According to some prominent billionaires, political pundits, and media figures, American universities have undergone a radical transformation. Institutions of higher learning in the United States, they say, are no longer focused on free academic inquiry. Rather, they are devoted to indoctrinating students on "woke" topics like critical race theory, systemic racism, and transgender rights.
I remember (decades ago) the term "woke" meaning alertness in the Black community of what was going on that could threaten their safety or affect their well-being. How interesting that white racist uncool characters like Ron DeSantis would resent the term that actually defined how out of touch they were.
Then, we have the almost illiterate such as Charlie Kirk and Donald Trump who both envy the intellectual elite and hate being shown up as not knowing much. What better term to damn but "woke" that was all about awareness that was needed for knowing what they were up against and what was necessary to understand for their outright survival.
Bottom line: this movement against "woke" is deeply racist!
Revealing, isn't it, how they decided to appropriate a word that represented in the Black community defending themselves. As if they are outraged at the idea that people would have to go into defensive mode against their aggressions (how dare women/blacks/minorities see us for what we are? How dare they brace themselves against our violence?)
Reading through the statistics, I wondered about why feminist courses were not listed. Women are definitely under steady attack from the right, after all. I remember feminist studies being under some attack back when they got started. There were entire tracks dedicated to feminist authors when I went to college, even some degrees. The hyper(ventilating) right seem to steer clear of that discussion, whether women studying other women is a 'woke' thing or not. Which, again, is revealing, if they've chosen not to attack that sort of thing--perhaps they realize how it would look, they think attacking trans is easier, more acceptable? Just cowardly little bullies attacking the most vulnerable among us.
The data is revealing but the real basis for their attacks is they're afraid because they know that educated people make, hopefully, informed choices which are threat to religiouswrong, gqp, oligarchs who all need blind followers, cheap labor and unlimited $.
While they don't need to denigrate women because the gqp, RW judges and supremecons have almost destroyed women's rights; taking away women's choices forces them to depend on a man/someone for life as being pregnant, having a child at earlier/at wrong time will strangle a woman's chances of getting good education, which leads to financial independence and an independent woman is threat to their, perceived, masculinity, insecurity.
Valerie, Great point. Racism is the common root of all MAGA republicans. And since very few speak against their traitorous party, we can say, REPUBLICANs are rooted in racism, greed, general hatred for the common good. Equality is a threat to them!
Ms. Meluskey, you are no doubt correct when you point out that right wing haters have no knowledge about the historical origins of the slang term "woke" among black youths. "Woke" is now simply the most recent symbolic attack on higher education by the elite in America. I am old enough to remember when right wing haters called colleges "ivory towers" filled with faculty who were "pointy-headed intellectuals." "Woke" is the latest of America's suspicion directed toward college education which has traditionally been slightly open to new ideas, theories and paradigms. The purpose is to discredit education among the masses. "Liberal" is another example of how a useful term has had its meaning twisted into something sinister by the haters. I remember when "liberal" meant "openness to new ideas." Today, "liberal" has been transformed into a symbolic phenomenon with disturbing characteristics connected to the political left wing.
The effort is anti progressive, which includes racism. But it’s also anti-feminist/sexist, and so on. The primary weapon is shame. Only awful, duped idiots want to be woke. It’s noteworthy that Buddhism means awakened.
The playbook never changes. College students who joined the Civil Rights movement, protested the Vietnam War—all because of those “left wing” professors!
The right wing has been after colleges and Universities since at least the GI bill allowed lots of less than the elite (read WASP) to enter. Jews, Irish, Italians and even Blacks were allowed in, and rather than continue to toe the Capitalism is good, whites are the best and America is the best place in God's Universe, other information was being taught. The Red Scares of the 50's, the uprisings of the 60's, the attacks on the left during Nixon, etc. It has been an ongoing drum beat.
Universities became more and more structured like corporations. Heavy on top with administration, spending money to attract "customers" (actually the parents of customers), by building impressive edifices, and eventually turning the place into a factory with faculty was paid by the piece (i.e adjuncts), and of course seeking more and more money from the monied class.
And, as we have known for millennia, "he who pays the piper calls the tune".
