Jordan Peterson’s Resignation is About One Thing: Money

I have off and on followed the narrative surrounding Dr. Jordan Peterson since he emerged into the mainstream discourse. Not because I agree with him, but because I want to debate him someday. Given my status as a rising academic, and an Afro-Dutch immigrant from the U.S. to Canada, I believe Peterson’s version of reality to be out of touch, if not blatantly flagrant.

In his latest gaffe for the National Post, Peterson calls Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts, D-I-E instead. He believes the Canadian and American tardy (but new) changes to match the modern world’s demographics are dangerous. Peterson believes that higher education is attempting to rid white straight men of the academy, in the name of “woke culture.”

Has he seen the academy lately? I wonder if he knows that in his home Province of Alberta (where I live), there are universities with entire humanities departments that contain no Black or Brown people on the faculty. Once again, Peterson demonstrates that he is only in touch with folks who get 90% of their news from unqualified reporting. He only wishes to speak to his echo chamber filled with unmitigated gall.

Peterson states that all students who study under him will be barred from most academic positions. Can he really say that as a formerly tenured professor (now emeritus) at Canada’s top university, which also happens to be nearly a top 25 university in the world? Is he really being silenced while writing for Canada’s National Post? Come on, doc…

In the Art of War, Sun Tzu speaks of knowing your enemies. Tzu claims:

“If you know the enemy, and know yourself, you need not feel the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.”

Nearly all of Tzu’s ancient wisdom is evergreen, hence why it is still one of the most widely read books 2,000 plus years later. It can and should be applied to the fragile with the utmost success like Peterson. They are the types of people I am going to be battling in academia, blatant ignorance and right wing pandering, all disguised by elite credentials. This is ultimately why I have always paid attention to the alt-academic’s rhetoric. I was and am preparing myself for the intellectual battles ahead.

Let’s get the facts right: Dr. Jordan Peterson has 2.2 million followers on Twitter. He has 4.47 million followers on YouTube. Between the most popular social media platform, and video search engine he has the populations of Houston and Metropolitain Toronto following him.

This is not about being silenced. It is not about Peterson feeling he was snubbed for an academic position in the name of DEI, or as he calls it “DIE.” It is not because he cares about his understudies/mentees. This is about money. The chronic meat eating psychologist simply knows that there will never be the money in the academy that there is as a credentialed Joe Rogan.

I know a guy who loves Rogan to this very day. Back when we were good friends, he once introduced me to Peterson in 2016. This occurred over a discussion on pronouns and transgender inclusion. I’m sure you can guess what side he was on, given his admiration for Peterson.

By the way, this is a guy who believes Eastern spiritualism will save us from coronavirus. I highly doubt every supporter of Peterson is like this, but it does make me wonder what other crock pot theories are bubbling up.

It is likely Dr. Peterson was paid (and paid well), for his temper tantrum about diversity in higher education in the National Post. He knows that with the rise of culturally diverse perspectives he is no longer the center of attention. This is why he has embraced the underbelly of fake news reporting from the Joe Rogan, Aaron Rodgers and Dr. Malone types in the world.

Peterson knows that controversy earns cold hard cash. He doesn’t care about higher education. He cares about maximizing his voice for monetary gain. How are the people who share his philosophy doing such a thing successfully? Through toxic counter culture, anti-culture and the internet.

Under this model, Jordan can make more money through speaking engagements without being challenged. By using coded language, Peterson has tapped into digital contrarians who hate anything deemed, “woke,” like my (former) friend.

I do not believe Dr. Peterson was “forced” to resign like Twitter has speculated. I also believe that he did not want to resign, despite his claims. Jordan Peterson believed tenure meant a lifetime of being unchallenged, and once that changed the jig was up.

He simply knows that this was the only way he could continue to be “relevant” and profitable. This is not an original blueprint, but rather just a page out of Dr. Bret Weinstein’s.

What is that page exactly? When faced with social justice initiatives, call it “tyrannical.” Conflate western society with Soviet Union far-left extremism.

This is a page from the holy book of deflection rather than accountability. In nothing else, but the name of the almighty dollar and self preservation.