The goal of identity politics is simply to force a specific agenda on to society. It has no tangible structures in place to improve the lives of the very people it proclaims to champion. Worse still, it uses members of those groups to propel a deeply flawed theory upon the world, regardless of whether the vast amount of people agree with it or not. It also alleges to fight the establishment, however, it is the establishment. Evidence for this lies in numerous of hurriedly written ‘hate crime’ laws, the capture of mainstream media, countless diversity training sessions hastily organised by corporations and the narrowing of acceptable thought on academic campuses. Furthermore, there is a growing epidemic of cancel culture reserved for those who commit the cardinal sin of ‘wrong think’. Let’s be clear, advocating for free speech (and thought) has nothing to do with agreeing with the content, the aim is to defend the rights of people to express their views.
In order to amplify the constant white noise emanating from the mouths of the ‘woke’, key mechanisms have been captured in order to create the façade that ‘woke’ ideology is the only clear moral lens in which to critique life. Mainstream media has succumbed to this ‘way of knowing’ possibly out of fear of reprisals and the acknowledgement that many of these institutions have been hijacked by disciples of Critical Social Justice theory (CSJ), which predominantly underpins identity politics. Notable captures with regards to media are the New York Times, MSNBC, Channel 4, the Guardian, while in NZ both online sites Stuff and Spinoff are the distributors of all things woke, with the NZ Herald catching up quickly. To be clear, this is not a lefty narrative but one based purely around identity and supposed group power dynamics.
It’s important to acknowledge that the key players within this movement possess zero interest in enhancing the lives of the general population. On the contrary, supporters of this cult aim to implement a radical moral and societal shift predicated on group versus group oppression. In effect, constructing a new hierarchical system, this time formulated by using the ranking of groups allocated on certain immutable traits. Of course, such a pecking order is arbitrary and readily changeable, but currently the two groups that contain the most fervent activists are black and trans people. However, to claim the victim badge, individuals must pledge allegiance to the ‘woke’ doctrine. Simply being black or trans is not considered enough, members are expected to agree politically, verbatim.
To make sure this ideology sticks, devotees of this uprising have been required to create a convincing narrative in which to garner corporate and organisational approval, while silencing any criticism. Thus on the surface appearing infinitely more popular than the reality. The story generally centres around the notion that society is more bigoted than ever before and if anyone has the audacity to question this they are part of the problem and need to educate themselves. Many of these dubious opinions have been developed within academic arenas mainly in the US, where science, logic and facts scarcely play a part in this new world order. Moreover, the enlightenment is now viewed in these circles with deep skepticism, with virtues such as evidence and objectivity giving way to emotional reasoning and subjectivity. Unsurprisingly, among the prophets of Critical Social Justice, words and the control of language play a sizeable role in regulating public opinion.
So why would I equate Critical Social Justice to totalitarianism? Historically, it’s true to say neither the extreme left or the right have ‘enjoyed’ a monopoly over oppressive regimes. Tyrannical ruling factions such as Hitler’s Nazis, Stalin’s Soviet empire, Pinochet’s regime in Chile or Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge in Cambodia have spanned much of the ideological spectrum. However, autocratic systems fiercely enforce repressive ideologies that demand to be obeyed and unopposed, with severe consequences for any traitors. Which is exactly what identarian activists are currently trying to impose throughout society. Granted, Critical Social Justice activists may not have resorted to exterminating millions of people (yet), however, they have taken to destroying the careers and reputations of countless people, all to maintain their myopic world view.
CSJ proponents repeatedly claim that there is no such thing as truth or facts, only lived experience and something suspiciously termed ‘my truths’. Effectively, this renders meta-narratives such as science redundant. Knowledge suddenly adopts the form of an opaque, malleable, vagueness that could alter within a blink of an eye. With no tangible foundations to cling to, this unearths a problem for anyone daring to grapple with the slippery subject of identity politics. Further to this, CSJ disciples truly believe that the identity of the speaker and listener are of more importance than the content, context, validity and intention of what is being communicated. This fundamental disagreement regarding basic rules surrounding discourse or how truth is obtained, ensures that any sensible debate with this cult is practically impossible and often futile.
To further confuse what we thought we once knew, in true Orwellian style, meanings of many words have been doctored. Racism has morphed from being a conscious physical, psychological, or emotional attack, to the equation prejudice+power=racism (institutional racism). A notion which declares we live in all encompassing systems of power often subtle and generally difficult to detect. It is surmised that this status quo is manipulated to maintain white superiority. Using this reconfigured meaning, CSJ adherents argue that racism can only flow one way, from people with power to those without. Looking through the lens of group oppression, this essentially implies that only white people can be racist, further stifling any meaningful and thoughtful discussion that may be had.
