Thank you for this essay. I love your definition of critical race theory, your two main points. I agree with them. Just like anything, paradigms and social movements are always taken to extremes by some people. I think it's the extremes that people have a hard time with, and I do as well. These extremes should not be confused with a healthy core understanding that our racist past informs our present, sometimes lives subconsciously in our present selves. For those who are willing to look, it's a journey worth taking. At the same time the extremes and excesses - attacking any debate, cancel culture, victimization, communism, and transgender rights - needs to be confronted in their extremes. But I think it's a mistake to throw the baby out with the bath water.
I learned so much about myself from reading Robin D'Angelo's book What it Means to be White. I sought to understand more about the similar experiences black people tend to have in this country. I am glad I finally got a racial education in my late 40s and 50s, because I sure didn't get it in school, even in liberal Bay area California. It allows me more discernment about what is happening in our country.
Well CRT is crap and I'll expose why later but much like the jab, the fuss here is about imposing it.
I am up in arms about that. Not about debating it.
Why it is superstition: No one could expose that more authoritatively than Thomas Sowell, so I'll suggest that you listen to one of his many interviews available on Youtube on the subject of discrimination. You can also listen to his friend Walter E Williams. Or Larry Elder. To name just the most famous.
In a nutshell: there are abundant counter examples in the world to the notion that disparities be caused by discrimination, or that government could change either.
All you can achieve that way is more injustice.
Now as to the solution: Capitalism.
Capitalism is systemically antiracist because an owner who chooses to discriminate (for undue reasons) pays for that. For example a landlord in need of a tenant who chooses not the best but the second best because of undue reasons loses the best tenant and will pay for that out of his pocket. As TS puts it, people never discriminate with their own money.
As WW observes, the Jim Craw laws, or the apatheid laws were enacted to force people to discriminate. There is no example ever of a law passed against smth that people never do. Hence laws that imposed discrimination are proof positive that somme people would not discriminate for undue reasons.
The lesson of Jim Craw is the same as that of the vax: Do not coerce.
The non agression principle, period.
Another point to Americans (I am not one): There are many multi ethnic societies in this world, many countries fast changing demographically, many ethnic tensions, often far older and more justified than yours, that need apeasement.
CRT can only make things worse in the US, and it could ignite powder kegs elsewhere.
I was really glad to read this post, because I have also been recently giving much thought to the strange political predicament we face these days, us refugees of the left in the CoviDissident crowd. I feel it's important that we find each other and start clarifying to ourselves which parts of our leftist heritage we wish to salvage (and reclaim the title Left for), and which should be happily thrown behind our backs. And also: what is our proper role in the inevitably emerging alliance with the Right around the Single Most Important Political Issue we are all going to face through the foreseeable future? It's important that we ask these questions. Important for the conversation as a whole.
Thank you for this comment. Yes, "I feel it's important that we find each other and start clarifying to ourselves which parts of our leftist heritage we wish to salvage (and reclaim the title Left for), and which should be happily thrown behind our backs." Massive task.
Here's the problem as I see it... after this debacle of genocidal centralized control, my overwhelming sense is that the fundamental unit of society is in the individual and the family. But that's also what classical (political) liberalism believes and classical political liberalism leads to economic liberalism (as people with a political voice also want economic power) leads to monopoly capitalism (as certain industries inevitably win out and consolidate their power) leads to fascism/totalitarianism (as the monopolies harness the power of the state for their own ends). It's a vicious cycle. That seems like a stretch until one looks back at history and sees it happening repeatedly and again now. I want to figure out how to break *that* cycle. Better enforcement of antitrust is fine but capital always finds a way around that.
I would add an underlying causing factor to your (otherwise accurate) causal change: the rapidly shrinking resource base. The elites are forced to respond in crazier and crazier ways just to survive in a rapidly shrinking economy. Kyeyune talks about that.
Critical theory is based in or on, Marx. Critical Race theory is the Child, of critical theory, brought to us by Derek Bell.
