Category Archives: Explaining leftism

Prof. James Lindsay explains the Leftist tactic of critical attacks called a “Struggle Session”

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From the description:

The New Discourses Podcast with James Lindsay, Episode 104

One of the most famous and most evil techniques of Maoist Marxism is the “struggle session” (dòuzh?ng, ??; or p?pàn dòuzh?ng, ????, “critical struggle”; or sometimes just p?dòu, ??; also called “denunciation” sessions). They were made famous during Mao’s Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), but they were utilized in the Chinese thought-reform (x?n?o, ??, lit. “wash brain” or brainwashing) prisons starting in the early 1950s under the CCP. The nature of struggle sessions must be understood clearly in 2022 because Western nations are going through a “Woke” Maoist insurgency now, and the struggle session is all the way back in fashion (and has been for some time). Since being banned and returning to Twitter following Elon Musk’s acquisition, host of the New Discourses Podcast, James Lindsay, has been subjected to a rather brutal online struggle session (a “twitter storm” as a harassment campaign) in the attempt to punish him back off the site and to discredit his highly effective popularization of the term “groomer” for Maoist ideological groomers, especially those using Queer Marxism. In this groundbreaking episode of the podcast, James goes through the struggle session he’s currently experiencing while tying it to the psychological analysis of that phenomenon as presented in Robert Jay Lifton’s book Thought Reform and the Psychology of Totalism: A Study of “Brainwashing” in China (https://amzn.to/3ulwEkf ). Join him to learn about this destructive form of bullying activism and to learn how you can resist it.

War on Christmas and repressive tolerance

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Johnny U posted a worthy oped from the Washington Times in a much appreciated comment he left at Vlad this morning.

Thank you John, for that and for all your contributions to this site.

The OpEd is about the war on Christmas being in fact about a war on America. This is of course true. But the author went to war and left his guns, uniform and C rations at home. While he noticed that there seems to be, shall we say, inequities in how Christmas is treated by the left and left influenced institutions, he didn’t offer any understanding as to why.

I would like to post my response to that comment here, and with an additional example beyond the response to the comment.

Anyone reading that article should aquaint themselves with the concept of “Repressive Tolerance”.

This, if memory serves, is a Frankfurt School Marxist based tactic.

One uses the concept of tolerance to try and get people to deconstruct all their own traditions and concepts and culture in order to show tolerance to others, while promoting all the others at the expense of your own.

The author of the Washington Times article described the effects quite well, even if he left out the best examples of it and showed lack of awareness as to its strategic origins and nature.

In terms of examples, I would point out that while we are increasingly no longer allowed to acknowledge Christmas, disapproving of women in burkas is a hate crime and closer and closer to a criminal offence every day.

This is Repressive Tolerance at work.

A few years ago, we subtitled a series of videos by a Polish academic on Marxism where he covers this concept. But it is dense and not fun watching even if it is very important and explains a lot. Much like Stephen Coughlin. In fact, Maj. Coughlin actually used those videos in some of his writing and briefs.

But here is James Lindsay, (the Prof. who busted the whole peer-review process with the publication of his phoney essay on “Rape Culture at a Dog Park”) demonstrates how repressive tolerance was devised and is used.

Ultimately, one uses tolerance to do two things.

Move the culture ever leftwards

Be maximally destructive to Western Civilization.

Subsequent to writing this response to Johnny, an example of same leapt to my attention on my phone. Almost as if Google was carefully tracking my interests.

Here is the aforementioned Polish academic explaining how Marxism uses homosexuality as a destructive force on Western civilization

(Actually it’s about much more than that, and worth every second of the 13:42 it lasts.)

Now in case anyone gets the idea that you can beat this thing by simply not going to see crappy commie themed movies like the one she refrences, let’s stop and think about what a social credit score and CBDC actually means. If you don’t go and see whatever propaganda is put out before you, and pay for it with what means you have, you just might get turned down for that critical loan or other item you need for yourself, your business or your family. Hell you may not even be able to see your family.