In reality, being connected to a vague often unconscious system of power based on skin colour is vastly different to engaging in bigoted actions and attitudes driven by prejudicial views towards someone with differing racial, ethnic, cultural or national origins. Utilising this new approach, it turns out that racism is not something that can be ultimately resolved or reduced. Furthermore, to disagree with this twisted perception of racism allegedly proves the existence of it. Alternatively, you could simply embrace this ideology by accepting that you are a racist scumbag. Either way, if you are white according to the woke, you are inherently racist.
This is a concept akin to original sin, only there is no forgiveness or redemption to be found within this secular religion. What transpires is nothing less than a morality trap, aimed to keep generally well meaning people in turmoil as they endeavour to do what they think or have been told is the right thing. Ultimately, this path will have no positive effect on reducing racism, chiefly because actual racists do not care what middle class, pseudo academics from elite universities have to say about perceived acceptable moral parameters in polite society.
Unsurprisingly, in places where people are compelled to care about how they are viewed, such as their workplace or in educational institutions, further tools of coercion are in situ. One such restraining device commonly employed is the use of the term microaggression. To appreciate the impact Critical Social Justice has had on society, we have to recognise that the term microaggression is now outlined in mainstream dictionaries. Merriam Webster describe it as, “a comment or action that subtly and often unconsciously expresses a prejudice attitude towards a member of a marginalised group (such as a racial minority)”. As with many things connected with identity politics, subjectivity plays a key role in enforcing this mechanism of power and self censorship. Disturbingly, as the victim’s perception is the only authority required, any accusation of a microaggression will never be withdrawn once it is labelled as such, regardless of how tenuous the claim may be
Meanwhile, the ‘woke’ persistently wage war against free speech by creating a set of alarmingly bogus allegations around this linchpin of a liberal democracy. One such assertion the identarian ‘left’ have promoted is the idea that “words are violence”. Let me make this clear, this does not refer to verbal threats of violence which are used to bully potential supporters or intimidate opponents. What this phrase alludes to are words that upset, disagree with, or are critical of these particular groups and its members beliefs. This questionable logic goes something like this, if words can cause stress, and stress can cause physical harm, then certain types of speech can cause violence. This implies that all physical harm is violence, which is quite a leap. In the real world, all violence can be categorised as physical harm, but not all physical harm is necessarily due to violence.
This kind of madness is what ensues if society is evaluated solely through the lens of group identity and oppression. Add this to the tragic death of George Floyd and the whole of the west is suddenly considered by some as systemically racist. Of course, this aforementioned event couldn’t possibly be a combination of poor policing procedures, inadequate training, a sub standard officer and the possibility of personal racism. No, it obviously must be systemic racism. This is despite the fact that people of all races regrettably are shot by the police much too often in the US each year. In 2020, 457 white, 241 black people and 169 Hispanic people were shot dead by police. This is clearly a tragedy, but is it exclusively racism, or are there many factors of which racism may be a component that lead to some of these dreadful events?
Movements such as BLM state that incidents like these are evidently a manifestation of racism and anyone who disagrees with this opinion are of course racist. This kind of political and moral pressure on society leads to a lack of serious discussion around this complex matter, forcing compliance, resentment and self censorship. Critical Social Justice may claim words are violence, but up and down the US and to a lesser extent the UK, aggressive and at times violent protests have occurred in universities and colleges. In cities such as Portland, Oregon actual tangible violence took place for months aimed at the police. But apparently, these events are vindicated due to a relatively rare tragic incident on the other side of the country, whereby a police officer killed a black man, so therefore, all police (including black officers) are fair game. For supporters of BLM and Antifa, this justified actions that were far more damaging than what any words can muster.
Normalising ideas such as “words are violence” or microaggressions create the conditions for the establishment and ‘woke’ academia to employ the concept of hate speech, which is purported to protect us but results in the silencing of dissenting opinions. If words are violence and people can supposedly use them in harmful ways without even knowing (microaggressions), while a member of a certain group has the power to determine what equates to hate speech, effectively we may all be silenced at some point. Furthermore, groups who support this lunacy are now pressurising governments to act on these manufactured transgressions, as hate speech laws are being implemented around the western world at an alarming rate.
Supporters of this identarian cult are not just content with controlling what people do, say, write and think, but also what is not said. This is evident by the often repeated slogan “silence is violence”. Individuals are now vilified and persecuted for saying nothing. Critical Social Justice activists have clearly taken note of Orwell’s fictional dystopian world and added a dictatorial cherry on top. Not supporting a political movement akin to a religion or even displaying ambivalence has suddenly becomes less of an option. Any words uttered without the approval of the self designated new moral police could be instantly labelled racist, however, if that person exercises their right to silence this may also deemed as racist. All this strongly suggests compliance and blind obedience is the only way out. Welcome to your new life citizen and you will like it.