I’d suggest reading American Marxism and tell us your opinion of the book, it covers all of these theories under on cover. 1.2 million copies sold since July, people are awake to the left’s devious ideology.
You don’t put forward Dr. Omarova, unless you agree with her ideology. She’s a danger to anyone who enjoys their freedom. Listen to some of the things she has said, frightening. On Mark Levine’s radio show on Wed or Thursday of this week he played some of her interviews. Then had people who had immigrated from the old USSR, call in. She’s a communist, who Senator Warren defended. Unreal we have to deal with these types of subversives in our society.
I’d also recommend Covert Cadre, written in the 80’s. It details how the left was infiltrated and why.
Thank you. Not only was the article an interesting angle to CRT, but the comments and your responses were educational. I spent another hour just reading all the comments and your responses.
My simplistic approach is that both parties are irretrievably corrupt and morally bankrupt. As a person who leans “right”, I find myself more and more on common ground with my “left” brethren.
I don’t have a solution, but our country is goose-stepping towards fascism under the banner of pseudosciencepharma-wokeism, and if we don’t wake up from this collective madness, our losses will never be recovered.
I appreciate reading your posts. If I may I would like to comment as a parent from Canada. As I have been involved in my kids schools for over 10 years now I notice a huge shift to teaching CRT in school as of the last couple of years. It actually weirdly done. Never directly in a class called CRT but constantly telling your kids they should be ashamed of who they are and about white colonialism. The lessons are very prevalent throughout the different subjects and activities and signage posted at the school. It’s in their art class, class discussions and even which historical topics the teacher focuses on and telling them how they should feel bad about past wrongs. It’s very odd in our area as we have a very small % of Africans, of which most directly moved to Canada from Africa so they do not want this stuff taught to their kids, and a large Acadian population in a French school by the way, so weird that only white English colonial oppression on black slaves is being taught lately in my kids classes. In our part of the world the England had Irish children as slaves and the Acadians and Natives obviously suffered greatly under England’s rules. So I noticed something was up. I do not think the Davos group’s global agenda is USA focused or Democrat or republican but rather an effort to divide and demoralize our children. Klaus Swab of WEF has made it pretty clear in 2030 you will own nothing if he has his way, so I think teaching CRT is about telling the young generation you don’t deserve to own anything. You are worthless and should have no culture to be proud of. I note all Cultural celebrations were canceled during COVID except we were encouraged during the height of the pandemic to go to BLM protests. Catherine Austin Fitts explains the global elite plans really well in her planet lock down video. As does David Martin at the red pill expo. I think in short the goal is to get as many youth to be demoralized and divided and have no culture. No religion. No tribe. Only government will be the god of the future if the Davos set wins. Which is why it’s so important we win. Humanity and loves wins. Thank you for your amazing work exposing Pharma.
I come from the old school left that was human rights-focused. That's still my focus, but what is being called the left these days is not something I recognize or understand. I'm glad to see signs that the whitewashing of history in classrooms is starting to be undone and that a more inclusive and factual history is starting to be taught more often than the standard origin myth of the great white founding fathers who forged those magical documents that supposedly made America great and free and exceptional, and how the national character was forged by that blessed event. There was no CRT at the university I attended either, but I did most of the reading for the Women's Studies program while I was there studying Anthropology, and I found it somewhat useful. Back then, sex was a reproductive role and gender was socially constructed, but what has changed in that realm since then is something I have not yet managed to wrap my head around.
I'm right there with you on every point. I taught gender studies in 2012 when the state of the art was 'sex is biology and gender is a social construct.' And today gender studies is completely unrecognizable to me. "Sex is gender is a social construct" collapses all of the former categories and discards biology altogether as if X & Y chromosomes are a vast right wing conspiracy. I cannot wrap my head around it because it does not make any sense. And it's all weaponized now too, so to think critically about any of it is to risk committing a thought crime punishable by cancellation.
