The Critical Race Theory professor and the logic of the left
From William Jacobson at Legal Insurrection:
…Trump’s move [to end Critical Race training in federal agencies] is viewed as a mortal threat by the CRT movement. One of the leading academics on CRT, UCLA and Columbia law professor Kimberlé Crenshaw, certainly is worried. Crenshaw, my former law school classmate who invented the term and ideology of intersectionality, tweeted in desperation that she wondered if CRT’s allies would come to their assistance:
“So woke up to the news that CRT is banned as the greatest threat to Western Civilization. This is McCarthyism 101. I’ve often wondered what our allies would do when they came for us. Now we’ll see.”
Cutting off funding is the same as being jailed. Oh, yeah.
But hyperbole is the coin of the leftist realm. Trump hasn’t banned CRT. Nor do I recall that he, in connection with this nonexistent banning, called it “the greatest threat to Western Civilization.” However, it actually is a threat to Western Civilization and its basic principles, as well as a device to stir up racial enmity rather than damp it down.
What is most arresting about critical race theory is that…it turns its back on the Western tradition of rational inquiry, forswearing analysis for narrative. Rather than marshal logical arguments and empirical data, critical race theorists tell stories – fictional, science-fictional, quasi-fictional, autobiographical, anecdotal – designed to expose the pervasive and debilitating racism of America today.
Critical race theory started in the law schools, and although it was somewhat after my sojourn there, I followed it with alarm. Like so many things that begin in academia, it has spread to an astounding degree throughout our institutions, including those of the federal government. Why should the government pay for the rope that will hang it – and yes, undermine the tenets of Western Civilization?
Crenshaw’s tweet is childish and self-pitying. But that’s typical of Twitter; it encourages that sort of thing in people. Lawyers know how to be precise in their use of words, so I’m going to assume that law professor Crenshaw’s misstatements and hyperbole are knowing and deliberate, an act of demagoguery. She sees herself as a victim, although this poisonous ideology has not only had a free ride for decades, but has been the recipient of handsome financial rewards.
In this context, commenter John Tyler mentions Orwell’s famous quote: “There is no swifter route to the corruption of thought than through the corruption of language.” That is something Orwell learned through his exposure to the left, and a great deal of his masterpiece Nineteen Eighty-Four was devoted to an exploration of the way language is used by the left to shape thought as well as censor it, and to not only hide the truth but to make people believe the opposite of the truth. That is the left today.
The left has also been screaming “McCarthy” at the right for many decades in response to any attempt on the part of the right to fight back against the left’s Gramscian march. That’s one of many reasons why that march has been so successful. Once any fight against it was demonized as “McCarthyism,” many people on the right have been intimidated into passivity. Trump, of course, could not care less, and will not be passive. That’s just one of the myriad reasons the left (and the NeverTrumpers) hate him.
This is an interesting moment in time, to say the least. If Trump had come out with this directive a year ago, for example, the public might have less understanding of the nature of CRT and the seriousness of its revolutionary intent and its propensity to ignite race war. Now as a result of the riots and the greater popularity of the anti-racism movement (another Orwellian designation) the public has been at least somewhat alerted.
Is it aware enough? I doubt it. But Trump himself is now aware.
The left feels itself wounded after a long period in the ascendancy. Recently it has laid more of its destructive and nihilist cards on the table, and now there is really no reason for the left to hold back on any and all tactics to get what it wants – which is the entrenchment of its power in ways that will be difficult or impossible to reverse. Trump and his deplorables represent a mortal threat, and the left recognizes it.
NOTE: Last night, Tucker Carlson did a piece on Critical Race Theory. Well worth a look:
Trump’s having brought the truly pernicious abomination of CRT to public attention is without question one of his finest achievements. No truly rational person could or should support it, although it is widely favored in our corrupt institutions of higher education and embedded in many departments of the government. Curiously, while one Somali immigrant (the egregious Ilhan Omar) is very upset, another far more intelligent native of the same country (Ayaan Hirsi Ali) has written on Twitter that CRT is a “racist and absolutist ideology which weaponizes grievance narratives to seize power and wealth, while preaching the dismantling and the destruction of the U.S.”
McCarthy was an optimist. The Venona transcripts contain hundreds of cover names and most of those people are still unidentified.
I’m really glad Trump caught on to this BS and nipped it. Since postmodernism took over academia the flood gates on leftist/marxists/craziness took over. While I suffered under this idiocracy for 15 years I never thought it would take such a strong hold in the real world. Just goes to show never underestimate the will and tirelessness of these very evil people.
Inversely related, today the satire almost writes itself! Michael Graham’s 2003 “Redneck Nation” has proved prophetic: https://pjmedia.com/instapundit/399565/
Re “Now as a result of the riots and the greater popularity of the anti-racism movement (another Orwellian designation) the public has been at least somewhat alerted.”
