Media. Schools. Universities. Churches. Corporations. Charities. Every single one of them has been either fully or partly captured by the ideology of neo-Marxism.
Hi, Jon - Thanks for pointing me to yet another book to add to my gargantuan TBR. I actually found the audio version of Rufo's book on Spotify, so it's on-deck following Enough Already by Scott Horton - though being old school, I do want to read both books in hard copy since I've always absorbed info better when I see it as opposed to listening while trying to multi-task.
And I can attest to sports outlets having nonsense like DEI and "social justice" shoved down our throats. I barely watch the NFL these days, and my overall love of professional sports has become null and void because of the way they shove these messages down our throats.
Sooner rather than later, let's hope more people start seeing through this and stop it in its tracks by tuning into other forms of entertainment or other outlets.
While the exposition of Gramsci's thinking here is largely correct--I am one of its devotees since 1970, along with Red Rhudi, although I've only gotten deep into it in the last decade--I always find these commentaries from the right amusing. If only it were so! I can assure you that our universities are firmly in the grip of the capitalist class and its political defenders.
Which is not to so we had zero influence. We did have an impact in certain philosophy, sociology and history depts in the 1960s and 1970s. For example, we won a hearing of WEB DuBois 'Black Reconstruction' as a powerful refutation of the neoconfederate 'Dunning School' that wrote Blacks out our history as stupid and inferior, if worth mentioning at all.
But even in those departments, the usual liberals hold sway over the radicals. And it's only a rare Econ Dept that teaches Marx at all. And some of our early influence has worn down at bit. Students these days are burdened by a level of student debt unthinkable in our time. And in NYC and California, tuition was free! Imagine that! If the left had the clout the right imagines it has, we might have spread it far and wide. But keep it up. Hopefully, you'll spur new interest in my favorite communist.
In organizing a dozen or more left-oriented national academic conferences over two or so decades, covering hundreds of universities, I could count the number of depts anywhere near 'fully' on the fingers of one hand, and one one university (located in NY, I'll leave you to guess which one). As I said, I would love your claims to be true. All I can think that would make you think so is you would consider FDR and his hangers on as Gramscians of some sort, when at best, they were rather wimpy social democrats determined to prove Marx wrong. As for the roots of DEI, you'll find them in the three Reconstruction Amendments, but who knows? Perhaps you're one of the '10thers' who only back the first 10 Amendments, and like Madison, even dislike those.
Great comments, and for now in the USA things are improving, but the poison now runs deep, and really now the status quo in Canadian institutions, and sadly I see more social unrest and conflict on the horizon. The world views are irreconcilable, and the classical liberal normies (the majority of the population) and increasingly at odds with the captured institutions and the people that run them.
I never tried to gather the data, but I always mused among friends that, if we tracked the hardcore campus radicals from the late 60s, one third went to academe, the balance got JDs or MBAs with a smattering attending seminary with a focus on social action/justice. Hailing from the world of high finance, I have seen evidence there firsthand.
Thank you for bringing attention to what is one of the biggest threats to our very existence. ~3 years back, I started following the awesome output of James Lindsay, with his ‘New Discourses’. The hijacking is so pervasive and seemingly complete.
Inversion and subversion are not so obvious. But when you see it, you cannot unsee it.
I believe that it's too late. Western civilization has already fallen to the barbarian hordes. The massive purge required to reverse the long march would not be tolerated by society.
I think it’s a little weirder than what’s contemplated here. Process can have transformative effects. Gramsci saw the failure of revolution in the West and recognized that in Russia capturing the State was all because Russia was so statist. So revolution in the West might be through the long march through the institutions. From a Marxist standpoint , this was problematic (despite the Communists embracing the dead Gramsci in a way similar to their embrace of Rosa Luxemburg. My point being, that neither fit firmly within the Leninist paradigm). Once you’re promoting revolution in this manner, the revolution starts to detach itself from the proletariat. That’s the beginning of the end of Marxism. Now working its way through the institutions has lead to a transformation. I would say what’s being called cultural Marxism has turned into, to use Marxist terms ,a form of bourgeois ideology that’s essentially repressive and ugly but not all that Marxist.My point is, we are talking about something I dislike intensely but it isn’t Marxism. Mere pedantry on my part.I don’t think so. You need to identify the enemy correctly.
Pas d’ennemis a gauche is still working its magic, but can Thermidor arrive? Mr. Rufo is asking a lot.
I read Mr. Hughes book and thought it a reasoned tome. The reaction to it is from people who may not be revolutionaries, but rent-seekers wanting to preserve a grift.
These might be people who are done with the long march and just want to sit down and take it easy.
These institutions need a controlled burn to remove the Marxist dead wood. Otherwise the rot will continue to fester.