BOTH parties have found universities places to install their hacks and stooges who have no achievements of scholarship or teaching as presidents. That is how administrative salaries became so insanely beyond those of real scholars and accomplished teachers.
Judd, I continue to be impressed at your ability to find data to give a solid basis for what should be knockout arguments to counter these anti-progressive assaults. One of the problems, of course, is that the sources of these destructive distortions tend to be on send 24/7. Hopefully, the so-called major media sources (NYT, network news) can be awakened to the factual evidence to counter their reliance on these sources.
“Billionaire investor Peter Thiel says that "[o]ver the last three to four years" colleges and universities have become "more woke" and "even less meritocratic." “
Three to four years?
You mean, since trump lost? What a coincidence lol. Couldn’t just be a case of sour grapes could it?
The problem, I fear, for those bewailing "woke," is not that there is any overwhelming trend towards "woke," meaning awareness of social issues, specifically involving people from and with different backgrounds, needs and perspectives, but that there is any.
When your goal is 0, then, .08 is way, way too much.
Joy in HK, 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻Excellent point! The right also tried to make liberal a dirty word…Oxford dictionary defines this as “political & social philosophy that promotes individual rights, civil liberties, democracy, and free enterprise”.
“A supporter of policies that are socially progressive and promote social welfare.”
These “horrible” liberal beliefs can prevent them from hoarding wealth! The left needs to continue to point these things out. Despite the fact that right wing media ownership holds the Mic, making it difficult.
The higher education "system" has quite a few challenges but brainwashing students with woke theories is not one of them. As a retired part-time professor for 25 years, the most damaging indoctrination that can be found in most universities is one that Musk et al would love - that of capitalism and the primacy of shareholder profit. Universities practice what they preach by increasing profits and endowments from wealthy donors who ensure that concepts associated with using human and natural resources to support greed and growth is "good." They charge more and more to serve up outdated business philosophies about economic growth and success to dupe students into thinking that if they spend their way into debt to obtain this "knowledge" they too can be part of the American success story (which is pure hogwash). On a warming planet with finite resources, these theories are quite literally deadly. American universities NEED to undergo a radical transformation (some of us are working on it) and students need to learn to solve problems and think critically for an uncertain and dangerous future. But the self-centered billionaires boys club who complain about "woke" theories may not realize that universities are currently their best allies.
What I hate most is the unapologetic irony of certain influencial Black folk who decry going "woke!"
You know, Tim Scott, David Montgomery, Candice Owens, Joseph Ladapo, Herschel Walker, Michaelah Montgomery, Ben Carson and his loathsome wife, Clarence Thomas and HIS loathsome wife... the list goes on and is ever growing.
They betray their ancestors and themselves for filthy lucre.
Oh Adam, you nailed it! The irony is thick here in SC, Tim Scott, willing to ignore that challenges faced by black people, is all too willing to align himself with the worst of the worst, the white people who have created, and continue to create, the bulk of the challenges faced by black people.
This seems to me to be only part of the story. Left-leaners include more people with advanced degrees than conservatives do. Could it be that as the right embraced the lies of trickle-down economics, then anti-science religion, and finally fascism, "educated" came to be synonymous with "woke" in their eyes?
The far-right is OK with indoctrination as long as they’re doing the indoctrinating, and their message is the only message. They also realize that it’s harder to peddle lies to someone with more education and life-experiences. I worked on an undergrad degree at a liberal arts school and dropped a required course in religion taught by a total bigot dressed in a black shirt and white collar after I sat through 6 hours of “why we should hate gays” and 6 hours of “why a woman’s place is in the kitchen.” I was reminded of this class after watching the video of Kansas City Chief’s kicker Harrison Butker deliver this year’s commencement address at Benedictine College. It was bizarre, ugly, and a symptom of a much larger issue facing our country. So much of what we hear from the Christian Right is grounded in hatred for black, brown, gay and trans people, and their willingness to relegate women to second-class citizenship.
I remember (decades ago) the term "woke" meaning alertness in the Black community of what was going on that could threaten their safety or affect their well-being. How interesting that white racist uncool characters like Ron DeSantis would resent the term that actually defined how out of touch they were.
