Saul Linksy's "Rules for Radicals" pioneered a certain political meta game.
Bret Weinstein articulates the tactics used by social justice movement to achieve institutional power in this vid
Interested in hearing counterpoints
Summary of his thoughts👇
Bret Weinstein articulates the tactics used by social justice movement to achieve institutional power in this vid
Interested in hearing counterpoints
Summary of his thoughts👇
Paraphrasing: Social justice is less a fleshed out logical argument than it is a rhetorical perspective shift
SJ has achieved immunity to inquiry
& Yet it has built a home in the institution that you'd think is the safe haven for inquiry: universities
SJ has achieved immunity to inquiry
& Yet it has built a home in the institution that you'd think is the safe haven for inquiry: universities
Tactic 1: Redefining concepts of prejudice such that the criteria is much more expansive but we keep the same punishment as the old crime
While also not explicitly defining them so ppl are violating by default, & dunno how to comply even if they want to
While also not explicitly defining them so ppl are violating by default, & dunno how to comply even if they want to
One example is the word equality, now rebranded as equity
It used to ~mean same legal treatment. Now it means same economic outcome(to make up for previous inequality)
We call it equality of "opportunity", but it's impossible to entangle from "outcome"
It used to ~mean same legal treatment. Now it means same economic outcome(to make up for previous inequality)
We call it equality of "opportunity", but it's impossible to entangle from "outcome"
Rebranding liberal as "freedom from" to "freedom to"
Once obvious legal inequalities were rooted out (tho not all), inequalities of outcomes remained, so "equality of opportunity" rebranded to include more (see evolution of ACLU)
amazon.com/gp/product/B01…
Once obvious legal inequalities were rooted out (tho not all), inequalities of outcomes remained, so "equality of opportunity" rebranded to include more (see evolution of ACLU)
amazon.com/gp/product/B01…
Tactic 2: Dividing the world cleanly btw oppressor & oppressed, + calling for economic & status redistribution accordingly
At extreme, it implies a zero-sum world where positive outcomes are at the expense of others vs created
& everyone's an oppressor:
At extreme, it implies a zero-sum world where positive outcomes are at the expense of others vs created
& everyone's an oppressor:
Tactic 3: Prioritizing experiences over population studies
Oppression is in the eye of the beholder—as long as they're not oppressors themselves
By prioritizing specific anecdotes over dispassionate population analysis, it could make it harder to address systemic discrimination
Oppression is in the eye of the beholder—as long as they're not oppressors themselves
By prioritizing specific anecdotes over dispassionate population analysis, it could make it harder to address systemic discrimination
Tactic 4: Standpoint epistemology.
The idea that one's identity is relevant to the truth of their belief.
This elevates certain groups over other groups relative to their standing in the progressive stack
bleedingheartlibertarians.com/2016/11/though…
The idea that one's identity is relevant to the truth of their belief.
This elevates certain groups over other groups relative to their standing in the progressive stack
bleedingheartlibertarians.com/2016/11/though…
Tactic 5: Redefining speech as violence, thus enabling self-defense
When you're defending yourself, you can justify any attack
But if you are above the oppressor/oppressed line, then you are violating by default & any defense is an attack
Exaggerated:
When you're defending yourself, you can justify any attack
But if you are above the oppressor/oppressed line, then you are violating by default & any defense is an attack
Exaggerated:
Tactic 6: (Quoting Van Jones), seeing all discomfort or conflict as abuse, as opposed to (sometimes) something that makes you stronger or anti-fragile
Full Van Jones quote:
Equating conflict w/ abuse:
amazon.com/dp/B01LZXGXDH/…
Full Van Jones quote:
Equating conflict w/ abuse:
amazon.com/dp/B01LZXGXDH/…
Tactic 7: Relying on due process & free speech to gain power, & discarding it once successful
Every form of social progress from civil rights to women’s rights to gay rights was made possible by free speech, which enabled a (great) change of hearts&minds
Every form of social progress from civil rights to women’s rights to gay rights was made possible by free speech, which enabled a (great) change of hearts&minds
Bret draws a 2by2 matrix of, 1 side, Left or Right, &, on the other, Libertarian or Authoritarian
He claims that libertarian right (gov't out of economy) & left (gov't out of social engineering) have enough in common they should merge against the authoritarian left & right.
He claims that libertarian right (gov't out of economy) & left (gov't out of social engineering) have enough in common they should merge against the authoritarian left & right.
Tactic 8: Work tirelessly over decades to institutionalize in academia & the law (& Hollywood)
No substitute for hard work
/Not analyzing the underlying claims here as much as trying to describe how social justice has been unstoppable last 10 yrs
COVID's effects still TBD
No substitute for hard work
/Not analyzing the underlying claims here as much as trying to describe how social justice has been unstoppable last 10 yrs
COVID's effects still TBD
Next level potential expansion strategy: Transform areas of competition that previously were totally objective (e.g. math) into subjective such that they can be more easily evaluated using power dynamics
Next level potential entrenchment strategy: Redefine diversity from being about including under-represented minorities to including people w/ ideological commitment to furthering social justice. "Thomas Sowell need not apply"
Of course the movement is large, has many factions & thus lots of ppl who would disagree w/ elements of this & wouldn't subscribe to all these tactics
The movement also decentralized so it isn't top down as much as it is emergent (which is more impressive)
The movement also decentralized so it isn't top down as much as it is emergent (which is more impressive)
My personal view is that the big challenge of our time is reconciling egalitarianism & meritocracy such that we can have both of them without threatening either.
Threading that needle is how we solve the culture war.
Threading that needle is how we solve the culture war.
Interested in hearing civil & constructive feedback to Bret's analysis here (ad hominem attacks on any group or quote tweets piling on or attacking will be blocked)