For that matter, you may not be able to access what you thought of as ‘your own money’. I think a few hundred truckers and people who contributed small amounts to a legal protest over removal of basic civil liberties in Ottawa may be able to see how that can happen.

And if anyone still thinks that the scenario I just described is too far out to be true, you simply have not been paying attention for the past twenty years. Even the last three.

Pseudo-environmentalism and the extinction of the Right Whale

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This is a now archetypal story. Feminism has been subverted by Hegelian/Marxist weaponized rhetorical devices to destroy women. It was possibly even created to do that. The practice of medicine, well I’ll leave that to readers to decide how that started and where it is now.

Climate science is now a tool to destroy only Western Civilization while all other cultures and industry get a pass on using as much coal and oil as they want.

And of course, environmentalism is now about to cause the extinction of an extremely rare species of whale, called the Right Whale.

This problem is now so large, that actual environmentalists do not wish to call themselves that, as the word itself now means corruption and perversion of something important to do its opposite.

Can anyone think of a word to describe this process? Starts with a D.

Please read story details at: RAIR Foundation.com

James Lindsay: The Marxification of education

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Like all Prof. James Lindsay’s lectures. this is profound and important. Anyone who has children in schools or recently changed their values while in schools should watch this. This video is a brilliant explanation of the methods and tactics of Marxists within the school system to destroy children’s whole belief set and value system, and make them activists for a permanent system of endless destruction.

Lindsay explains who Marx is not a philosopher, but is someone who simply created a system for transforming people into agents of destruction, of everything, eternally.

One could, if one wanted, score another point for the claim that communism is demonic. At the practical level, it is.

 

An Open Letter to my Fellow Army General Officers-

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30 November 2022

An Open Letter to my Fellow Army General Officers-

We all commissioned into the Army with ideals and a determination to make a difference. We would lead with character, create effective teams to win on future battlefields, and advance our beloved institution, all the while, remaining loyal to our Constitution. During our service, we have faced threats, challenges, and impediments to these ideals ? some in the crucible of combat. Yet, we have never wavered. Today, we face a different challenge ? unique to our time ? that threatens our army like never before. We must not waver now.

Today’s challenge is Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). These innocent sounding words represent a “wolf in sheep’s clothing”, attacking the foundations of our beloved Army. This growing cancer creates distrust, discord, and doubts throughout the institution wherever it metastasizes. Let me briefly explain what you already know in your hearts to be true.

At its core, DEI operationalizes the tenants of Critical Race Theory (CRT) in the organizational setting. Using agreeable sounding concepts like diversity, equity, and inclusion, the underlying goal is to impose race and gender-based outcomes through discrimination. It is a radical ideology that seeks to undermining the “colorblind”, performance-based organization that we helped to create. Unfortunately, we have grown to accept its catchy slogans, like “celebrate diversity” and “diversity is our strength”, while ignoring the damage they cause. But the fact remains, because DEI programs see the world through a lens of skin color, gender, and sexual orientation, they segment our once-unified force into tribes that increasingly look on each other with suspicion. This destroys the unity and trust that we know are the vital ingredients to winning tomorrow’s wars.

Sadly, by supporting DEI principles, we have moved our great Army ? which has led the nation in racial and gender integration ? into reverse. The DEI bureaucrats that we have installed up and down the Army’s echelons, are actively sowing the seeds of discord and distrust in our ranks. By forcing our Soldiers to see the world through a lens of skin color and gender, they are creating suspicion and division ? instead of the unity, trust, and cohesion that we know are required for successful teams to win in battle. The result is wormwood in the Army’s timbers of readiness.

And it’s not just readiness that suffers. DEI is political ideology wrapped in bad social science. Why would we impose this politically controversial experiment on our Soldiers? Army Secretary Christine Wormuth recent said in Army Magazine, “We need to make sure we are keeping the Army out of politics.” Well, here’s your chance. DEI is very political. You can’t look the other way, when you know that the core tenets of DEI violate the Constitution, it’s 14th Amendment, and our civil rights laws. And what of our commanders? Aren’t they responsible for building teams, creating healthy command climates, and ensuring their Soldiers are treated with dignity and respect? Or have we lost faith in them too? Our proven Equal Opportunity channels are no longer good enough? Do we really need a separate bureaucracy to make sure our commanders are valuing diversity?

