Has Wokeism Gone Too Far?

For years, the radical Leftists have been gaining increasing power in universities, but has their ideology finally gone too far? Recent responses to the attacks on Israel have brought attention to the ideological takeover of higher education in the English-speaking world. The campus Left's reactions to the attacks have been offensive and far-fetched, leading many to question the state of academia.

In the past three weeks, awareness of the extent of the ideological infiltration has grown significantly. The academic Left's response to the attacks mirrored the absurdity of a character jumping a shark on water-skis in the TV show Happy Days. However, their response was not only far-fetched but also deeply offensive.

On October 7, Gaza-based terrorist groups committed horrific acts of violence against Israel, resulting in the deaths of over 1,400 Israelis, including children and babies. These attacks were celebrated by some academics and student groups in universities, with support expressed for the terrorist actions.

Examples from universities such as Edinburgh and Cambridge show that this ideology has been embedded within academic institutions for years. The rise of wokeism in universities has largely gone unnoticed until now, as people outside academia are finally starting to take notice.

The United States is also experiencing a backlash against the response to the attacks on Israel from elite universities like Harvard and Stanford. Donors and alumni have voiced their concerns and demanded stronger statements condemning the support of Hamas. The tide is turning as people realize that this ideology is deeply concerning and threatens the academic integrity of these institutions.

A major reason for the infiltration of wokeism is the lack of intellectual diversity and the appointment and promotion of younger radicals by older liberal professors. Affirmative action policies, meant to increase diversity, have unintentionally reduced intellectual diversity on campuses. As universities institutionalize policies promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion, bureaucracies are formed that further perpetuate woke beliefs.

The woke cultural revolution within academia has resulted in the targeting and attack of professors who resist this ideology. Anonymous letters, social media campaigns for cancellation, and false witness bear witness to the deeply troubling methods employed by the woke movement.

To combat the dominance of wokeism, organizations such as Heterodox Academy and the Academic Freedom Alliance have been established to defend academic freedom and diversity of thought. Recently, an alliance called the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) was founded with the aim of bringing together defenders of western civilization from the U.S., the UK, and Australia.

If we are not organized in resisting wokeism within academia, our higher education system will continue to be captured by those who hate our culture and institutions. The complacent attitude of previous generations, dismissing radical ideologies as a passing phase, has allowed the infiltration of wokeism to take hold. It is time for those who value academic freedom and intellectual diversity to stand up and defend our institutions.

As the Left celebrates acts of terrorism and promotes divisive ideologies, the time for action is now. We must build an anti-woke counter-revolution and work to rescue western civilization from the grip of wokeism.