Woke or just afraid?

Know what’s wrong with the Democrat Party? Along with academia, Black Lives Matter, and most media, it’s woked up beyond all reason (WUBAR). Oozing hatred that’s eroding the party from inside, no Democrat has the heart of Bobby Kennedy or soul of Martin Luther King. They believe they are the elite vanguard of social justice, but they’re just as likely mean-sounding cultural outliers with mommy and daddy issues.

Nothing against outliers here, because change begins on the periphery; like two hippies birthing Apple in a garage. And, if there’s a lesson from Steve Jobs, it’s that extremism (Apple III) keeps one on the periphery. To wit, CNN invented 24-7 cable news, went extreme, lost viewers, and now trails HGTV. Black Lives Matter began on the periphery, where arson and looting (that aren’t “peaceful” protests) will keep it. Two examples of woke beyond all reason.

More and more, I think woke institutions and movements are extremely insecure, which explains censoring opposing views, freaking out over the national anthem, and toppling statues of white dudes. Antifa fire-bombers wear face masks and don’t run hedge funds. Woke professors bully students and will never start the next Chic-Fil-A. Stacey Abrams smears Georgia’s GOP governor and is still un-elected.

America is great because of its heroes, which is why American kids study their bravery, creativity, hard work, and persistence – and not the sins. Columbus sailed into the unknown. Alvin Ailey re-imagined ballet. Paul McCartney played in beer halls for 10,000 hours. Jeff Bezos went all-in on his big idea. Achievements matter and should be celebrated, rather than blamed on some un-just advantage or disparaged as luck of the draw. I think the woke covet what they lack.

In Eat the Rich, P.J. O’Rourke notes the covetous meta-message in most progressive programs. Affirmative action was sold as “you are entitled to their good education.” Equal opportunity employment was sold as “you are entitled to their good job.” If JFK’s “rising tide” message was made woke, it would be “covet what they have.” This is true, and Democrats dumped Dr. King’s “color blind” message for “you are entitled to their privilege.” Besides being divisive, it’s wrong.

Barack Obama gave “woke” legitimacy (July 2012) with his You Did Not Build That speech: his proclamation that achievement does NOT come from hard work or erudition, because high achievers are ALWAYS highly advantaged. Hillary Clinton gave “cancel culture” legitimacy (September 2016) with her Basket of Deplorables speech: her manifesto that conservatives hate otherness. Thus, it is OK to defund white cops that are secretly racist and censor Catholics that are secretly homophobic.

Today, CNN is too woke to keep viewers, and Black Lives Matter invades the “safe space” of diners in cafes. Is it even possible to be more selfish and socially unaware? No, but it’s possible to be woked up beyond all reason. Perhaps you’ve observed the following WUBAR examples:

  • Going to Rome and NOT doing what the Romans do
  • Having a moral problem with 1776
  • Telling a boss or customer how to vote
  • Moved to vandalism by a statue of Columbus
  • Torching a Korean’s shop to prove one’s life matters
  • Pushing “scientific consensus” on an actual scientist
  • Saying Hispanics live in “communities of color”
  • Forgetting birds of a feather flock together
  • Telling school kids their faith or race is THE problem
  • Saying the arc of the moral universe has NOT bent toward justice

Come to think of it, the woke don’t really fit in, do they? What numbskull walks into his or her boss’s office to issue a cultural or political proclamation? What teacher tells a first grade lad there’s no Santa Claus, let alone that his grandma’s Christianity is all wrong? Here’s an idea: try a little tolerance, have a little patience, and cast your one vote. Because – – if you have to burn, harass, loot, or vandalize to make your point, you’re probably woked up beyond all reason.

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By Spencer Morten

The writer is a retired CEO of a US corporation, whose views were informed by studies and work in the US and abroad. An economist by education, and pragmatist by experience, he believes the greatest threat to peace and prosperity are the loudest voices with the least experience and expertise.