Those defending political correctness (now rebadged as being woke) argue it is a form of politeness and civility and it pressures people to treat others with fairness and respect. There is an element of truth in such an argument as it is wrong to unfairly vilify and denigrate others because of their beliefs or their way of life. There’s no place for racism, misogyny, homophobia, sexism or classism in a fair and open society.
What the cultural-left ignores, judged by the Human Freedom Index 2020, published by the Cato and Fraser institutes and based on a 2017–2018 index, is that Western nations overwhelmingly dominate the top 20 positions. Based on the rule of law, personal security and freedom of movement, speech, religion and assembly it’s obvious the countries considered the freest trace their origins to Western civilisation and, in many cases, the New Testament.
The veneer of equality
While PC pretends to be about overcoming disadvantage and promoting equity and freedom the reality is it is underpinned by radical, cultural-left ideology that can be traced back to neo-Marxism and the emergence of critical theory. Central to the left’s long march is the decision to take control of institutions including schools and universities, church, family, media and intermediary organisations.
It is no accident that Australia’s Roz Ward justifies the gender fluidity Safe Schools program in terms of Marxist ideology or that much of the sociology of education portrays schools and education as servants of capitalism – describing them as an essential part of the ideological state apparatus used to reinforce the power and domination of the elites.
Since Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx published The Communist Manifesto in 1848 and wrote “workers of the world unite!” Communism became one of the most powerful and influential ideologies shaping world history. Whether the Russian revolution and the rise of the USSR as a world power or the impact of communism in China, South-East Asia and South America, communism has impacted on the lives of countless numbers of people.
Central to communism is the belief that the right to own property and make a profit is inherently unjust and oppressive. If the revolution is to succeed, the workers must overthrow the status quo and take control of the state apparatus and the modes and means of production. If violence and terror are what is required to achieve the workers’ paradise then the end will always justify the means.
When politics absorbs morality
When discussing the nihilistic and evil nature of communism Augusto Del Noce writes in The Ascendance of Eroticism, “every kind of violence, every ruse, every illegal action, every dissimulation, and every deception become licit if they are deemed to be necessary to reach the goal … politics absorbs morality within itself, and it would seem there could not be a more radical violation of the traditional moral code”.
In this Machiavellian world of political and social action there is no right or wrong based on what is ethical or morally good, there is simply the desire to gain power for power’s sake. Hence the need to destroy Christianity and to replace religious faith with worshiping the glorious leader destined to bring about a utopia on this earth.
As argued by Mao Zedong “Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun”. In China, as a result, during Mao’s reign of terror over 50 million Chinese died because of starvation, torture and execution. And as so clearly illustrated in George Orwell’s Animal Farm, while communism and socialism begin with the promise of equality and freedom they quickly descend into violence, terror and oppression.
Under Stalin millions also died, starved and were imprisoned and citizens faced a bleak and barren life compared to those in the West where capitalism, Christianity and liberalism ensured a standard of living far beyond what communism could ever provide. In Cambodia under Pol Pot’s reign of terror approximately two million died, the country was bankrupted and those who survived lived in daily terror.
While politically correct mind control and woke group think are not as violent or evil as totalitarian regimes the underlying rationale is the same. Both seek to radically change society by cancelling Christianity, destroying the family and denying the rights and freedoms so often taken for granted.
Dr Kevin Donnelly’s latest book The Dictionary Of Woke is being launched by Sky News’ Chris Kenny in Sydney, 20th September. Tickets are available here.