Brilliant analysis and acutely accurate in its elegant examples and logic. I too got a Ph.D. in the social sciences, the Cultural Foundations of Ed., and was struck by how RARE any real active challenge of the status quo actually was even at THAT time (1990s). I had to do all my activism and advocacy OUTSIDE academia, and soon came to learn that academics really create a symbolic divergence, but ACTUAL alignment with the top 1%. You recall it was at this time (1990's) that colleges and university starting treating the "student as customer", hiring business men as presidents (for funding and endowment) and scholarship completely sold itself out to industry. There was no "critical" at all on a concrete level, but tons of Foucauldian (for some strange, pretentious reason is spelled with a "d" rather than a "t") "deconstruction" on the intellectual level. Completely AGREE with your assessment of the Left... which is the Limousine Left... which is Neo-Liberal... which is RIGHT-wing in practice in every other country besides ours. Drop me a note: I'd like to extend the conversation: zeus@citizenzeus.com.
Yes, exactly. We are witnessing a cosplay performance of leftism, backed by billionaires, that does not represent a threat to elite power at all (if anything it entrenches it). I look forward to chatting further.
After reading Dr Toby’s insightful article and many comments, I’ll throw in a few thoughts. I’m an old single parent with a teen son in public high school in So Cali. We often have CRT conversations. He insists it’s not being taught. I’m trying to revamp his gaping line between what is right vs abnormal. I go to church now, and that bothers him, although he doesn’t dismiss Christianity altogether. Unfortunately he is a slave to his phone and watching what I would deem ribald performing artists. Think “WAP” for an example of how far down the raunch-hole our society has descended. Yet he perhaps rightly defends this stuff as freedom to express. He also is all for the gender identity confusion of other kids that I consider abundantly misguided and a blasphemous insult to our Heavenly Father. But I listen and don’t totally dismiss. Many moons ago, I was bussed across the southern city where my parents had moved and forced to attend a previously all Black school in the ninth grade. It was daily violence and hard feelings from all involved. That desegregation plan obviously didn’t work. Misguided gov in action.
My point? Well, not sure really. Perhaps that our present societal wickedness is at least partially fomented by irrational fear of death ingrained in godless people? It’s much worse than a Big Pharma-government collusion problem. Our CCP captured (?) “ leaders” seem intent, as Marx postulated, on erasing our past and destroying the economy and any sense of nationalism. I tell folks to stock up their pantries as who knows what they’re planning next? Depopulation, slavery and transhumance seem to be a full speed ahead goal for globalist maniacs.
The unconscionably inane mask wearing diktats seem to have in part spring-boarded from the maskless Trump rallies last year. I’m still fighting mask wars almost daily. Infuriating.
The insane school district vaxxers will be mandating poisonous injections for my son probably this summer, and I’ll pull him out of public school. I’m retiring ASAP from a DoD job as I am outright saying NO to the shots. Punishment for this decision is in the offing! Not filing for any exemptions either, believing more along Dr Chris Rake’s determination (checkout CUFF) not to play this game. It might get so bad they’ll deny retirement benefits down the road. After living 30 years in CA I’ll be moving to a red state this summer if there is not a dramatic change of course. IMO things will get much worse before getting better but truth will ultimately prevail. God wins. Sorry for the lengthy rant just an old guy venting. Thought I could get to the exit without seeing the world melt down - guess I was wrong.
Thank you for this essay. I love your definition of critical race theory, your two main points. I agree with them. Just like anything, paradigms and social movements are always taken to extremes by some people. I think it's the extremes that people have a hard time with, and I do as well. These extremes should not be confused with a healthy core understanding that our racist past informs our present, sometimes lives subconsciously in our present selves. For those who are willing to look, it's a journey worth taking. At the same time the extremes and excesses - attacking any debate, cancel culture, victimization, communism, and transgender rights - needs to be confronted in their extremes. But I think it's a mistake to throw the baby out with the bath water.