Many people are now frightened of making a false move or saying something innocuous that could be potentially construed as ‘problematic’, maybe years after the initial event. Moreover, refusing to agree with current Critical Social Justice ideas could prove damaging, especially if these views are adopted by an institution that an individual may be associated with. It would seem society is in serious trouble, identarians along with the power hungry hold positions of influence and authority, while creating a moral universe based on the logic of a 4 year old, for which they are willing to enforce to the detriment of the people. The Scottish National Party’s proposed Hate Crime Bill is a prime example of what is yet to come, with New Zealand soon to follow, along with harsher penalties for ‘hate crimes’.
Critical Social Justice ideology is not about eradicating racism, it is simply a vehicle for so-called academics, figures of authority, the logically deficient and useful idiots to force an irreparable reconstruction of society. Undoubtedly, these changes will have enormous repercussions for humanity. Even people who are technically within these groups have been attacked and ridiculed once they are judged to have strayed from the CSJ path. Recently the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities head Tony Sewell, was bombarded with criticism when his report declared that, although the UK still had racism, there was no evidence that the foundations of society within education, work and public life were institutionally racist. The paper unsurprisingly, highlighted the notion that these issues on the whole are complex for example, in schools black children from a West African background perform very well at school, while kids with black Caribbean heritage generally struggle.
For this, Sewell has been labelled a token black man and an uncle Tom, while identarian extremists have sought to discredit his academic credentials. The fact that he and his team had the audacity to question the concept of an all pervasive institutionally racist country has angered people who depend on the identity politics racket for their pursuit of academic and political power. The so called empathic identarian ‘left’ in the face of being challenged simply resorted to overt racism in order to defend their carefully constructed system of control. Sewell and his colleagues concluded that class was much more of a factor than race concerning negative societal outcomes, thus directly challenging the CSJ dogma.
Regarding the other sacred group, that of being trans, a former trans icon has now been declared a heretic for veering from the approved identarian rhetoric. That person is of course Caitlyn Jenner. Jenner committed her cardinal of sin of not agreeing with the trans activists stance, by stating she didn’t think biological boys who are trans girls should compete in girl’s sports. For this transgression, she has been labelled a “traitor”, a MAGA lover and more insanely anti-trans. Alleged comedian Sarah Silverman jumped on the bandwagon accusing Jenner of transphobia. This recent display of outrage further adds to the evidence that identarian extremists have no interest in protecting actual people within the group, rather the ideology itself.
As a long time ex professional strength and conditioning coach, I know that no amount of hormone blockers and surgery can alter some physiological and bio-mechanical advantages trans women have over their biological female competitors. From a physiological perspective lung capacity, cardiac output and the number of type 2b muscle fibres plus the size of these fibres between the two sexes are obvious areas of disparity. These genetic differences are particularly apparent in muscle, where there are said to be 3000 genes that are differently expressed between men and women in skeletal muscle alone. Regarding bio-mechanical advantages, we can simply look to average limb length, where these comparatively longer levers instantly put biological women on the back foot. More than just advocating for fairness, we need to acknowledge the more important issue of safety, particularly when we are considering combat sports and the inclusion of trans women into these sports.
Amidst this current cultural frenzy, to even mention these obvious biological facts, leads to no end of abuse from trans extremists. It is opinions that run counter to the trans activist tide that has led to Caitlyn Jenner’s demise as the shining beacon of the trans activist community. What is deeply disturbing and similar to the race debate is, many of these identarian crazies do not speak for all trans people, nor are the majority of them trans themselves. What is striking, is an exceptionally arrogant and dismissive attitude, particularly towards those who have taken the huge step of actually transitioning. Of course contrary views regarding sport, does not mean trans people should not be treated with dignity and have access to all the rights that everybody else enjoys. However, allowing those who were born as biological men to compete in women’s sport is not progressive, but detrimental to survival of biological women in competitive sport.
These two recent examples mentioned above further show that this cult of identity politics has no desire to defend the individuals within the very groups they proclaim to support. Rather they are driven to preserve and promote an extreme ideology at all costs, while imposing their beliefs on the opposing majority. More disturbingly, this ‘woke’ cult is not afraid to destroy institutions and individuals who dare to object to their logic free dogma. It is totalitarian, principally because it opposes free speech, offering no redemption, while savaging people with differing views. Furthermore, it is intent on hijacking language in order to control the narrative, while flagging up any hint of dissent, particularly on social media. Often this results in a virtual pile on, leading invariably to the destruction of a skeptic’s entire reputation.
In conclusion, I suggest the left should focus on the welfare of all people. Identity politics aims to protect a specific extreme ideology and it’s generally middle class supporters, while caring very little about the poor and the working class. Therefore, I suggest it has no place on the left. I’ll leave you with this quote, which can be applied to all woke academics.
Left the building 