remember my teachers and parents being opposed to the addition of the words. Baptists, in particular, were opposed because we believe in separation of church and state. The words were added by President Dwight Eisenhower at the suggestion of a Scottish - NOT American - preacher he heard in a prominent church in New York. The pledge as recited now was penned by a Baptist preacher named Francis Bellamy who deliberately made no reference to God because of his deep belief in the separation of church and state. It did not become officially recognized by the US government until 1942 when Congress adopted it during the dark early days of World War II.
Everything about the woke mind virus is frightening, but the most disturbing aspect is the clear intent to destroy our language, and thus destroy thought itself.
Thanks for the great essay, and for focusing attention on the attempted murder of the English language.
Puritans, Hammerpants and Ramaswamy all in one drop! Love this piece Sasha. Language manipulation is toxic to a free society, we combat this by refusing to repeat the Newspeak, no matter how often MSM chooses to use/print. Use our own language and be prepared to explain it if needed.
You're right that we've never had an internet before, and that's what's new.
Were we all to share one bloodstream, we would all die from shared infections.
The internet is a shared knowledge-stream carrying infectious mental illnesses, like woke and trans. Maybe we will die from them, or maybe we will recognize and reject them.
When critical thinking is cast aside, a kind of mind numbing solipsism seems to be adopted. Never mind Ockham and clear headed conclusions based on falsifiable principles, hail to the reign of subjective, blind force that squeezes all nuance and real, open thought into a set of ideas that are approved and acceptable. This mind hates ambiguity, the essence of the human condition.
Wokism is justifying the rewriting of books and history to avoid upsetting or offending woke idealists. If you sanitize books like Tom Sawyer, or especially Huckleberry Finn, then people never get to understand their message or the past in which they were written. Mark Twain was a gifted satirical writer, who was also strongly against racism and slavery.
I watch BOSCH. I liked the books which are of course set in LA although I find the TV show so-so. Anyway, in one episode there was a meeting between four important power brokers. I believe the meeting featured the Mayor, the DA, the Chief of Police and a prominent Defence Attorney. They were all Black. I didn't need to see a white character in the room, but I couldn't help but wonder why they couldn't throw at least one Latino in the mix. I don't live in LA, but I've been there and I know the city is way more Mexican and Central American than African American. This to me, was an example of woke.
I'll make the Wokesters a deal: I'll define 'Woke' after you define 'Woman'. Bueller ? Bueller ?Bueller ?