Extras & Audio: 'Woke' is Dead. The Spin Doctoring has Begun.
More on woke's "nondescript fist of self-righteousness"
The comments from readers about the latest essay are full of brilliant insights. I’d like to share some of them here with you all, above the paywall for the general public. They’re very much worth your time, so do read on.
And for you paid subscribers, thank you again so much! Rent day is almost here and I think I’m gonna make it! :) Below the fold, find my audio reading of the latest essay, plus an article just for you, about wokeness’s “nondescript fist of self-righteousness”, with a little foray into the ever-expanding alphabet soup, and the ever-cluttering Pride flag. Cheers!
Brigid LaSage: Woke community centre as church.
Regarding the gay community centre’s ascent to Woke Nirvana, Brigid LaSage says: “The same could be said of many woke churches.” The comparison knocked the wind out of me. It’s so true! The mural is like a stained glass window, or perhaps the carvings on the outside of a church, signalling its virtue to the laity below. Even the way the community centre looms over the centre of the Village (the “gay village”, that is) is very church-like.
From now on, every time I walk past the Centre I will never not see it as a church. A corrupt church from a corrupt religion that’s oppressing the community more than helping it.
Brilliant!
BeadleBlog: Similarities with elitism on Ivy League campuses
“This is the inevitable path of a movement that exists solely to be more activist-y than everyone else."
Rob Henderson wrote in his recently published book about the elites at the Ivys: the need to signal their separation from the masses (my words) through their clothes, vacations, social manners, etc. I believe you're both talking about the same behavior and I think back to my younger days and people who always had to be "in the know." These types would mention some obscure musicians, the latest fad starting up, the newest party drug and then smirk when the rest of us were unaware of this stuff that doesn't matter. I believe it had the same purpose, to exhibit their specialness, as those who are more activist-y.
Oli Blah Blah: Guardian columnist as archetypal class entity
The Guardian columnist as a class entity will ALWAYS assume the highest moral position, because they cannot conceive of a world in which they aren’t the most moral. In fact they conceive of themselves as the arbiters of moral truth itself. They don’t make mistakes, because in hindsight they can always flip the script. For example, when you or I, mere bumbling humans, make a mistake they would say our intentions don’t matter, only effects matter. But when a woman is raped by a “trans” identified man on a “single-sex” hospital ward Owen Jones will say the intent, to pander to the feefees of poor little marginalised “trans” folx, is more important and noble than the real life consequences. They cannot even see they are doing it. One rule for thee, another for me. They accord themselves a rampant moral privilege, and they never examine it.
Tracy Hill: safe, don’t-get-our-hands-dirty peers
I love the pithy turns of phrase here: “jumped up” Owen Jones. “Safe, don’t-get-our-hands-dirty peers” (I AM 100% STEALING THAT YOU CAN’T STOP ME). They “squirm to jump ship to the sane side” Ooh the pithiness. Love it!
Hear hear, well said. The stinking self-righteous Guardian. I detest the paper, but am forced to read it so that I cannot be accused of not seeing both sides. Owen Jones is a jumped up little embarrassment and all my safe, don't get our hands dirty peers still continue to read the Guardian and only the Guardian. But sanity is on the up thanks to people like you and those mentioned in your great article. And indeed let us never stop mentioning what they did, especially when they squirm to jump ship to the sane side now the Cass review is out. Cowards.
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