Wokeism, a Dangerously Cruel Cult

"'Wokeness' has been described as everything from a political epithet for a bogeyman of the extreme left to a catch-all for any cause whatsoever that concerns itself with the well-being of an identifiable group." "A more reasonable definition, borrowed from political scientist Yascha Mounk, is that wokeness is a version of social justice based on what he terms the identity synthesis. It views human beings not as individuals, but as a collection of group identities that are either oppressed, or oppressive. And to be oppressed is to be virtuous; to be a victim is to hold precious social cachet. The more oppressed one is, the better a person they are -- and the more we should all be forced to cater to their every whimsical desire."

"It goes without saying that wokeness is a race to the bottom of human dignity, potential and uniqueness. Wokeness has infiltrated every aspect of our society -- from education to employment to sports."

"Yet it is women who suffer the most severe consequences. We are the ones who have lost our private spaces and sports categories. Our girls are expected to undress in change rooms with grown, intact males. Complaints not permitted."

"We've been accomplices in silencing ourselves, demonizing ourselves, and cheering on those who wish to refer to us by our body parts or functions."

Amy Hamm, health-care professional, co-founder Canadian Women's Sex-Based Rights

A new paper in the Scandinavian Journal of Psychology reveals a male-female divide, with women disproportionately promoting and supporting that type of extreme progressive ideology. And they can be fairly vicious in responding to anyone who questions the feasibility of that ideology; scathingly vociferous, verging on slanderous condemnation. Enough so at times to make inroads on ruining a questioner's social and even professional standing. 

 

That the "woke" public discourse remains a debate "largely data-free" was referred to by the Scandinavian researchers, despite its influence and disruption throughout society. They took the initiative to coordinate numbers from two studies and in the process revealed a large gender divide. The study authors took it upon themselves to replace "woke" with "critical social justice attitudes". Attitudes that reflect female sensibilities, twice as often as that of men.

Participants in the study were asked to agree or disagree with subjects as diverse as "[U]niversity readings lists should include fewer white or European authors", and "[The] ideas of Karl Marx should not have more influence on national politics", to "[T]here are no biological differences between men and women". The last looking like a rehash from the old days of emerging militant feminism.

The statements largely reflected in fact, opinions espoused by those committed to intersectional feminism, queer theory and post-colonial theory, leading to an analysis that concluded the ideas had "little to no support from men", and "moderate" support from women, although the authors made no move to explain; instead recommending future studies might examine just why women are "woker" than men.

Radical progressiveness brooks no interference, no questioning, and certainly no moderation in the fierceness of its agenda. Failing to fall into line, to promote the black-and-white certainties of the woke is to delve deep into the residual primordial streak of cruelty associated with the basic instinct of survival. To those who are woke, there are no grey areas; people are either oppressed or the oppressors. 

The former are angelic, the latter demons. The dynamic of the compassion-inspiring "in-group" and the despised "persona-non-grata out-group" is clear and unforgiving. These groups once known as cliques that absorb those who profess similar values and concerns, blackballing those lacking interest of those values are now more fiercely upheld as the champions of the new social contract; none others need apply.