Why I am anti-woke:
I believe in liberal values like equality, individual autonomy, civil liberties, tolerance of other perspectives & people, secularism, democracy, openness, freedom of thought & speech.
Wokeness is illiberalism. It restricts freedom of thought & speech 1/
by coercion, intimidation, & threats of cancellation.
It has divided people into ‘right think’ & ‘wrong think’,
It actively seeks to cancel the latter.
This is intolerant & vengeful.
It censors free speech & inhibits civil liberties.
2/
It goes against MLK’s dream & judges people by the colour of their skin not the contents of their character.
Keeps people in line threat of cancellation, public shaming.
It encourages violence.
This is antisocial behaviour.
Nothing about this aligns with my values.
End/
Keeps people in line with*
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What indoctrination looks like: 🧵 1. You say something innocuous. 2. You’re informed you’re ‘problematic’ and told to ‘do better 🤬’. 3. You’re taken aback, flustered, on the back foot because you’re confused. You apologise profusely for causing offence & say it wasn’t
1/
intentional. 4. You’re essentially attacked & told with great vitriol that ‘impact ALWAYS trumps intent’. 5. You feel shamed, wonder how you didn’t know this & everyone else seems to, vulnerable (key emotion)- and you internalise the ‘rule’.
6. Soon after you see something ‘problematic’ & the person also says, ‘I’m sorry it wasn’t my intention’. 7. You repeat what was done to you, and inform them ‘impact ALWAYS trumps intent’. 8. Other people back you up this time, you’re part of the group, & it feels really good to
Honour your intergenerational pain, I would never suggest otherwise- but draw from your intergenerational resilience.
My grandparents & ancestors lived through genocides, colonisation, emigrating, racism, patriarchy- more than I can imagine. My maternal grandmother was married
at 14, she wasn’t literate, my Grandfather educated her. She died in 2017 the author of multiple books, recipient of awards, a matriarch in the British Asian community.
My paternal grandmother was widowed at 50, and took on more responsibility than women of her generation were
allowed to even think of. She lived austerely like a nun almost, stoic, courageous, and always in good humour- after losing everything.
Immigrants often have no option, but they’re also brave & adventurous of spirit.
After partition so many displaced Indians & Pakistanis