How Woke rhetoric poisons local politics
Increasingly, local progressive politicians are making wild, public race- and gender-based accusations that are demonstrably and transparently false. But local media doesn't hold them to account, and influential institutions cave under fear of being accused of Thought Crimes. Forensic attorney and linguistic scholar Dr. Alan Perlman explores the long-term impact on local political culture, and how it can be reversed. An Opportunity Now exclusive interview.
Opp Now: When politicians like SJ Councilmember Sylvia Arenas (see nearby) carelessly accuse people who disagree with them of racism, what impact does that have on our political ecosystem? On intelligent debate? On democracy itself?
Dr. Alan Perlman: The technique is a 6th grade form of debate: It's just name-calling. It's not meant to extend argument or discussion, it's meant to end the debate, to shut down discussion. I'm sure you've seen it in Silicon Valley--its goal is to frighten and intimidate people--especially other politicians and power institutions--into silence. And it's been sadly and widely successful in that regard. It's a technique that aims to suppress opposing arguments, and to shut down the free marketplace of ideas that is at the heart of a democracy. It aims for ideological rigidity.
The question for us now is how to oppose it and retard its progress.
ON: What are the institutions that are most complicit in the spread of this attack on free and fair speech?
AP: Media is certainly part of it. Reporters and editors are often aligned with Woke principles, so they parrot baseless accusations at face value. Large organizations and institutions cave where confronted with false allegations of racism, etc., and further empower the movement. But I would also indict the educational system for failing to teach and demand any level of critical thinking among students and teachers. That's where these ideas start and where they should be confronted. But they're not confronted, and people get manipulated at a very young age and become unable to accept contrary points of view.
ON: How can it be stopped?
AP: The answer to bad speech is more good, thoughtful speech. People in positions of authority and power and influence need to stand up, at the right place and the right time, and confront the falsehoods. They need to force the Woke name-callers to actually answer arguments, not deflect to wild accusations. We need to stay on point, not take the bait, and keep the argument focused on ideas. The best ideas will still win, but they need people with backbone and persistence to make the argument.
I see this happening all the time right now with parents going to school boards to complain about outrageous, racially divisive curricula. They are not intimidated, they are standing their ground, and they are winning.
Dr. Alan Perlman is a PhD and forensic linguist based in NH. Read more of his work here.
Follow Opportunity Now on Twitter @svopportunity.
Photo taken by James Vaughan.