Unmasking Cultural Marxism: Origins, Impact, and Implications

If a new form of leftism has appeared and spread across our nation, infecting institutions, there is now a cultural movement marked by this phenomenon. A new book called "Unwoke: How to Defeat Cultural Marxism in America" has emerged, criticizing this cultural shift. The president is aligned with a group referred to as his closest allies, who label themselves as "Misfits and Marxists." This movement is often termed "cultural Marxism," and it's the subject of discussion today.

Cultural Marxism is a term frequently used by conservatives as a buzzword. However, it is used quite loosely and often to evoke fear and apprehension among voters. The idea behind cultural Marxism, as propagated by the right, is to foster hate and create a perception that America can only be a white, Christian, and patriarchal nation. This video aims to delve into the concept of cultural Marxism, its origins, and its appeal to conservatives.

It's important to note that the term "cultural Marxism" is not a neutral label; rather, it's part of a conspiracy theory employed by the right. This conspiracy theory has been given various names over time, such as political correctness, wokism, or multiculturalism. These terms are sometimes used interchangeably with cultural Marxism. While these words hold normal meanings, such as being considerate in speech (political correctness), awareness of systemic injustices (wokism), or celebrating diverse cultures (multiculturalism), they also serve as labels for a broader societal trend in the eyes of reactionary audiences.

The underlying belief on the right is that this trend is driven by a powerful conspiracy to "destroy the West," led by an elite group including academics, corporate executives, media figures, and activists who are often labeled as Marxists. This conspiracy theory can also extend to insinuations about Jewish involvement, which will be addressed later in the video. The goal of using the phrase "cultural Marxism" is to not only frighten conservative voters but also to misinform them about progressive politics and who wields institutional power within capitalism. Unfortunately, this rhetoric also serves to advance a white supremacist and violent agenda.

For conservative viewers, this might seem like a portrayal of a typical left-leaning perspective, but the intention is to expose the true nature of this rhetoric. The video aims to present evidence to support these claims. To achieve this, let's take a quick journey through history to better understand the cultural Marxism conspiracy theory's origins.

The conspiracy theory related to cultural Marxism emerged in the United States around the mid-1990s to early 2000s. However, a similar notion can be traced back to 1930s Germany during the Nazi regime. The Nazis identified a perceived threat they referred to as "cultural bolshevism" or "judeo-bolshevism." This was a conspiracy theory endorsed by Hitler, Goebbels, and other prominent Nazis. They claimed that a plot orchestrated by Jewish Communists aimed to dismantle German society and the Western world. This conspiracy theory tied notable socialist figures like Marx to Jewish heritage, much like how certain conservatives refer to Obama by his full name. The Nazis falsely asserted that a small group of Jewish individuals controlled global institutions, governments, and banks, attributing Communism and societal decline to them. This propaganda was used to justify the Holocaust and the systematic elimination of left-wing opposition.

These historical precedents shed light on the origins and implications of the cultural Marxism conspiracy theory. Understanding this history can provide valuable insights into the motives and tactics behind the term's contemporary usage.

Around 60 years later in the United States, the cultural Marxism conspiracy theory was formulated by individuals such as Michael Minichino, Gerald Atkinson, and William Lind. During the mid-90s and early 2000s, these paleo-conservative authors, among a few others, wrote articles combining phrases like "cultural Marxism," "Frankfurt School," and "political correctness" in their titles. Among them, William Lind gained the most prominence and played a significant role in popularizing the concept of cultural Marxism. This video will focus on his perspective.

Similar to his associates, Lind outlined his view of what cultural Marxism is and why he perceives it as problematic. He assigns cultural Marxism as the cause for various issues that he opposes. Lind questions the origins of aspects such as victim feminism, the gay rights movement, distorted statistics, rewritten history, lies, and societal demands. He asserts that Americans are now fearful of their speech, writing, and thoughts, as the wrong words could be denounced as offensive or insensitive.

Lind uses the term "political correctness" to label this phenomenon, likening it to cultural Marxism. This idea plays into the Red Scare rhetoric that has been present for nearly a century. Associating anything with socialism, Marxism, or communism tends to trigger conservative opposition. This sentiment has persisted due to the perception that anything related to the dominant culture, particularly if white, is considered negative.

In Lind's view, cultural Marxists thrive on generating chaos and personal misery, thereby fostering an environment of fear. This fear, he contends, hampers businesses, families, and spirituality. These assertions serve as key points of contention for the right-wing.

Contrary to these assertions, the truth is that what is taught in academic departments like women's, queer, or black studies is grounded in research and verifiable truths. These departments highlight systemic marginalization based on class, race, gender, or sexual orientation. Historical and contemporary facts suggest that such marginalization is linked to certain aspects of capitalism, which, according to Lind, is one of the main targets of the supposed cultural Marxism.

Conservative misinformation also extends to the Civil Rights and gay rights movements. While these movements advocate for equality, conservatives often misrepresent their goals as promoting harm to straight white people or indoctrinating children. Similarly, when someone responds to racism with criticism, conservatives label it as censorship, although it's more aligned with free speech principles.

When pundits discuss cultural Marxism, they conflate these misconceptions with another term, Marxism, which is often misunderstood. This plays into conservative skepticism. Additionally, these distortions of Marxist and Progressive ideas are tied to the notion of a hidden elite—an incumbent hegemony. According to this narrative, the individuals currently in power are secretly orchestrating these changes. Although progressives are now prominent, Lin suggests they practice elitism.

Lind's approach involves linking the origins of critical race theory to the Frankfurt School, a group of Marxist academics like Herbert Marcuse. He attributes the cultural Marxism conspiracy to the Frankfurt School, asserting that their ideas are responsible for the present cultural predicament. Lin contends that critical theory, from which critical race theory emerges, originated from the Frankfurt School in Berlin.

He concludes his narrative by weaving together the strands of Marxism, the Frankfurt School, and Progressive beliefs into a story that portrays an alleged destruction of American culture orchestrated by this covert elite, tying it to contemporary political dynamics.

The cultural Marxism conspiracy, as presented by Lind and others, suggests a series of connections from anti-war protests to civil rights movements, reaching even the highest levels of government and media corporations. Lind asserts that the origin of everything labeled as cultural Marxism can be traced back to the Frankfurt School's writings on critical theory. According to him, ideas from lesser-known Marxist academics somehow became dominant within the elite circles of U.S. civil society. Lind's narrative hinges on the belief that a couple of relatively niche books managed to wield massive influence, especially within their specific academic domains.