Don’t misunderstand me. Diversity is a wonderful thing. But DEI is not about diversity of thought. It is about one thing ? diversity of appearance. This should never drive organizational goals ? especially in a profession that requires rigorous excellence and high standards. Rather, diversity in today’s America, is better seen as a precondition for any organization that wants to recruit talent. This is a good thing. But it’s an issue for US Army Recruiting Command, who should be innovating to attract all underrepresented populations into our ranks. But once they wear Army green, it’s all about unity. They are on the Army team, never to be separated into tribes.

Unfortunately, as the DEI bureaucracy grows with every passing year, the unfortunate victims are our Soldiers. Each required training session on antiracism, white privilege, implicit biases, and the like, feels indoctrinating. And some topics are even offensive to their traditional religious values and upbringing. We now force them to “celebrate” things that they often fundamentally disagree with. And of course, every new diversity training requirement, takes valuable time away from training warfighters in their key tasks. Yet, most damaging of all, the training drives wedges into the trust, cohesion, and unity that good leaders strive to create. I hope you bristle at the empty phrase “diversity is our strength” when you know from hard-won experience that our army’s strength has always been the direct opposite: Our strength comes from building unified teams from diverse people. These two concepts are diametrically opposed.

Initially, you may have accepted these toxic ideas because they flowed from presidential executive orders. And at a basic level, diversity sounds good. But make no mistake: This is not diversity of thought; this is diversity of nothing more than physical appearance. This imposition of the superficial over substance damages the good order and discipline of the force. Besides, are they lawful orders in the first place, if they directly oppose the Constitution and our civil rights laws? You may have also fallen for the flawed notion that our army “needs to look like the nation it represents”. Who says? This has never been the case in our history. By comparison, does the NBA look like the nation? Of course not. It’s a meritocracy in very competitive environment. Do you not see our military as a more important meritocracy in the competitive environment of combat?

You can no longer look the other way. The time has come to confront it. Will you choose unity and trust, or grievances and tribes? Will you choose excellence and high standards, or quotas and prescribed racial and gender outcomes? Will you build social-justice warriors or real warriors? You can’t have it both ways.

I was recently assured by a 3-star friend, that work is being done behind the scenes to push back on these destructive ideologies. But he also admitted that if any senior leader speaks out, they will forfeit any future promotion. Duty often comes at a price. If you need support, look to our rich history with a simple question: What would General George Marshall have done? Do you think he would have sat by and watched any administration push politically controversial ideas into the force, when he knew they undermined trust, cohesion, and unity? You know he wouldn’t. He would have pushed back, even if he had to risk it all. We need some George Marshalls today.

If you don’t see the need to act, I fear you may be out of touch with your Soldiers. Unfortunately, they know they are being watched, many by the DEI commissars that you have installed at every echelon. Can they even be honest with you anymore? And it’s not just their rolling eyes in classrooms, they are actively warning people not to join the ranks. Do you see the connection between your embrace of these controversial political theories and the precipitous drop in the public’s trust of the military over the past few years? And if you think the current recruiting challenges are driven solely by a tight labor market and disqualifying conditions in our youth, think again. American youth are attracted to excellence. They want challenges and high standards. But the uncomfortable truth is this: These cohorts have traditionally leaned conservative. That’s the problem. By helping create a progressive political institution of social-justice warriors, you have created an Army that seems hostile to traditional conservative and religious values. This is significant. For the first time in history, you have broken the important link between the family legacy of military service and new qualified candidates. By some estimates, this link, which has normally averaged around 40% is now down to a paltry 13%.

