The Rise of the Woke Right: A Mirror Image of Illiberalism

The Policing of Language: From Left to Right

From the aftermath of Trayvon Martin's death to the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, a social justice orthodoxy swept through American culture, characterized by a fixation on language policing. Advocates meticulously enforced syntactical etiquette, banishing words and phrases deemed offensive, introducing new terminology, and demanding adherence to evolving pronoun usage.

This "wokeness," as it became known, brought with it asymmetrical capitalization (Black, not white), gender-neutral language modifications (Latinx), and a slew of replacements for traditional terms (primary bedroom for master bedroom, chestfeeding for breastfeeding, etc.). At its most extreme, certain words were deemed irredeemable.

Trump's Broken Promise: From "Free Speech" to Linguistic Proscriptions

Donald Trump campaigned on a promise of liberating Americans from the fear of linguistic missteps. Yet, his presidency ushered in a new era of linguistic proscriptions, ironically focused on gender and diversity, now backed by the force of government. Federal agencies, fearful of violating these new edicts, compiled their own lists of forbidden words, including terms like "equity," "gender," and "intersectional," effectively scrubbing them from official websites.

The Chilling Effect of Government-Sanctioned Censorship

Government control of language, arguably unconstitutional, is far more chilling than similar attempts by private entities. This back-and-forth between left and right reveals a shared illiberal impulse to dictate acceptable speech, regardless of political affiliation. While some conservatives have celebrated this hypocrisy, defenders of free speech have condemned this emergent "woke right."

The Woke Right's Playbook: Identity Grievance and Historical Revisionism

The woke right, mirroring its left-wing counterpart, centers on identity grievance, ethnic consciousness, and tribalism. Kevin DeYoung, a pastor and seminary professor, describes this phenomenon as "right-wing wokeism," arguing that it promotes a victimhood narrative among white, male, right-wing Americans, echoing the left's focus on psychological oppression.

Another shared characteristic is the impulse to revise history. Just as the 1619 Project reinterpreted America's founding, the woke right attempts similar revisions, such as the controversial reframing of Winston Churchill as a World War II villain.

From Compelled Politeness to Reflexive Disrespect

The left's emphasis on polite language has been replaced by the right's reflexive disrespect, exemplified by Representative Mary Miller's misgendering of Representative Sarah McBride. Christopher Rufo's endorsement of this act underscores the right's rejection of pronoun usage as a submission to a "gender cult."

The Gulf of America: A Case Study in Manufactured Reality

The Trump administration's insistence on renaming the Gulf of Mexico the "Gulf of America," even ejecting Associated Press reporters for refusing to comply, highlights the absurdity of this manufactured reality. This renaming, embraced by Trump supporters and even incorporated into map apps by Google and Apple, demonstrates the woke right's power and the corporate world's willingness to comply.

State-Level Echoes and the "Stop WOKE" Paradox

State leaders, like Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, have followed Trump's lead, enacting policies restricting speech and promoting a culture of self-censorship. The ironically named "Stop WOKE" act in Florida, developed with input from Christopher Rufo, aims to create a state-wide "safe space" through aggressive speech restrictions.

The Backlash and the Future of Woke Politics

James Lindsay, who famously exposed the excesses of "grievance studies," has now turned his attention to the woke right. He argues that most Americans are weary of ideological extremism, regardless of its origin. The obligation to participate in these linguistic games ultimately amounts to forced subservience.

"None of us want more ideological crazy stuff. We don’t want another freaking movement. We want to go back to our lives.” - James Lindsay

Declining approval ratings for figures like Elon Musk and Donald Trump suggest voter dissatisfaction with the right's woke antics. The left's experience demonstrates that no ideological victory is final. The right's illiberal zeal may ultimately pave the way for an equal and opposite reaction.