There is something ghostly and ghastly about the resurrection of British author George Orwell in contemporary politics, especially in the reaction to the disruption and transformation of public policy now taking place.
“Peak Woke”
My University Sacrificed Ideas for Ideology. So Today I Quit.
The more I spoke out against the illiberalism that has swallowed Portland State University, the more retaliation I faced.
Dear Provost Susan Jeffords,
I’m writing to you today to resign as assistant professor of philosophy at Portland State University.
Over the last decade, it has been my privilege to teach at the university. My specialties are critical thinking, ethics and the Socratic method, and I teach classes like Science and Pseudoscience and The Philosophy of Education. But in addition to exploring classic philosophers and traditional texts, I’ve invited a wide range of guest lecturers to address my classes, from Flat-Earthers to Christian apologists to global climate skeptics to Occupy Wall Street advocates. I’m proud of my work.
Richmond’s Robert E. Lee Statue Removed
A statue of Confederate commander Robert E. Lee was removed from its base in Richmond, Virginia’s capital, early on Wednesday after a yearlong legal battle over a monument that has been the focus of protests over racial injustice.
I was born and raised in Richmond, Va. This is a terrible desecration of history and heritage. By the way, how many people know that Robert E. Lee wanted to free the slaves?
h/t Marvin
A Taliban Of Our Own: Book burning at Ontario francophone schools as ‘gesture of reconciliation’ denounced
A book burning held by an Ontario francophone school board as an act of reconciliation with Indigenous people has received sharp condemnation from Canadian political leaders and the board itself now says it regrets its symbolic gesture.
None have read a book on history?
National Archives Places ‘Harmful Language Alert’ On Page Hosting U.S. Constitution.
The alert now appears on many pages on the archives.org website, and links to a page entitled “NARA’s Statement on Potentially Harmful Content,” which they define as:
- reflect racist, sexist, ableist, misogynistic/misogynoir, and xenophobic opinions and attitudes;
- be discriminatory towards or exclude diverse views on sexuality, gender, religion, and more;
- include graphic content of historical events such as violent death, medical procedures, crime, wars/terrorist acts, natural disasters and more;
- demonstrate bias and exclusion in institutional collecting and digitization policies.
Bizarrely, the warning does not appear on a page about Jim Crow, which has no fewer than 6 uses of the word “n*gg*r.” Nor does it appear on a page with the word “k*ke.”
Some people should have small rocks tossed at them…
The State Department and the EU are concerned the all-male Taliban government isn’t diverse enough
Late on Tuesday, a US State Department spokesman said: “We note the announced list of names consists exclusively of individuals who are members of the Taliban or their close associates and no women.”
Update – Of course Canada’s Sharia Council of the Woke – CBC News is running with the same idiocy. Funny how they made the Ceeb’s “news” service free for streaming this month. Justin’s propagandists never miss a trick.
San Francisco now pays people $300-a-month not to shoot each other in woke city where ‘crime is basically legal’
San Francisco is offering to pay people $300 a month – if they promise not to shoot each other.
The ‘woke’ scheme to curb soaring violent crime is set to begin in October, offering gift cards as an incentive for prospective criminals to lay down their guns.
Called the Dream Keeper Fellowship, the pilot program will kick off with 10 individuals who are deemed at high risk of committing a shooting or being shot, paying them $300 to act as ‘public safety ambassadors.’
Just weeks after removing a ‘racist’ rock from campus, University of Wisconsin-Madison set to host ‘Welcome BBQ’ for only students of color
The “Welcome BBQ” flyer states that the free event is for “students of color,” and is intended to welcome back students who are “self-identified people of color.”
Woke homophobia: It used to be the religious right that hated homosexuals – now it’s the woke mob.
Imagine living in a country where a gay man could be screamed and jeered at in the streets simply for declaring his support for people who are same-sex attracted. A country where a gay man could be publicly harassed and shamed for standing up for the rights of homosexuals. A country where the mob erupts into ecstatic cheers when said gay man is led away by the cops. Well, if you are reading this in the UK, you live in that country. This is happening right here. But here’s the twist: it isn’t the far right or blue-rinse Christian fundamentalists who are treating gay people in this foul, oppressive way – it’s the woke set.
‘They would have torn me apart, it was terrifying’
Alexander Bramham, from LGB Alliance, was assaulted at Manchester Pride yesterday and says ‘I’m tired of this rhetoric saying we’re a hate group, because we’re not’ pic.twitter.com/5HuViz6rSc
— GB News (@GBNEWS) August 29, 2021
‘Peak End of Empire’: Met Police SKEWERED for reportedly considering new ‘woke gender-neutral uniform’ for officers
Scotland Yard has drawn ridicule for indulging in “woke political nonsense” after it emerged that the UK’s largest police force is apparently set to conduct a review into whether to issue gender-neutral uniforms to its officers.
The Metropolitan Police is reportedly consulting its 30,000 officers on the current uniform. With the contract with its current uniform supplier set to expire in 2023, the force is said to be reviewing what changes need to be made when a new contract is signed.
Biden Is ‘More Concerned With Pronouns’ Than National Security Says James Woods
James Woods blasted the Biden administration Thursday accusing them of being more concerned with woke policy and pronounces than in the “harsh realities of today’s world.”
America In Afghanistan: From The Greatest Generation To The Softest In Just 80 Years
Thursday’s horrific bombings in Kabul, Afghanistan were many things. They were shocking and they were infuriating. They were preventable and they were embarrassing. And make no mistake, they were entirely the fault of our pathetic Commander-in-Chief: President Joseph R. Biden. But Thursday’s bloodbath was also illustrative. As we approach two significant anniversaries in the coming months, the carnage we saw this week exemplifies the ongoing erosion of America’s resolve, credibility, and collective courage. In just 80 years, the United States, which was once a fearsome foe, is now a complete laughingstock.
‘Politicising Childhood’: Activists spark rage by linking ‘Tiger Who Came to Tea’ classic kids’ book to rape & abuse of women
A Scottish domestic abuse watchdog has drawn flak for spreading “woke rot” after claiming that classic children’s book ‘The Tiger Who Came to Tea’ reinforces “harmful” gender stereotypes that could lead to violence against women.
This tweet says it best.
There is something so deeply sinister about these organisations. Their obsession with politicising childhood and children, tilting their view of the world to match their own cultish hatreds, and robbing them of beautiful stories written by such inspirational figures as Kerr.
— Emily Kate 🏴 (@BucketsOf_Rain) August 24, 2021
Did ‘gender studies’ lose Afghanistan?
Twenty years of war in Afghanistan are over. What comes next is 20 years, or even more, of recriminations and blame for why the war ended as it did. Scholars and partisans still argue over the reasons America lost in Vietnam, so why should Afghanistan be any different?
On the plus side, the debate promises to be far more interesting. When it comes to Vietnam, partisans debate rules of engagement, bombing strategies, funding levels, and the Tet Offensive. With Afghanistan, the question could be: did gender studies cause America to suffer its most humiliating defeat ever? Cockburn wishes he was joking.