tragabigzanda wrote:Bi_3 wrote:BurtReynolds wrote:Reasonable people eternally bewildered by watching unreasonable people just change things.
Let me give you a relatable example. I believe that you have correctly observed that
the "woke" mindset has stunted the US culturally, economically, and technologically over the last decade. Not the only cause, but the big one. I think this is something we both agree on. Recognizing that woke holds that level of destructive power, does it maybe make sense to promote it in some cases? Do you think DOGE spent time asking about the 'why' all this money is flowing like it is/was? Or do you think they just found "trans" in a regex and cut that program? The point is
how justice is done matters.
First I’d make a clear line of demarcation between Federally subsidized wokeness, and private/philanthropic interests driving inclusivity efforts. As a “public good” kind of guy, there’s a huge difference in palatability, IMO.
Then the notion that wokeness is somehow the primary driver of our cultural, technological, and economic woes is pretty wacky. Off the top of my head:
Cultural: Porn, social media, video games, legalized/decriminalized drugs. Whatever is keeping young men alone in their basements; it’s definitely not woke culture.
Technological: A bipartisan globalization trade agenda that has decreased competitiveness, plus some good old fashioned “end of the growth curve” with last-gen technology. We can’t really fit any more layers on a microchip, and next-gen chips — superconducting, PICs, etc — are still emerging. That’ll never be the fault of any one person or group, no matter how much someone wants it to be true.
Economic: The 2008 bank collapse created a financial services vacuum in which VC/PE and predatory angel networks became the only game in town. Speculative valuations, aggressive M&A, a near religious zealotry for “deal flow,” THAT’S what has fucked our economy.
Oh and then fuck evangelicalism.
I wouldn't say wokeness is primary, except maybe in some very broad worldview sense that really goes beyond wokeness to a broader leftist resentment and delusion. I'm not trying to blame the housing market on wokeness. That's as silly as them blaming it (and everything else) on racism. It's most definitely stunted our culture, and harmed our technological advancement as well, though, again, I wouldn't say it's the root of all evils. One could also make an argument that it has indeed had a big influence on our acceptance of porn and drugs, but I'll let that lie for now.
Rather, wokeness shields and provides a smokescreen for power. It's a powerful way to deflect and diffuse energy directed against powerful people and institutions. It also mindfucks people into becoming servile, self-loathing eunuchs dependent on government!
In addition to being an ideology, it is a set of strategies and actions to push itself into culture. One prime example of that is demonstrated by Durden here, in his attempt to rob anyone of the language with which to even talk about, much less criticize the system of behaviors and strategies I label "wokeness". "Don't you know 'woke' doesn't exist?" We can't even say DEI now! That's a pretty standard woke tactic, which, luckily for us, has become worthless from overuse and being used in the most absurd cases.
RM's resident disinformation expert.