Except that BLM is a racist anti-racist movement. And isn’t one of their goals – reportedly scrubbed from their web page last week – the elimination of the white race? Implying genocide?
The left has also been screaming “McCarthy” at the right for many decades in response to any attempt on the part of the right to fight back against the left’s Gramscian march.
Exactly. Break out of the little box where they sequester everyone who is off their ideological axis and resists keeling to their quasi-religious/ethical consensus. #PrinciplesMatter
McCarthy was right. Even alcoholics can be right! He was not drunk at the time he made his accusations against the State Dept.
Pompeo, that good man, cannot change that either. Even today it is the same, tenured members of the Executive Branch speaking out against POTUS, their boss in name only, because Civil Service rules guarantee tenure.
Trump’s having brought the truly pernicious abomination of CRT to public attention is without question one of his finest achievements.
Yes. Diversity breeds adversity. People should be wary to exercise liberal license to indulge color judgments, not limited to racism.
They have good intentions.
Very good intentions.
In their own minds.
Ending racism.
They’re paving the road with their good intentions.
The road they’re paving is the road to Hell.
That’s what they want to turn America into.
And there are so many of them, and oh so educated.
Voters need to vote for, and find, Representatives who will stop funding this junk.
And it needs to be easier to get rid of top, bad gov’t workers.
Bad cops.
Bad teachers.
Bad FBI agents.
Bad generals.
The extent of infiltration into the military and federal departments is truly alarming.
This is a ‘cancer’ and it must be excised from the body politic.
“I’m really glad Trump caught on to this BS and nipped it.” physicsguy
I’m not at all confident that Trump has nipped it in the bud. Yes, he’s directed the stopping of the indoctrination sessions. And will now have grounds for firing those who continue to authorize it. But that doesn’t excise CRT from the minds of those who control these agencies and commands. And, as soon as another democrat is President, the indoctrination will be renewed.
If after his reelection, Trump doesn’t ruthlessly purge this cancer, Civil War will no longer be a case of if but of when. And, if the left steals the election, “politics by other means” will come sooner rather than later.
The extent of infiltration into the military and federal departments is truly alarming.
Not the problem that you were led to believe.
Civil War will no longer be a case of if but of when
As I noted in 2007, CW2 was already inevitable, because American slaves want to be slaves. Amis had 13 years to prove Ymar wrong. Still waiting.
Tom Grey —
A couple of years ago, my older, progressive cousin in California posted some meme on FB about “no matter what may have happened, my intentions were good.”
I may have gotten through to her a little bit when I commented, “signed, Adolf Hitler”. 🙂
People with the very best intentions are still deluded.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-left-secretly-preps-for-violence-after-election-day?scrolla=5eb6d68b7fedc32c19ef33b4
The gaming of scenarios suffers from a defect typical of the exercises, in that the parts of both sides are played by people only from one side.
In most military war-gaming cases, they may be able to effectively “channel” the opposition, but there are always blinders and information gaps that make the games’ outcomes suspect.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/navy-ships/a19784775/gotland-class-sub-ronald-reagan-war-games/
USA Today had some additional information not in the Beast post, and offered some counterpoint as well.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/08/06/election-2020-war-games-trump-vs-biden-race-show-risk-chaos/5526553002/
He says that as if the Democrats have been behaving normally, despite suborning the Obama FBI & DOJ to engineer a political coup against that same president.
Critical race theory is, like all Post Modern BS, difficult to comprehend because it assumes that life should be fair. If only they can get rid of the oppressors, or bring them low, all will be well. What they fail to see is that they will only replace their old oppressors (those who believed in free speech, free association, and private property backed by laws) with new oppressors who despise free speech, free association, and private property. They apparently don’t see the eventual consequences of their actions. Or maybe they think it will be their foot in the boot stomping others in the face. Whatever, it is hard for those who have always known life wasn’t fair, and that the only thing to do was to pay the cards dealt you as best as you can, to go along with their line of reasoning.
Gun and ammo sales are booming. I think I know why.
“The Left Secretly Preps for MAGA Violence After Election Day
The progressive coalition Fight Back Table has been meeting to game out what happens if Joe Biden doesn’t win by a landslide.”
I find it revealing that the progressive coalition didn’t game out the most likely scenario; Trump winning by an electoral landslide.
I suspect that may have been intentional, given how obvious a scenario that is, perhaps they just couldn’t face it. Or as likely, they didn’t want to publicly admit to the predictable reaction by their radicals to that eventuality, even greater and more widespread violence.
“…very best intentions…”
Yes, a severe problem.
