I kept waiting for the part of this article backing up headline - how did wokeness help elites? And if it helped them why do elites hate wokeness so much?
I think it helped them in two ways -- (1) the opportunity to virtue signal and increase their social clout and (2) the distraction from material issues reduced the risk of tax-the-rich, pro-union and min wage hikes being implemented
the strongest argument for wokeness helping elites would be that the Federal Reserve publicly justified its mandate review in summer 2020 which further emphasised reducing unemployment versus controlling inflation on the basis that higher unemployment has a disparate impact on African-Americans (this decision was reversed last year). This decision led to lower for (even) longer rates which contributed to a massive transfer of wealth into stocks and assets held by the wealthy; at the same time, this decision contributed to higher inflation for consumer goods during the Biden years, which is why Trump won. I personally think the use of racial disparate impact to make that argument was sort of post-hoc in that the real reason they were ok with the less concerned posture on inflation was the fact that during 2010s secular stagnation there was actually anxiety over persistent deflation (the racial rhetoric was them trying to pay homage during a particular moment), but I am bringing this up because I am really shocked how few people in politics, especially on the right, bring up the Fed policy review given as it would allow them to directly blame wokeness for reducing the standard of living for ordinary people (whether or not that is fair)
It helped them by electing Trump again and giving them something easy to oppose that doesn’t threaten their agenda. They love to hate it because it makes them feel righteous.
I don’t think you really believe that this is rational on paper: “all of society is conspiring against minorities and that we have to be willing to curb normal standards of liberalism to positively discriminate towards certain oppressed groups in order to correct these injustices.”
How is multiethnic American society (without a majority of white people in Atlanta, Georgia, or our region) conspiring against minorities? What does that even mean?
“Has the former ever been called the N-word?”, I can guarantee that the answer to this is yes, maybe not every former, but it absolutely happens and that may surprise you depending on where you come from.
Overall, good piece. I am hesitant to admit that I don’t know if I can ever go back to the way I thought about the world after experiencing a decade plus of this noxious poison social movement, doubly so no that the same players are downplaying its significance or outright denying the zeitgeist existed.
Good point on reaching far back to occupy and how much more unifying that moment initially was. I was so hopeful as a recent college grad only to be introduced to the alienating “social stack” or whatever they call it.
My favorite woke 1.0 anecdote for me (and I would describe myself as far left but not woke) was when I was on a hiring panel at a progressive workplace that was choosing between a white guy from the Bronx who went to a CUNY school and a Latina from Central America who went to boarding school in Europe, an expensive private liberal arts college in the U.S., and looked “white”. The guy gave thoughtful answers, didn’t promise the sky, and was technically qualified. The girl gave canned responses that was read off a screen (interview was remote) since we gave out what questions we would ask beforehand.
I was outvoted and the Latina won (who actually turned down our offer funny enough), despite having little technical skill for what was needed. The reason one of the other panelists gave for choosing her, was “the white guy probably had a good life”, the insinuation being as a white male, life was given to him on a platter. Maybe he did have a good life, maybe he lost family to drugs or grew up in poverty, who knows, but we didn’t, and that really left a bad taste in my mouth.
Except Occupy was just unhinged hate on Wall Street. Basically, you have to fail to understand how a modern economy works and the role of the financial services industry. Anyone who got caught up in it and then thought it got too woke, like you, is just wrong on the merits, sorry.
I kept waiting for the part of this article backing up headline - how did wokeness help elites? And if it helped them why do elites hate wokeness so much?
I think it helped them in two ways -- (1) the opportunity to virtue signal and increase their social clout and (2) the distraction from material issues reduced the risk of tax-the-rich, pro-union and min wage hikes being implemented
It’s a way of enjoining the revolution without sacrifice.
the strongest argument for wokeness helping elites would be that the Federal Reserve publicly justified its mandate review in summer 2020 which further emphasised reducing unemployment versus controlling inflation on the basis that higher unemployment has a disparate impact on African-Americans (this decision was reversed last year). This decision led to lower for (even) longer rates which contributed to a massive transfer of wealth into stocks and assets held by the wealthy; at the same time, this decision contributed to higher inflation for consumer goods during the Biden years, which is why Trump won. I personally think the use of racial disparate impact to make that argument was sort of post-hoc in that the real reason they were ok with the less concerned posture on inflation was the fact that during 2010s secular stagnation there was actually anxiety over persistent deflation (the racial rhetoric was them trying to pay homage during a particular moment), but I am bringing this up because I am really shocked how few people in politics, especially on the right, bring up the Fed policy review given as it would allow them to directly blame wokeness for reducing the standard of living for ordinary people (whether or not that is fair)
Different group of elites.
It helped them by electing Trump again and giving them something easy to oppose that doesn’t threaten their agenda. They love to hate it because it makes them feel righteous.
I don’t think you really believe that this is rational on paper: “all of society is conspiring against minorities and that we have to be willing to curb normal standards of liberalism to positively discriminate towards certain oppressed groups in order to correct these injustices.”
How is multiethnic American society (without a majority of white people in Atlanta, Georgia, or our region) conspiring against minorities? What does that even mean?
“Has the former ever been called the N-word?”, I can guarantee that the answer to this is yes, maybe not every former, but it absolutely happens and that may surprise you depending on where you come from.
Overall, good piece. I am hesitant to admit that I don’t know if I can ever go back to the way I thought about the world after experiencing a decade plus of this noxious poison social movement, doubly so no that the same players are downplaying its significance or outright denying the zeitgeist existed.
This
Yes, the left is bad, and always was. Performative BS to push disastrous policy.
Now, watch you make all the same mistakes under your fresh cool new "I hate rich people" banner.
You people never learn.
... And you call woke illiberal. Lol. It's super liberal to vilify people that made money in a free market! Lololol
"Amazon.com posted a Black Lives Matter across the homepage"
a black lives matter what? banner? message? products for sale?
Good point on reaching far back to occupy and how much more unifying that moment initially was. I was so hopeful as a recent college grad only to be introduced to the alienating “social stack” or whatever they call it.
My favorite woke 1.0 anecdote for me (and I would describe myself as far left but not woke) was when I was on a hiring panel at a progressive workplace that was choosing between a white guy from the Bronx who went to a CUNY school and a Latina from Central America who went to boarding school in Europe, an expensive private liberal arts college in the U.S., and looked “white”. The guy gave thoughtful answers, didn’t promise the sky, and was technically qualified. The girl gave canned responses that was read off a screen (interview was remote) since we gave out what questions we would ask beforehand.
I was outvoted and the Latina won (who actually turned down our offer funny enough), despite having little technical skill for what was needed. The reason one of the other panelists gave for choosing her, was “the white guy probably had a good life”, the insinuation being as a white male, life was given to him on a platter. Maybe he did have a good life, maybe he lost family to drugs or grew up in poverty, who knows, but we didn’t, and that really left a bad taste in my mouth.
Except Occupy was just unhinged hate on Wall Street. Basically, you have to fail to understand how a modern economy works and the role of the financial services industry. Anyone who got caught up in it and then thought it got too woke, like you, is just wrong on the merits, sorry.
Excellent to the point write-up