Then, we have the almost illiterate such as Charlie Kirk and Donald Trump who both envy the intellectual elite and hate being shown up as not knowing much. What better term to damn but "woke" that was all about awareness that was needed for knowing what they were up against and what was necessary to understand for their outright survival.
Bottom line: this movement against "woke" is deeply racist!
Revealing, isn't it, how they decided to appropriate a word that represented in the Black community defending themselves. As if they are outraged at the idea that people would have to go into defensive mode against their aggressions (how dare women/blacks/minorities see us for what we are? How dare they brace themselves against our violence?)
Reading through the statistics, I wondered about why feminist courses were not listed. Women are definitely under steady attack from the right, after all. I remember feminist studies being under some attack back when they got started. There were entire tracks dedicated to feminist authors when I went to college, even some degrees. The hyper(ventilating) right seem to steer clear of that discussion, whether women studying other women is a 'woke' thing or not. Which, again, is revealing, if they've chosen not to attack that sort of thing--perhaps they realize how it would look, they think attacking trans is easier, more acceptable? Just cowardly little bullies attacking the most vulnerable among us.
The data is revealing but the real basis for their attacks is they're afraid because they know that educated people make, hopefully, informed choices which are threat to religiouswrong, gqp, oligarchs who all need blind followers, cheap labor and unlimited $.
While they don't need to denigrate women because the gqp, RW judges and supremecons have almost destroyed women's rights; taking away women's choices forces them to depend on a man/someone for life as being pregnant, having a child at earlier/at wrong time will strangle a woman's chances of getting good education, which leads to financial independence and an independent woman is threat to their, perceived, masculinity, insecurity.
And which universities did they attend?
Valerie, Great point. Racism is the common root of all MAGA republicans. And since very few speak against their traitorous party, we can say, REPUBLICANs are rooted in racism, greed, general hatred for the common good. Equality is a threat to them!
"Bottom line: this movement against "woke" is deeply racist!"
Precisely Valerie. What's more is that's not a "victim statement." You've made an acute observation!
Ms. Meluskey, you are no doubt correct when you point out that right wing haters have no knowledge about the historical origins of the slang term "woke" among black youths. "Woke" is now simply the most recent symbolic attack on higher education by the elite in America. I am old enough to remember when right wing haters called colleges "ivory towers" filled with faculty who were "pointy-headed intellectuals." "Woke" is the latest of America's suspicion directed toward college education which has traditionally been slightly open to new ideas, theories and paradigms. The purpose is to discredit education among the masses. "Liberal" is another example of how a useful term has had its meaning twisted into something sinister by the haters. I remember when "liberal" meant "openness to new ideas." Today, "liberal" has been transformed into a symbolic phenomenon with disturbing characteristics connected to the political left wing.
The effort is anti progressive, which includes racism. But it’s also anti-feminist/sexist, and so on. The primary weapon is shame. Only awful, duped idiots want to be woke. It’s noteworthy that Buddhism means awakened.
My woke theory: "The more education you have, the less likely you are to vote Republican."
Nice reporting folks!
The playbook never changes. College students who joined the Civil Rights movement, protested the Vietnam War—all because of those “left wing” professors!
The right wing has been after colleges and Universities since at least the GI bill allowed lots of less than the elite (read WASP) to enter. Jews, Irish, Italians and even Blacks were allowed in, and rather than continue to toe the Capitalism is good, whites are the best and America is the best place in God's Universe, other information was being taught. The Red Scares of the 50's, the uprisings of the 60's, the attacks on the left during Nixon, etc. It has been an ongoing drum beat.
Universities became more and more structured like corporations. Heavy on top with administration, spending money to attract "customers" (actually the parents of customers), by building impressive edifices, and eventually turning the place into a factory with faculty was paid by the piece (i.e adjuncts), and of course seeking more and more money from the monied class.
And, as we have known for millennia, "he who pays the piper calls the tune".
BOTH parties have found universities places to install their hacks and stooges who have no achievements of scholarship or teaching as presidents. That is how administrative salaries became so insanely beyond those of real scholars and accomplished teachers.
The myth of woke is a richly financed, utterly racist tool employed by anti-democratic agitators in league with the Trumpist GOP.
