Jewels in the Crown of Tyranny.
Wokism is a combination of a number of ideological “isms” which work together to create a worldview that is entirely disconnected from reality. Gems like Environmentalism, Postmodernism, and Progressivism all adorn the head of the Ideological God of Woke. Since the foundation of each element is based on what can realistically be demonstrated as falsehoods, they rely on a narrative to mask the gaps in logic and evidence which undermine their power. In essence they achieve much the same effect as the manufactured post-totalitarian system described in Vaclav Havel’s, The Power of the Powerless.
“Ideology, in creating a bridge of excuses between the system and the individual, spans the abyss between the aims of the system and the aims of life. It pretends that the requirements of the system derive from the requirements of life. It is a world of appearances trying to pass for reality.”
In the post-totalitarian system of Czechoslovakia citizens were subjected to a life utterly controlled by the mechanisms of the Communist regime still deeply entrenched in their political and social structure. People’s day to day lives were intruded upon by a web of lies crafted to prop up the regime which often fell far short of any defendable logic. It was a tyrannical hangover which could not be shaken off 1 until a critical mass of awareness and strength was achieved through the creation of Charter77 and Living Within the Truth.
Just where DO you go when you, “Go Woke”?
Today we see the process working in reverse, as through this ideological pollution our society has begun to willingly embrace the same controls, going from what can arguably be shown as a high point in abundance 2 towards what Havel described as, “a society which has undergone economic and social levelling”. This levelling is inherently Marxist in nature, and cannot be ignored.
In my last piece I talked about how the modern environmental ideology was designed to undo the very tenets of modern democracy and progress. Its true believers are often anti-human at their core, and with this myopic and negative view they attack the very things that have brought us a comfortable and prosperous life in Western Democracies. A willingness to sacrifice untold millions “for the better good” is a common theme in history. Although the utilization of fossil fuels and the free market have accelerated our society to a high point in history, using broken logic 3 and flawed, ideologically driven pseudoscience they have demonized everything that has allowed them the ability to have the means to protest.
The resulting campaign completely kneecaps the ability of industry to create new progress in any substantial way via carbon emissions, tying its success directly to an imminent threat to all of humanity, as well as actively working to redistribute existing wealth in various schemes. 4 Despite the fact that virtually nothing ever claimed by the environmental movement comes true, and its alarmist claims do not match its own “science” it still manages to completely dominate current social and political attention. 5
When you combine the elements of Environmentalism with Postmodernism’s ability to (again) manufacture outcomes entirely detached from empirical evidence or previous experience, you get a powerful belief system being developed. One which is nearly impenetrable by facts presented from any side. As Jordan Peterson pointed out in Beyond Order the ideologue will, “lay claim to rationality itself.” This impenetrable shield of self-serving rationalization leads a higher rate of propagation of illogical and contradictory views.
This leads us to Progressivism, which captures the last of the ideologues hungry for an escape from a reality so filled with stability and promise that they just can’t bear to be part of it. This last Ism completes the levelling process by laying waste to societal norms of race, gender and family. In today’s world you can identify as pretty much anything but a straight cis white (fe)male and expect to be recognized as sufficiently woke, therefore avoiding any “othering”.
The sloganeering and identity politics of the Progressive movement are eerily similar to the Marxist class ideals, and are amplified by social media far beyond anything Havel could have imagined; but in his world of posters and pamphlets the core of the system was still the same - it was a self-policing structure that relied on people’s interactions to maintain the lie. A simple Good vs Evil distinction is embedded in these interactions both online and in person, and the Progressive dismissal of anything counter to their views is swift and often emotionally charged.
“The slogan is really a sign, and as such it contains a subliminal but very definite message. Verbally, it might be expressed this way: “I, the greengrocer XY, live here and I know what I must do. I behave in the manner expected of me. I can be depended upon and am beyond reproach. I am obedient and therefore I have the right to be left in peace.”
All of these elements combine to create a world in which the ideological possession of citizens creates movements which undermine and actively counteract the very things that allow the continued success of the society. Through the introduction of these social solvents, the glue that holds a moral and productive society is slowly eroded. As Havel presciently noted in 1978 when looking towards Western Democracies,
“People are manipulated in ways that are infinitely more subtle and refined than the brutal methods used in the post totalitarian societies.”
We should take note of the combined effects of the current “Isms” we face as free and sovereign nations, for failing to act against the sum of the ideological might we face may well result in a slide towards yet another iteration of a familiar script, penned by those same perennial, inescapable Playwrights of Misery.
No matter the source of this ideological pollution - when levelling is the game, the outcome is the same.
It all points towards one thing, and even if it’s not the exact same thing, it’s going to be similar enough to have the same effect.
The historical evidence of the destructive nature of Communist regimes is abundant, as Jordan Peterson brilliantly lays out here:
https://www.nonviolent-conflict.org/czechoslovakias-velvet-revolution-1989/
https://www.humanprogress.org/
http://www.populartechnology.net/2009/10/peer-reviewed-papers-supporting.html
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/09/everything-you-need-to-know-about-carbon-trading/
https://www.un.org/en/climatechange