… where the rain gets in
to stop my mind from wandering where it will go …
… and it really doesn’t matter if I’m wrong, I’m right
where I belong I’m right
The song on the Sgt Pepper album by Paul McCartney has been singing in my ear for a week.
What has been worrying me is that my children regard me as curmudgeonly and conservative, partly because I have professed myself to be an Anti Woke Warrior.
I don’t mind curmudgeonly, but conservative sticks in my craw.
So, I have been researching my feelings and thoughts on what woke values are.
My researcher, Google, gave me a good summary with which I pretty much agreed:
In summary, the anti-woke sentiment is a reaction to the enforcement of new societal norms that many conservatives feel are divisive, illogical, and detrimental to Western values like individual freedom and meritocracy
BUT …. the woke view that Western society is structurally racist, sexist, or oppressive no longer seems so radical to me in the light of the Trump rampage.
It certainly has been, historically.
I think equity is an ideal solution which can be reached without sacrificing meritocracy. More patience is needed.
The introduction of gender ideology into society and education has been mishandled and has caused significant antipathy.
Cancel culture and the imposition of alteration of language have been causes for conflict
Critical race theory, identity politics, institutional changes, history revision are all radical ideologies.
These have been powerfully illustrated by the Black Lives Matter and #metoo movements that sensationalised George Floyd and Harvey Weinstein sagas.
These were hyperinflated by media and virtue signalled by shallow thinking political opportunists, like the Democratic caucus and sports teams, taking a knee whenever opportune.
The promotion of these ideologies is what I regard as woke.
To me, it’s like the paradox of Trump: the direction and intent are right, but the execution of the intentions have been, hasty, clumsy, insensitive, alienating and ugly.
The age old dilemma: once a need for change or a better ideal has been identified, patience is abandoned and immediate realisation is demanded…
Slow down you move too fast…
- highlighting inequity is not wrong
- compelling change before acceptance is wrong.
After mature consideration and in the interests of facilitation of change ….
I hereby:
- conclude my campaign of anti woke
- reclaim my status as an avant garde conservative
sillysocksonfriday 