I learned so much about myself from reading Robin D'Angelo's book What it Means to be White. I sought to understand more about the similar experiences black people tend to have in this country. I am glad I finally got a racial education in my late 40s and 50s, because I sure didn't get it in school, even in liberal Bay area California. It allows me more discernment about what is happening in our country.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment! 🙌
Well CRT is crap and I'll expose why later but much like the jab, the fuss here is about imposing it.
I am up in arms about that. Not about debating it.
Why it is superstition: No one could expose that more authoritatively than Thomas Sowell, so I'll suggest that you listen to one of his many interviews available on Youtube on the subject of discrimination. You can also listen to his friend Walter E Williams. Or Larry Elder. To name just the most famous.
In a nutshell: there are abundant counter examples in the world to the notion that disparities be caused by discrimination, or that government could change either.
All you can achieve that way is more injustice.
Now as to the solution: Capitalism.
Capitalism is systemically antiracist because an owner who chooses to discriminate (for undue reasons) pays for that. For example a landlord in need of a tenant who chooses not the best but the second best because of undue reasons loses the best tenant and will pay for that out of his pocket. As TS puts it, people never discriminate with their own money.
As WW observes, the Jim Craw laws, or the apatheid laws were enacted to force people to discriminate. There is no example ever of a law passed against smth that people never do. Hence laws that imposed discrimination are proof positive that somme people would not discriminate for undue reasons.
The lesson of Jim Craw is the same as that of the vax: Do not coerce.
The non agression principle, period.
Another point to Americans (I am not one): There are many multi ethnic societies in this world, many countries fast changing demographically, many ethnic tensions, often far older and more justified than yours, that need apeasement.
CRT can only make things worse in the US, and it could ignite powder kegs elsewhere.
Please, please, please stop it before.
I was really glad to read this post, because I have also been recently giving much thought to the strange political predicament we face these days, us refugees of the left in the CoviDissident crowd. I feel it's important that we find each other and start clarifying to ourselves which parts of our leftist heritage we wish to salvage (and reclaim the title Left for), and which should be happily thrown behind our backs. And also: what is our proper role in the inevitably emerging alliance with the Right around the Single Most Important Political Issue we are all going to face through the foreseeable future? It's important that we ask these questions. Important for the conversation as a whole.
Are you reading Malcolm Kyeyune? If not, I think you'll like him very much. Here he argues that wokeness is not so much an ideology but a toolset or mechanism for sorting out surplus elites: https://tinkzorg.wordpress.com/2021/07/09/send-them-back-your-fierce-defiance-stamp-upon-the-cursed-alliance/
Thank you for this comment. Yes, "I feel it's important that we find each other and start clarifying to ourselves which parts of our leftist heritage we wish to salvage (and reclaim the title Left for), and which should be happily thrown behind our backs." Massive task.
Here's the problem as I see it... after this debacle of genocidal centralized control, my overwhelming sense is that the fundamental unit of society is in the individual and the family. But that's also what classical (political) liberalism believes and classical political liberalism leads to economic liberalism (as people with a political voice also want economic power) leads to monopoly capitalism (as certain industries inevitably win out and consolidate their power) leads to fascism/totalitarianism (as the monopolies harness the power of the state for their own ends). It's a vicious cycle. That seems like a stretch until one looks back at history and sees it happening repeatedly and again now. I want to figure out how to break *that* cycle. Better enforcement of antitrust is fine but capital always finds a way around that.
I would add an underlying causing factor to your (otherwise accurate) causal change: the rapidly shrinking resource base. The elites are forced to respond in crazier and crazier ways just to survive in a rapidly shrinking economy. Kyeyune talks about that.
Communism, post-modernism, and on through wokism, all just derivatives. New wrappers on old dogma.
This talk from Jordan Peterson in 2017 covers the philosophical connections between post-modernism and marxism, and their faults.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PfH8IG7Awk0
It is lengthy, but very informative. There are others where he gets into recent developments more specifically.
Critical theory is based in or on, Marx. Critical Race theory is the Child, of critical theory, brought to us by Derek Bell.