Hi, Jon - Thanks for pointing me to yet another book to add to my gargantuan TBR. I actually found the audio version of Rufo's book on Spotify, so it's on-deck following Enough Already by Scott Horton - though being old school, I do want to read both books in hard copy since I've always absorbed info better when I see it as opposed to listening while trying to multi-task.
And I can attest to sports outlets having nonsense like DEI and "social justice" shoved down our throats. I barely watch the NFL these days, and my overall love of professional sports has become null and void because of the way they shove these messages down our throats.
Sooner rather than later, let's hope more people start seeing through this and stop it in its tracks by tuning into other forms of entertainment or other outlets.
I can't stand the banal SJ messaging, which is even emblazoned into the field and on helmets.
While the exposition of Gramsci's thinking here is largely correct--I am one of its devotees since 1970, along with Red Rhudi, although I've only gotten deep into it in the last decade--I always find these commentaries from the right amusing. If only it were so! I can assure you that our universities are firmly in the grip of the capitalist class and its political defenders.
Which is not to so we had zero influence. We did have an impact in certain philosophy, sociology and history depts in the 1960s and 1970s. For example, we won a hearing of WEB DuBois 'Black Reconstruction' as a powerful refutation of the neoconfederate 'Dunning School' that wrote Blacks out our history as stupid and inferior, if worth mentioning at all.
But even in those departments, the usual liberals hold sway over the radicals. And it's only a rare Econ Dept that teaches Marx at all. And some of our early influence has worn down at bit. Students these days are burdened by a level of student debt unthinkable in our time. And in NYC and California, tuition was free! Imagine that! If the left had the clout the right imagines it has, we might have spread it far and wide. But keep it up. Hopefully, you'll spur new interest in my favorite communist.
:Every single one of them has been either fully or partly captured by the ideology of neo-Marxism."
Note the word partially. And then consider the ideological roots of DEI, ESG, etc.
In organizing a dozen or more left-oriented national academic conferences over two or so decades, covering hundreds of universities, I could count the number of depts anywhere near 'fully' on the fingers of one hand, and one one university (located in NY, I'll leave you to guess which one). As I said, I would love your claims to be true. All I can think that would make you think so is you would consider FDR and his hangers on as Gramscians of some sort, when at best, they were rather wimpy social democrats determined to prove Marx wrong. As for the roots of DEI, you'll find them in the three Reconstruction Amendments, but who knows? Perhaps you're one of the '10thers' who only back the first 10 Amendments, and like Madison, even dislike those.
You think the 13 Amendment, etc are examples of DEI?
Great comments, and for now in the USA things are improving, but the poison now runs deep, and really now the status quo in Canadian institutions, and sadly I see more social unrest and conflict on the horizon. The world views are irreconcilable, and the classical liberal normies (the majority of the population) and increasingly at odds with the captured institutions and the people that run them.
I never tried to gather the data, but I always mused among friends that, if we tracked the hardcore campus radicals from the late 60s, one third went to academe, the balance got JDs or MBAs with a smattering attending seminary with a focus on social action/justice. Hailing from the world of high finance, I have seen evidence there firsthand.
Thank you for bringing attention to what is one of the biggest threats to our very existence. ~3 years back, I started following the awesome output of James Lindsay, with his ‘New Discourses’. The hijacking is so pervasive and seemingly complete.
Inversion and subversion are not so obvious. But when you see it, you cannot unsee it.
Shine a light!
I believe that it's too late. Western civilization has already fallen to the barbarian hordes. The massive purge required to reverse the long march would not be tolerated by society.
I think it’s a little weirder than what’s contemplated here. Process can have transformative effects. Gramsci saw the failure of revolution in the West and recognized that in Russia capturing the State was all because Russia was so statist. So revolution in the West might be through the long march through the institutions. From a Marxist standpoint , this was problematic (despite the Communists embracing the dead Gramsci in a way similar to their embrace of Rosa Luxemburg. My point being, that neither fit firmly within the Leninist paradigm). Once you’re promoting revolution in this manner, the revolution starts to detach itself from the proletariat. That’s the beginning of the end of Marxism. Now working its way through the institutions has lead to a transformation. I would say what’s being called cultural Marxism has turned into, to use Marxist terms ,a form of bourgeois ideology that’s essentially repressive and ugly but not all that Marxist.My point is, we are talking about something I dislike intensely but it isn’t Marxism. Mere pedantry on my part.I don’t think so. You need to identify the enemy correctly.
Pas d’ennemis a gauche is still working its magic, but can Thermidor arrive? Mr. Rufo is asking a lot.
I read Mr. Hughes book and thought it a reasoned tome. The reaction to it is from people who may not be revolutionaries, but rent-seekers wanting to preserve a grift.
These might be people who are done with the long march and just want to sit down and take it easy.