Is There a Silver Lining in the PC Woke Snowflake Cancel Culture?

Optimists are always looking for silver linings in dark clouds. Can any such thing be discerned in our present cultural revolution of politically correct virtue signaling wokeism?

First, let us consider, well, briefly mention, the clouds.

  • California is reducing mathematics studies because this discipline has a disparate impact on subcategories of its student population.
  • Women are now welcomed in the U.S. military even though they cannot pass the previously established tests of physical ability. Due to disparate results, these exams have been modified; that is, weakened.
  • Asian Americans must deal with a strict upper limit in admissions to such prestigious universities as Harvard, Yale, Princeton, no matter that their abilities predict great success than other ethnic groups.
  • No longer is admission to prestigious centers of learning such as the Bronx High School of Science based on examinations. Disparate impact once again raises its ugly head.

Where can any silver lining be perceived in this cultural morass, of which the above instances are the merest tip of the proverbial iceberg? Do not these phenomena not weaken our country in all sorts of ways, physically, psychologically, emotionally, intellectually? Do they not set up all sorts of divisiveness, where a certain gender and several ethnic groups feel they are being victimized in a myriad of ways?

Yes, that is precisely the point. When looked at from one perspective, these indeed look like dire consequences. But when seen from a different viewpoint, they can appear to be benevolent.

Do you know those optical illusions where from one perspective, a drawing looks like one thing, from another, something entirely different? Something of the same sort is occurring in this case.

Pray tell, then, from what viewpoint could the weakening of our country possibly look like a good idea?

It is from the point of view of foreign policy that is from where. Now, to be sure, in the perspective of many people, warmongers, and such, U.S. intervention in national affairs has been an unmitigated success. But in the viewpoint of others, American adventurism, all around the third rock from the Sun, has been a disaster.

Consider the following:

  • The U.S. lost the war in Viet Nam, an area where it had no business occupying in the first place. Vast numbers of innocents perished as a result.
  • The U.S. has spent almost 20 years in Afghanistan and will now suffer an ignominious departure; again, another loss, with great loss of life.
  • The U.S. has some 800 military bases in roughly 130 countries (there are only a few more than 200 in the entire world, so this comprises a majority). Thus, whenever any difficulties arise anywhere globally, the U.S. is involved, willy-nilly.
  • The U.S. has supported military dictatorships the world over, worsening conditions for millions of innocent people; examples are too numerous to mention
  • The U.S. has intervened in the internal affairs of numerous nations, again too many to mention, much to the deterioration of these client states.

If you think that the U.S. has been a force for good, then there is no silver lining in its weakening, intellectually, militarily, economically. However, if it is your opinion that this experience has been a disaster for this country and numerous other nations, then its waning abilities in these areas, due to our own cultural revolution, indeed constitutes a silver lining.

Reprinted with permission from International Man.