Tom Ellis
Jul 26, 2023

While I agree, broadly, with your critique of many of the excesses of postmodern ideology, I regret that by even using the term "wokeness" you are lending credibility to the Right Wing, which uses the undefined term "woke" to demonize everyone and everything they hate, from compassion for the poor to women's rights and environmental awareness. In this respect, "woke" for the neofascist Right is the exact equivalent of "bourgeois" or "counter-revolutionary" for Stalinists.

. I would also point out that their choice of a generic sneer word with origins in African-American dialect is not accidental--it is a racist dogwhistle. In short, there is no such thing as "wokeism" outside of the fever swamp of right-wing hate-mongering, and by even using this term, you are empowering the forces of greed, ignorance, hatred, and denial.

Tom Ellis
Tom Ellis

Written by Tom Ellis

I am a retired English professor now living in Oregon, and a life-long environmental activist, Buddhist, and holistic philosopher.

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