search
Aryeh Schonbrun

La guerra cultural contra México: ‘Wokeism’ as an Imperialist Ploy

Most people living in America today are only too familiar with the major cultural debate captivating the nation surrounding ‘Wokeism,’ an ultra-progressive ideology. Previously a largely marginal issue involving only a small group of minorities, this uncomfortable debate has pierced the public consciousness and played a disproportionate role in the incredible polarization of society that we have experienced over the last decade. Since too much ink has already been wasted on the topic, as it has become a favorite fetish of a plethora of self-righteous and opportunistic social commentators and performative activists on both sides of the debate, I would prefer to avoid the moralistic debate entirely and instead focus on the underlying geopolitical dynamics that gave rise to the phenomenon.

At face value, ‘Wokeism’ is a natural evolution of traditional progress and liberation movements of the past. However, its strong ties to established media (including social media) and commercial institutions seem to stand out. This phenomenon of ‘woke capitalism,’ a sophisticated form of ‘pink-washing’ also known as ‘corporate sociopolitical activism,’ introduces an element of government involvement and social control (i.e. ‘cancel culture’) that points to deeper state interests. Though the topic tends to interest me less than other issues such as the wars in Israel and the Ukraine, possibly due to the fact that I’ve been out of the country for the majority of the time that this debate has been raging, America’s outsized influence in global affairs makes it important to investigate.

In Israel, the question of ‘Wokeness’ is present in the public sphere, but is mostly relegated to the Zionist elites in Tel Aviv and the affluent settlements in the West Bank. Most Israelis have not really encountered the phenomenon in any significant way, and they must contend with the raucous chorus of the myriad of other problems, some of them quite existential, currently plaguing their society. In Europe, ‘Wokeism’ is generally seen as a uniquely American curiosity, a peculiar, foreign cultural influence from across the pond. In the third world, the rambunctious debate is seen as both nearsighted and narcissistic, since it grabs much of the attention that the developing world deserves from Americans. In the face of food and water shortages, climate change and wars, the niche, privileged and self-serving debate surrounding gender pronouns, for example, does not interest the average human and just serves to isolate us from the rest of our species.

In fact, according to my observations, the isolation of the American political sphere from the rest of human civilization is not just a necessary consequence, a byproduct, of our irrational and corrupt cultural debates, but the fundamental, deep-seated purpose of the debate from the get-go. The gradual closing of the American mind, which began in the period immediately following our victory over the U.S.S.R. and accelerated greatly in the post-9/11 era of xenophobia and paranoia, has since taken on a pernicious form of mechanized cultural hegemony that threatens our relationship with the rest of humanity. Regardless of the objective merits of ‘woke’ policies, or of the ‘anti-woke’ neoliberal counter-culture, the debate itself is alienating us from the rest of the world. The extent to which we have have invested our vast social, political and economic resources in this self-centered, abstract obsession only proves our utter indifference and apathy towards the mass suffering of the vast multitudes of humanity who desperately need our help.

Additionally, the fetishistic debate that has overtaken our nation not only deprives the outside world of our sympathies but actively reinforces our baseless sense of importance and superiority over those who need not lose themselves in such frivolous pursuits. Progressive ideology has consistently served the neocon propaganda interests of the Democrats when assailing Vladimir Putin’s human rights record, as well as covered for the human rights abuses of Israel by delegitimizing Palestinian culture as backwards and patriarchal. Republicans, on the other hand, love to associate any critique of America’s imperialist agenda with the ‘woke’ left, and thus ignore even the blatant inequality of America’s internal social structure. Both the ‘woke’ left and the reactionary, neoliberal right work together to ignore the concerns of Americans by exploiting irrational extremes in order to drown out the sane center.

More cruelly so, ‘Wokeism’ is being used as a cultural wedge between us Americans and our Mexican neighbors. In general, Mexican-Americans, especially recent immigrants, identify as more socially conservative than their American peers and thus less susceptible to ‘Wokeness’. Protected by a strong sense of religious identity (typically Catholic) and grounded in the harsh reality that prompted their emigration, Mexicans in America tend to show less interest in many of the petty debates embroiling our society. To some on the ‘Woke’ left, they represent a backwards, third-world approach to such issues.

A few years ago, as I was touring Italy, I met a young Mexican-American exchange student from Oregon, a state known for it ‘Wokeness’ and extreme liberalism, who complained to me about the inherent, systemic racism that he perceived in the dismissive attitude that many had towards the cultural values of his devoutly Catholic, immigrant parents. He explained to me that this imperialistic condescension, coupled with the overt racism of Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda, made him feel increasingly fenced-in and was alienating him from his American identity. He confided in me that he was indeed looking to ‘escape’ to Europe, and to possibly settle down for longer than just his semester abroad in Germany (I recommended that he try his luck in Spain instead). Unsurprisingly, his story resonated with me. Here was a fellow disenchanted young American, with strong ties to the developing world, who felt out of place in both societies.

Extreme ‘Wokeism’ is not merely a capitalist tool, a way of diverting attention from domestic corruption, but a geopolitical strategy promoted with the clear intent of isolating Americans from other cultures (especially from the subversive, internal threat that Mexican-Catholic culture poses to the WASP establishment) through the reinforcement of a culture of jingoistic moral superiority. Regardless of the good intentions of its supporters, the wider impact of the ideology must be assessed, including the detrimental effect of such high standards of inclusion on our perception of other societies and cultures. In the context of Mr. Trump’s war on immigration, I would advise those on the left to work directly with Mexican communities. Those who claim to care about the fate of their neighbors must not judge them for their differing values. They have the right to be heard as they are without fear of being cancelled.

About the Author
Originally from Westchester, NY, Aryeh made Aliyah 7 years ago.
Related Topics
Related Posts