I’d suggest reading American Marxism and tell us your opinion of the book, it covers all of these theories under on cover. 1.2 million copies sold since July, people are awake to the left’s devious ideology.
You don’t put forward Dr. Omarova, unless you agree with her ideology. She’s a danger to anyone who enjoys their freedom. Listen to some of the things she has said, frightening. On Mark Levine’s radio show on Wed or Thursday of this week he played some of her interviews. Then had people who had immigrated from the old USSR, call in. She’s a communist, who Senator Warren defended. Unreal we have to deal with these types of subversives in our society.
I’d also recommend Covert Cadre, written in the 80’s. It details how the left was infiltrated and why.
Read all the documentation Christopher Rufo has provided
Toby,
Thank you. Not only was the article an interesting angle to CRT, but the comments and your responses were educational. I spent another hour just reading all the comments and your responses.
My simplistic approach is that both parties are irretrievably corrupt and morally bankrupt. As a person who leans “right”, I find myself more and more on common ground with my “left” brethren.
I don’t have a solution, but our country is goose-stepping towards fascism under the banner of pseudosciencepharma-wokeism, and if we don’t wake up from this collective madness, our losses will never be recovered.
Thank you again.
Hi Toby
I appreciate reading your posts. If I may I would like to comment as a parent from Canada. As I have been involved in my kids schools for over 10 years now I notice a huge shift to teaching CRT in school as of the last couple of years. It actually weirdly done. Never directly in a class called CRT but constantly telling your kids they should be ashamed of who they are and about white colonialism. The lessons are very prevalent throughout the different subjects and activities and signage posted at the school. It’s in their art class, class discussions and even which historical topics the teacher focuses on and telling them how they should feel bad about past wrongs. It’s very odd in our area as we have a very small % of Africans, of which most directly moved to Canada from Africa so they do not want this stuff taught to their kids, and a large Acadian population in a French school by the way, so weird that only white English colonial oppression on black slaves is being taught lately in my kids classes. In our part of the world the England had Irish children as slaves and the Acadians and Natives obviously suffered greatly under England’s rules. So I noticed something was up. I do not think the Davos group’s global agenda is USA focused or Democrat or republican but rather an effort to divide and demoralize our children. Klaus Swab of WEF has made it pretty clear in 2030 you will own nothing if he has his way, so I think teaching CRT is about telling the young generation you don’t deserve to own anything. You are worthless and should have no culture to be proud of. I note all Cultural celebrations were canceled during COVID except we were encouraged during the height of the pandemic to go to BLM protests. Catherine Austin Fitts explains the global elite plans really well in her planet lock down video. As does David Martin at the red pill expo. I think in short the goal is to get as many youth to be demoralized and divided and have no culture. No religion. No tribe. Only government will be the god of the future if the Davos set wins. Which is why it’s so important we win. Humanity and loves wins. Thank you for your amazing work exposing Pharma.
Hi Helen! Thank you for this thoughtful comment! 🙌
Actually, I agree with you, Toby. Lol.
If in your "spare" time, you can write a high school curriculum for actual CRT, and I think it would be well-received.
I come from the old school left that was human rights-focused. That's still my focus, but what is being called the left these days is not something I recognize or understand. I'm glad to see signs that the whitewashing of history in classrooms is starting to be undone and that a more inclusive and factual history is starting to be taught more often than the standard origin myth of the great white founding fathers who forged those magical documents that supposedly made America great and free and exceptional, and how the national character was forged by that blessed event. There was no CRT at the university I attended either, but I did most of the reading for the Women's Studies program while I was there studying Anthropology, and I found it somewhat useful. Back then, sex was a reproductive role and gender was socially constructed, but what has changed in that realm since then is something I have not yet managed to wrap my head around.
I'm right there with you on every point. I taught gender studies in 2012 when the state of the art was 'sex is biology and gender is a social construct.' And today gender studies is completely unrecognizable to me. "Sex is gender is a social construct" collapses all of the former categories and discards biology altogether as if X & Y chromosomes are a vast right wing conspiracy. I cannot wrap my head around it because it does not make any sense. And it's all weaponized now too, so to think critically about any of it is to risk committing a thought crime punishable by cancellation.
