If you’re tempted to praise Milley’s comments on white rage, consider this:
- he equates Critical Race Theory to Mao — i.e., “studying the enemy”
- he bristles at “woke” as if it’s an accusation
- centers military cohesion as the reason we need CRT — not basic morality
The biggest problem with General Milley’s comments on white rage is the equivalence he draws between Critical Race Theory and communist theorists:
“I’ve read Mao, Karl Marx, Lenin. That doesn’t make me a communist.”
Let’s unpack this, because ohhhhhhh does it matter.
1. Milley cites Mao, Marx, and Lenin as necessary reading in academic settings “to be well read.”
What does this imply?
A preemptive, inherent disagreement with the theoretical concept, given the parallels he draws with “enemy” ideologies.
2. In ostensibly championing Critical Race Theory, Milley actually dismisses it with the communist theorists he cites, and in turn, disavows communism.
This invokes a relationship between Black freedom struggles and… communism.
If you know your civil rights history….YIKES.
3. Milley’s communist theories-Critical Race Theory analogy replicates the EXACT same argument used by white supremacists in the Civil Rights Era.
In Cold War-era logic:
Soviet Communists (at the behest of the Jews) manipulated ‘stupid Blacks’ to destroy white domination.
4. The rhetoric of “cultural Marxism” used in the GOP today was, in fact, a creation of white supremacist (i don’t use that term loosely) ideologues.
Neo Nazis today (and their more “respectable” brethren) invoke the same communist conspiracy lens to discredit BLM.
YIKES.
The (one) irony here:
If General Milley saw CRT as useful beyond the academic realm (or studied it), he’d recognize Civil Rights era problems that remain today.
Even these “supportive” remarks on Critical Race Theory and white rage prove why CRT is desperately needed.
I’ll try to bang out a blog post on this soon, because there’s a LOT more to say about the implications of Milley’s remarks.
Sure, it’s better than outright opposition or CRT. However:
His comments reveal so much about the foundational American problems with history and race.
A lot of you want to defend General Milley here, but listen:
Word choices have connotations beyond what you think (or wish) he “meant.”
I get that my critique makes you uncomfortable, but consider our political climate — and how ‘present’ today that history really is.
When it comes to Black liberation & equal rights, I reject “don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good” approaches.
If you support Critical Race Theory — you should understand exactly why General Milley should be critiqued.
Internal Wix messages “encouraged staff to support Israel’s ‘narrative’ in Hamas conflict,” specifically advising them to “‘show Westernity’ in social media posts backing Israel, as ‘unlike the Gazans, we look and live like Europeans or Americans.’” irishtimes.com/ireland/2023/1…
I’m just going to repeat a key point here.
Wix employees were specifically encouraged to “show Westernity” in pro-Israel social media posts, underscoring that Israelis “unlike the Gazans, look and live like Europeans and Americans.”
There’s an apt adjective for this: racist.
I’ll go ahead and be a bit more blunt with my translation:
“Make sure your pro-Israel posts are as white as possible and emphasize that people in Gaza are brown so we have to kill them if we want a Disneyland in the Middle East”
Extremely brief thread and then I’m eating sleeping pills and praying for a few hours of unconsciousness.
Here goes: on #Gaza, amplifying Palestinian voices, and interview requests.
If you’re already here, you’re no doubt aware that while I fail relentlessly in all things, I do like to try to live up to the ethical standards I set for myself.
I’ve publicly stated here and on other platforms that I won’t be doing any media interviews on Gaza, and request that Palestinians be contacted instead.
Regardless of one’s political stance on this conflict, it is a fact that Palestinian voices are far less covered.
If I’m quiet for a few more days, please understand that I’m completely drained from everything going on offline — especially from people I haven’t heard from in literal decades hitting me up “because you have a PhD” for “your perspective” on all of this.
I can’t say I’m familiar with this person’s work (apologies), but this is accurate, and it sucks that such a statement is controversial.
For now, what I will say is that I guarantee 99.9% of the commentary you’re consuming — especially on here — is shit, and the loudest voices (as per usual) are generally those who know the least about historical and geopolitical contexts that ABSOLUTELY matter.
I’m not about to get sucked into any debates on Palestine / Israel right now, but what I will tell you as a geopolitical analyst vis-a-vis the hawks calling for war with Iran:
Iranian nationalism is nothing to take lightly - any such scenario would be disastrous for ALL parties.
The other thing that I will say (and believe me it gives me less than zero joy) concerns Hamas’ latest statement concerning the potential execution of civilian hostages.
Hamas’ desperation in laying out this ultimatum - that Israel stop bombing Gaza civilians or Hamas will execute Israeli civilian hostages because “that’s the only language Israel understands” (paraphrased) is a very bad sign.
And Muslims, y’all know more than anyone what it’s like to be expected to apologize or explain the actions of someone in a diverse community to which you happen to belong.
Empathy, support, and solidarity — now, more than ever.
It doesn’t matter if you “don’t understand being trans.”
I don’t either — because it’s not my struggle.
But I know this: Ramadan is about compassion, mercy, and fighting base impulses like judgment. Don’t forget that.
I'm on day 2 of an all-nighter trying to finish writing this case study / profile of Dylann Roof --
-- whose actions were not considered representative of an entire community.
Before that, I wrote about Tres Genco.
Before that, James Reardon.
Before that, Patrick Crusius.