In this case, though, since the 2016 elections, Democratic Party, MSCM and Leftist delusion / paranoia / insanity / hysteria—and its resultant projection—has gone through the roof…and is currently in the stratosphere.
And it will get worse—since the Democrats et al. firmly believe that the Republicans will do to them what the Democrats (et al.) have been doing to the Republicans over the past four years (and more), which they intend to continue do to the Republicans—and all Americans who disagree with them—in the days, weeks and months (and years) ahead.
In other words, Hillary Clinton’s loss in 2016 (a loss in large part due to the fact that she was absolutely convinced she would win—otherwise, she would have been sure to cheat more than she did) “justifies” Democratic Party “self-defense” or, if you will, “pre-emption”.
So that “the logic of the left” is in essence, “the paranoia of the left”.
At the end of the day, it’s all they have really. That and a tremendous libido for destruction (of the individual, of property, of society, and of the nation).
“Biden-Harris” indeed!
Should add that it’s a paranoia and violence that has been reconfigured, recalibrated, reworked—REDEFINED—as the epitome of morality, the cutting edge of legality…and absolutely necessary to “save the country”.
But then—as is the whole point of the post—this is precisely why (as Hitchens put it) “Orwell still matters”. (Not that this was ever in doubt; on the other hand, Orwell can, along with everything else, be intentionally misinterpreted and perverted by those with skill, talent—and “PASSIONATE INTENSITY”.)
File under: Even the devil can quote Orwell.
My train of thought at the moment (subject to change, of course, with added data). A number of you have already figured this out, of course, so I’m just repeating, but bear with me, I’m slow:
1. The MSM could have spiked this as being too radioactive for public consumption and did not. Therefore they want this material to circulate.
2. It follows from point 1 that the powers that be, or a significant faction among them, desire that such a crisis as described occur.
3. It further follows that said powers are confident that they can come out on the far side of said crisis as the winners.
4. Those of us on the other side have less than two months to discover and, to the extent possible, nullify the reasons for that confidence.
At this point, I’m looking for what the action items are. What do I need to have on my personal to-do list to make this work?
And just a bit of humor to help one make it through the day…. (Alas there’s little enough to laugh about these days…or maybe there’s simply too much?):
https://pjmedia.com/instapundit/399679/
“Integrity” we hardly knew ye…
The “Transition Integrity Project” (TIP, continued from ATL)
Yes, TIP the upcoming elections!
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/16474/how-to-steal-an-election
…which has more than a whiff of those gloriously Orwellian Sorosesque monikers that he and his suave goons so specialize in.
Like ‘je’ your first commenter, I am very happily surprised that Critical Race Theory and the like is being directly spoken about by President Trump. Awareness of it and closely connected intellectual movements have gained dominant cultural power in the US since the 80s. The president calling it out from Mt Rushmore in the public square is truly amazing after watching grow like a cancer for the past 40 years. Spengler began overtly worrying about “The Decline of the West” 98 years ago, and to anyone sensitive to said decline the ‘disturbance in the force’ that ran through the West in 2016 can see that things are really accelerating. Particularly since the woo woo floo and the neo Marxist riots. It seems to me, that since the abandonment of traditional and legal means of opposition to a duly elected president, the Democrats (and the Never Trumpers more passively) have been unconsciously doing stuff more likely to discredit and destroy themselves than Western Civilisation. I’m not predicting it but they are doing one brilliant job of creating a Trump landslide and perhaps destroying the Democratic party. That result might be the best outcome for the left – there are plenty of decent liberals and a new party that is not corrupt and not Marxist could get a fresh start. That’s way too optimistic, but it seems possible – so, heck, let it ride.
“…destroying the Democratic party.”
I was always of the mind that that was precisely what Obama did.
(Well, he had to start somewhere….)
Neo, you have made me so happy today by writing “Trump could NOT care less” instead of “Trump could care less.” A victory for the meaning of words.
McCarthy was an optimist. The Venona transcripts contain hundreds of cover names and most of those people are still unidentified.
Another frame job by em-pathetic leftists to influence and steer social development. Nazi, [rabid] diversitist, pro-life, are two more boxes they like to sequester people in.
J.J. on September 10, 2020 at 12:22 am said:
Critical race theory is, like all Post Modern BS, difficult to comprehend because it assumes that life should be fair. If only they can get rid of the oppressors, or bring them low, all will be well. What they fail to see is that they will only replace their old oppressors (those who believed in free speech, free association, and private property backed by laws) with new oppressors who despise free speech, free association, and private property. They apparently don’t see the eventual consequences of their actions.
* * *
I blame it all on John Rawls.
https://1000wordphilosophy.com/2018/07/27/john-rawls-a-theory-of-justice/