Down With The Wokestocracy and The Church of The Woke: The Revolution will not be memed

Before 1517, there was a single worldview and practice within the Christian faith (Catholicism). For over a1,000 years, this ideology extended it’s influence throughout the world; geographically, politically and economically. As a result, it became powerful and with power comes corruption and greed. Corruption and greed took over to the extent that people used the name of God to kill, conquer and gain influence. This demonstrates how pure ideas/fundamentalism and compassionate individuals can be used and manipulated to achieve harmful and unintentional outcomes.

Martin Luther noticed the aforementioned corruption and began questioning the status quo in 1571. Allegedly, on October 31 he nailed a list of 95 critiques the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. These 95 Theses opened the door for new ideas and world views which continue to profoundly impact human history. Albeit new thoughts were forming they were still united by a unifying answer for questions of the universe and human condition, God. For the next 2,000 years, maters of the natural world and human condition were all attributed to God and God alone. In the early 17th century, once again, a new set of ideas and worldview emerged, the Enlightenment. Logic, reason, and investigation had replaced fundamentalists explanation of “God” as being the sole explanation of the universe and human condition. God was not displaced, and it could be argued that God became even more significant to the human experience. Ideas of individual liberties and freedoms began to emerge and these “unalienable rights” were said to derive from God. This radical idea frees the individual from a governmental rule, places each individual in direct contact with God and ideally asserts the same “rights and privileges” to all. Humans had now left Dark Ages and were now “enlightened”. Human and political history since the Enlightenment has proved these ideas can be difficult to achieve and how much struggle and perseverance it takes to live in a “free society”.

At the dawn of 2020, I find myself questioning the status quo and am wondering if once again, fundamentalism ideas and compassionate individuals are being used and manipulated to achieve harmful and unintentional outcomes. Scholars are beginning to refer to the modern world as the “Post-Truth” period. Previously accepted historical and biological “truths” have been uprooted and replaced by a new set of rules and dogma, “woke ideology”. Within this framework, the sovereign individual is absorbed into a group identity. These groups are assigned positive/negative traits and each individual (willingly/unwillingly) assumes the traits of their group identity. This establishes a system that values “power” above all and creates a system of “good guys vs. bad guys” clamoring for the “power”. Woke culture essentially has embroiled humans in a battle with each other by preying on and utilizing kind-hearted and compassionate individuals as foot soldiers of destruction. The ideology is rooted in destructive political ideology and cultivates the inherently negative traits of all human beings. Just as Martin Luther and later Enlightenment thinkers began to question their worldviews/narratives; I believe humanity must once again, examine the status-quo, our hopes, and dreams and if continuing the status-quo is working towards those. If we truly desire peace, prosperity, and well-being, we must consider and engage in ideas and practices that promote peace, prosperity, and well-being; not division, destruction, shame, and resentment. Below are noticings, critiques, and alternatives to the “Wokestocracy and The Church of The Woke”. These “Theses” are an attempt to return to truth while pursuing the goals of individual well-being and societal harmony we all long for.

1. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
2. All human beings can see themselves as unique individual and to see others as unique individuals. We must engage in practices and mindsets that return the value and autonomy to the individual rather than the group identity.
3. Assigning/assuming a group identity to an individual is dehumanizing and lays the foundation for prejudice, aggression, and cruelty. This narrative establishes a system of “in-groups” and “outgroups”. Thus we view each other as “less than” ourselves; equipping us to dehumanize each other. This accentuates the human propensity for prejudice, aggression, and cruelty. Especially considering the human phenomena of mob mentality and groupthink. Therefore, the value must be placed on each individual.
4. Assigning preexisting and permanent privilege to a group identity further accelerates the human propensity for prejudice, aggression, and cruelty. Perpetuating this narrative fuels resentment and shame. The “privileged class” is likely to believe either a) they are superior to others or b) they are unworthy/undeserving. The “oppressed class” is likely to believe a) they are inferior to others or b) they are unworthy/undeserving. emotions manifest in anxiety, depression, addiction, isolation and the human propensities for prejudice, aggression, and cruelty. This narrative is often used for societal and governmental control. Removing this narrative means viewing “privilege” as situational, circumstantial and not a preexisting and permanent assigned trait.
5. Perpetuating a worldview of oppressor vs. oppressed presents the narrative that life is a zero-sum game of good guys and bad guys. This narrative is often used for societal and governmental control and increases feelings of shame and resentment. A society where behaviors are rooted in feelings of shame and resentment lives in turmoil and chaos. Therefore, this narrative is often used for societal and governmental control.
6. At the dawn of 2020 #6 and #7 are the dominant worldviews/narratives that not only shape the United States but also the world. The overarching theme and goal of these narratives are Marxism. Marxism manipulates the negative qualities of human behavior to establish a system in which a small ruling class holds dominion over its citizens. Promoting individual sovereignty and acknowledging our inalienable rights are derived from God and the government’s authority is to protect those rights, not to dictate or infringe on them.
7. Reconciling with America’s original sin of slavery. The most perverse and disgusting element of human history is the practice of enslaving other human beings. This practice began with early man and continues to present day with individuals of every race and ethnicity being both slaves and slave owners. A growing narrative places this horrific practice as a distinctly American practice. Throughout human history, members of our species have found it acceptable to own human beings as property. This practice is not limited to a single race or ethnicity. Individuals of all races/ethnicities have been slaves and slaveholders. While few individuals spoke out against slavery, a strong abolitionist awareness and movement did not emerge until the 19th-century. The criticism of American slavery is not on the atrocious human behavior associated with slavery but instead on capitalism and free-market economies. Therefore, placing the institution of slavery solely within the American context is academically lazy and morally manipulative. Reconciling the impact of American slavery must be simultaneously reconciled with the institution of slavery as a whole. The United States was founded on the grand idea of “We The People” and individual rights and liberties. Hopefully, races and ethnicities of all backgrounds will be able to unite behind these key principles and finally live out the vision that was first laid out by the Founding Fathers.
8. Revive the dream! More than 100 after the 13th Amendment abolished slavery in the United States, racial prejudices and injustices continued, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr began to challenge the status quo and set forth a new set of ideas and the dream for America was for its people to judge each other by the content of their character and not the color of their skin. Woke culture makes skin color THE most important characteristic of the individual. The longer this narrative is told and practiced the more prone to dehumanizing each other. Thus cultivating the human qualities of prejudice, aggression, and cruelty.
9. We must engage in open dialog and compassionate listening.
10. We must honor the dignity of all people at all times

Engaging in these thoughts and practices will lessen the human propensities for prejudice, aggression, and cruelty. The longer we tell the tale of “oppressed vs. oppressor” and value the group over the individual we will not be at peace with ourselves and each other. This isn’t achieved by the status quo of online behaviors; bullying, trolling, virtue-signaling and memeing. We all must engage with civility and dignity as we work towards establishing a world where compassion and civility reign.