cover of episode “Woke” Is An Elite Plot To Undermine Class Solidarity! w/ Christian Parenti

“Woke” Is An Elite Plot To Undermine Class Solidarity! w/ Christian Parenti

2024/10/23
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The Jimmy Dore Show

Key Insights

Why did the left become the cargo cult of woke?

Woke culture centers identity over class, marginalizing economic discussions and eroding worker solidarity.

Why do you think young people will turn away from the woke agenda?

They will prioritize economic concerns over cultural issues as they face more pressing financial challenges.

Why is wokeness condemned by the right?

It is seen as undermining traditional values and dividing society.

Why do some on the left privately bemoan wokeness?

They fear public attacks from woke online mobs and the safety obsession of woke culture.

Why is wokeness considered anti-intellectual?

It prioritizes psychological safety over intellectual discourse and critical thinking.

Why does wokeness obscure real power relations?

It focuses on identity politics, diverting attention from economic inequality and class struggle.

Why are foundations involved in shaping the left?

They fund left-wing politics to channel concerns about inequality into safe, non-threatening themes.

Why did the Ford Foundation invest in black social movements?

To steer discontent towards cultural issues rather than economic redistribution.

Why is universal provision of needs more effective than targeted policies?

It benefits the most vulnerable and is politically bulletproof, making it harder to dismantle.

Why is wokeness hegemonic?

It has pervasive influence in academia, nonprofits, and corporate America.

Chapters

Christian Parenti discusses how the left became the 'cargo cult of woke,' focusing on the role of identity politics and the belief in transforming social reality through safety-oriented rituals and political etiquette.
  • Wokeness is not just synonymous with identity politics but includes a self-consciously left oppositional culture.
  • The methodology of wokeness is a horizontal struggle against coworkers who violate cultural norms.
  • Wokeness is rooted in a post-World War II psychological turn and has a strong concern with psychological well-being.

Shownotes Transcript

Jimmy welcomed John Jay College economics professor and former investigative journalist Christian Parenti to the show to discuss the fundamental lie at the foundation of the whole “wokeness” phenomenon — specifically that the act of centering identity in the political discourse inevitably, and by design, marginalizes discussion of class while eroding worker solidarity.   Specific topics covered include whether wokeness can continue to expand in influence or will taper off and die, why young people will turn away from the woke agenda in favor of more pressing economic concerns and a preschool that warned children not to mis-gender animals.   Plus a segment on a recent clip from MSNBC featuring a discussion of why Arab-Americans in swing states are abandoning Kamala Harris.   Also featuring Stef Zamorano and Kurt Metzger!