As always, thought provoking. Thank you.
did i miss the part about how this is most useful as one more part of a brilliant divide and conquer strategy?
If it elects Republicans and they stop mandates (two very big ifs) then it's not necessarily divide and conquer.
two big Ifs indeed. the enemy of my enemy is not necessarily my friend
Fair point. Political expediency is almost always a bad play in the long run.
Brilliant analysis and acutely accurate in its elegant examples and logic. I too got a Ph.D. in the social sciences, the Cultural Foundations of Ed., and was struck by how RARE any real active challenge of the status quo actually was even at THAT time (1990s). I had to do all my activism and advocacy OUTSIDE academia, and soon came to learn that academics really create a symbolic divergence, but ACTUAL alignment with the top 1%. You recall it was at this time (1990's) that colleges and university starting treating the "student as customer", hiring business men as presidents (for funding and endowment) and scholarship completely sold itself out to industry. There was no "critical" at all on a concrete level, but tons of Foucauldian (for some strange, pretentious reason is spelled with a "d" rather than a "t") "deconstruction" on the intellectual level. Completely AGREE with your assessment of the Left... which is the Limousine Left... which is Neo-Liberal... which is RIGHT-wing in practice in every other country besides ours. Drop me a note: I'd like to extend the conversation: zeus@citizenzeus.com.
Yes, exactly. We are witnessing a cosplay performance of leftism, backed by billionaires, that does not represent a threat to elite power at all (if anything it entrenches it). I look forward to chatting further.
Not in Oregon. It was introduced and taught here before it became a wedge issue
After reading Dr Toby’s insightful article and many comments, I’ll throw in a few thoughts. I’m an old single parent with a teen son in public high school in So Cali. We often have CRT conversations. He insists it’s not being taught. I’m trying to revamp his gaping line between what is right vs abnormal. I go to church now, and that bothers him, although he doesn’t dismiss Christianity altogether. Unfortunately he is a slave to his phone and watching what I would deem ribald performing artists. Think “WAP” for an example of how far down the raunch-hole our society has descended. Yet he perhaps rightly defends this stuff as freedom to express. He also is all for the gender identity confusion of other kids that I consider abundantly misguided and a blasphemous insult to our Heavenly Father. But I listen and don’t totally dismiss. Many moons ago, I was bussed across the southern city where my parents had moved and forced to attend a previously all Black school in the ninth grade. It was daily violence and hard feelings from all involved. That desegregation plan obviously didn’t work. Misguided gov in action.
My point? Well, not sure really. Perhaps that our present societal wickedness is at least partially fomented by irrational fear of death ingrained in godless people? It’s much worse than a Big Pharma-government collusion problem. Our CCP captured (?) “ leaders” seem intent, as Marx postulated, on erasing our past and destroying the economy and any sense of nationalism. I tell folks to stock up their pantries as who knows what they’re planning next? Depopulation, slavery and transhumance seem to be a full speed ahead goal for globalist maniacs.
The unconscionably inane mask wearing diktats seem to have in part spring-boarded from the maskless Trump rallies last year. I’m still fighting mask wars almost daily. Infuriating.
The insane school district vaxxers will be mandating poisonous injections for my son probably this summer, and I’ll pull him out of public school. I’m retiring ASAP from a DoD job as I am outright saying NO to the shots. Punishment for this decision is in the offing! Not filing for any exemptions either, believing more along Dr Chris Rake’s determination (checkout CUFF) not to play this game. It might get so bad they’ll deny retirement benefits down the road. After living 30 years in CA I’ll be moving to a red state this summer if there is not a dramatic change of course. IMO things will get much worse before getting better but truth will ultimately prevail. God wins. Sorry for the lengthy rant just an old guy venting. Thought I could get to the exit without seeing the world melt down - guess I was wrong.
homeschool