Your oath was to the Constitution, and your duty has always been to build warfighting readiness. DEI programs are at odds with both. Don’t lose this battle. The soul of our army, and our nation’s security, depend on it.

Yours in service,

Chris J. Petty

Brigadier General, USA Retired

Brig. Gen. (R) Chris Petty is a graduate of West Point and a decorated combat commander. He is the author of 12 Battles Every American Should Know, as well as the creator of the Battle Digest military history series. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of STARRS, Inc.

For a PDF of this document, please click here

 

On the 90th anniversary of the Holomodor, we need to carefully examine what led up to the killing of millions

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This post contains videos about an historical event on the scale of the Holocaust, more recent, and very possibly of more people in as systematic a manner. Yet if you ask your friends and neighbours about the Holomodor, it is likely they will never have heard of it. Please consider sending the link to this post, or if you prefer, to the videos directly to people who still think the left is about tolerance and fairness.

1. The Soviet Story. A feature length documentary about the Holomodor and the socialist/communist motives for that mass death.

2. What is the Holomodor

3. Jordon Peterson on how things get this far

 

Marxism and Holistic thinking

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This is from the same academic who has brought us a lot of excellent explainer videos on communism. I believe he is one of the academics who busted the whole Peer Review system by writing total nonsense papers made up from whole cloth and sprinkled with Marxist language, and they got published in prestigious peer reviewed journals. He may even be the fellow who wrote about rape culture in a dog park.

In one of his other videos that we posted recently, he refers to how in communist hierarchical structure, the government of course has all kinds of power. But also, the people have all kinds of power. But since the people cannot possibly know what is best for them, a panel of experts represents the people in its discourse with government to set policy. That panel of experts, is appointed by government.

I must find that video and repost it. It dovetails perfectly with this.

It bears remembering though, that one shouldn’t be too too reflexive with this word either. One of the most intelligent doctors I know, and one with more integrity than most, uses a kind of holistic approach. What he means is, treat the whole person rather than a symptom. Look at diet and exercise and try and avoid medication when possible. This is the opposite sense that Marxists use the word. He means examine the whole person as that person is competent to self maintain once you look at the various balancing acts of nature. Communists mean you are nothing, the whole is everything, you cannot possibly understand the whole, therefore you have no value.

Lived Experience explained

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This is a timely lesson in Marxist rhetorical weapons. As it happens, there is a dialectic attack on the Freedom Convoy in Ottawa taking place now by a group of Trudeau Foundation flunkies and far left wing activists calling itself “The People’s Commission on the Occupation” or something very much like that. They are in no small part using this exact device to try and crush the actual experience of tens of thousands of people at the Convoy, including the witnesses at their own hearings, in favour of people who hate and fear the convoy, even who did not experience it first hand.

So take note of this. It may come in handy when the materials on the mock trials are posted.

I should add that I believe the person who made the video above, as well as the excellent video on dialectics which we posted here several days ago, are done by one of the Three Professors who demonstrated how staggeringly broken the “peer review” process is, by submitting and having approved a series of ludicrous papers made up of whole cloth with no basis in reality at all.

One paper, the only one I vaguely remember, had something to do with rape culture in dogs parks. By dogs.

 

 

Tucker Carlson for September 26th, 2022, Critical Theory attacks by MSM against Meloni

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The opening is all on Giorgia Meloni and its excellent. He actually checked the sources on her rather than the critical theory media attacks which is all we get to see outside, and probably inside italy. An example of that is below the Tucker show.

For those who are not yet familiar with critical theory, a strategic use of language to destroy any target that is an obstacle to a communist revolution, watch the following video in short chunks and think about what you have heard. For example, when he says she wants to use a “blockade to stop immigration”, but doesn’t say illegal, we get a solid sense of the deceptive nature of this attack. But even if she was to stop immigration to Italy altogether, why is a national leader’s policy on immigration unacceptable when it is opposed and the natural order of things when its for open unlimited and unvetted immigration? In any case, this entire screed is a series of hatred and half truths. But its an important lesson in Critical Theory.