Judd, I continue to be impressed at your ability to find data to give a solid basis for what should be knockout arguments to counter these anti-progressive assaults. One of the problems, of course, is that the sources of these destructive distortions tend to be on send 24/7. Hopefully, the so-called major media sources (NYT, network news) can be awakened to the factual evidence to counter their reliance on these sources.
Why would the Republican Party want to base their opinion on facts when “alternative facts” are much more influential to their base?
Facts are not the friends of most Conservatives I run across.
“Billionaire investor Peter Thiel says that "[o]ver the last three to four years" colleges and universities have become "more woke" and "even less meritocratic." “
Three to four years?
You mean, since trump lost? What a coincidence lol. Couldn’t just be a case of sour grapes could it?
Those that promote this disinformation about learning have a vested interest in keeping an uneducated, uncritical population.
The problem, I fear, for those bewailing "woke," is not that there is any overwhelming trend towards "woke," meaning awareness of social issues, specifically involving people from and with different backgrounds, needs and perspectives, but that there is any.
When your goal is 0, then, .08 is way, way too much.
"When your goal is 0, then, .08 is way, way too much!"
That is a hell of a capper to your assertion and I'd like to borrow it if I may?
My pleasure!
Joy in HK, 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻Excellent point! The right also tried to make liberal a dirty word…Oxford dictionary defines this as “political & social philosophy that promotes individual rights, civil liberties, democracy, and free enterprise”.
“A supporter of policies that are socially progressive and promote social welfare.”
These “horrible” liberal beliefs can prevent them from hoarding wealth! The left needs to continue to point these things out. Despite the fact that right wing media ownership holds the Mic, making it difficult.
The higher education "system" has quite a few challenges but brainwashing students with woke theories is not one of them. As a retired part-time professor for 25 years, the most damaging indoctrination that can be found in most universities is one that Musk et al would love - that of capitalism and the primacy of shareholder profit. Universities practice what they preach by increasing profits and endowments from wealthy donors who ensure that concepts associated with using human and natural resources to support greed and growth is "good." They charge more and more to serve up outdated business philosophies about economic growth and success to dupe students into thinking that if they spend their way into debt to obtain this "knowledge" they too can be part of the American success story (which is pure hogwash). On a warming planet with finite resources, these theories are quite literally deadly. American universities NEED to undergo a radical transformation (some of us are working on it) and students need to learn to solve problems and think critically for an uncertain and dangerous future. But the self-centered billionaires boys club who complain about "woke" theories may not realize that universities are currently their best allies.
What I hate most is the unapologetic irony of certain influencial Black folk who decry going "woke!"
You know, Tim Scott, David Montgomery, Candice Owens, Joseph Ladapo, Herschel Walker, Michaelah Montgomery, Ben Carson and his loathsome wife, Clarence Thomas and HIS loathsome wife... the list goes on and is ever growing.
They betray their ancestors and themselves for filthy lucre.
Oh Adam, you nailed it! The irony is thick here in SC, Tim Scott, willing to ignore that challenges faced by black people, is all too willing to align himself with the worst of the worst, the white people who have created, and continue to create, the bulk of the challenges faced by black people.
I just don't understand how they can see their own face reflected in the mirror and not cringe!
This seems to me to be only part of the story. Left-leaners include more people with advanced degrees than conservatives do. Could it be that as the right embraced the lies of trickle-down economics, then anti-science religion, and finally fascism, "educated" came to be synonymous with "woke" in their eyes?
You nailed it.
The far-right is OK with indoctrination as long as they’re doing the indoctrinating, and their message is the only message. They also realize that it’s harder to peddle lies to someone with more education and life-experiences. I worked on an undergrad degree at a liberal arts school and dropped a required course in religion taught by a total bigot dressed in a black shirt and white collar after I sat through 6 hours of “why we should hate gays” and 6 hours of “why a woman’s place is in the kitchen.” I was reminded of this class after watching the video of Kansas City Chief’s kicker Harrison Butker deliver this year’s commencement address at Benedictine College. It was bizarre, ugly, and a symptom of a much larger issue facing our country. So much of what we hear from the Christian Right is grounded in hatred for black, brown, gay and trans people, and their willingness to relegate women to second-class citizenship.
Please keep putting this information out there.