I don't live in the USA, but I think that Americans need to examine the non-profit/charity sector and reform it by greatly curtailing what you can call a charity and a charitable activity. 'Raising awareness' has become a catch-all for getting the government to pay for political messaging.
I cannot thank you enough for making this remark. Our "charities" are just part of the "NGO" sector - a subset.
What is called a "Charity" is nothing more than a capital fund managed by PMC and paying wages to prospective cadres ostensibly in support of some "cause." To look at Amnesty International or Oxfam is to see organizations which may have helped some at some time past, but which have been reoriented toward ideological indoctrination. Their former "missions" are now promoted as part of dishonest/fraudulent "fundraising" tactics.
What is true of these organizations is true of the entire "NGO" sector - when they aren't outright undeclared government agency representatives.
Bingo! What started as a heartfelt way for committed “classical liberals” to devote themselves (at low pay and long hours) to a cause they believed in has now become a corrupt industry of cynical/corrupt lobbyists writing grant applications for taxpayer dollars. Salaries are high, many of the “causes” are having harmful impacts on our society (take a look at the homeless-industrial complex, and the illegal-drug industrial complex if you want two examples), and there is enormous duplication of efforts, which costs many times more to fund. “Good intentions” have become a means to fraud, waste, and abuse in many cases.
They have become vehicles to pay high salaries to accomplished/credentialed PMC and provide wage support to prospective cadres. They are part of a larger revolving door with academia, government and other sectors.
Providing, say, drinking water to children in rural Bolivia is now window-dressing for a fundamentally different mission.
Indeed! Many NGOs have lost their way. In his eye opening 2004 book, Dark Safari, Paul Theroux describes the NGOS driving about in their air conditioned LandRovers with the windows rolled up tight ignoring & doing little to help the African poor all all around them. Even Theroux, a former Peace Corp worker & atheist, said that the only real help came from some dedicated Christian missionaries.
Good ideas. Good luck. You, somewhat understandably, ignore the elephant in the living room: sex discrimination. Every institution in the US openly and unapologetically discriminates against males in favor of females. My GF and I (both in our 60's) disagree on how much sexual discrimination there was in the 80s and 90s, but we both agree that punishing a 25 yo male because a 65 yo female was discriminated against is wrong. We both agree that if you wanted to raise a generation of misogynists, you couldn't have devised a better way than this open unapologetic mistreatment of young males in favor of females.
PLEASE HELP TEACHERS! People mistakenly think what we teach is our decision, but we follow pretty strict guidelines ("fidelity to the curriculum"), and this stuff is coming from state and district administration through new state trainings, mandates and standards. There definitely are some social justice warriors, but most K-12 teachers are rule followers! Our unions are captured, and do not represent most teachers on these issues. Many of us are from law enforcement and military families, yes even in blue states, and we are patriotic Americans. We have nowhere to turn as radicals destroy any trust families had in our profession. It's heartbreaking, and frankly terrifying, to start a new school year with all the division and hatefulness that has been caused by extremist ideologies pushed into our schools since 2020. Chris Rufo understands this situation better than anyone. Hoping he can help forge a movement that brings families and teachers together again, united in the best interests of children as we should be.
We see this with physicians too. The radicals have taken over the various specialty associations and the majority of doctors don’t agree with their politics. The problem is they have a loud voice and now when my patients come to see me they think that I am somehow in league with the ideas promulgated by the associations until I can convince them otherwise. It is a tough place to find oneself professionally.
Yes, I often commiserate with people in the medical professions. It's especially heartbreaking after all we went through to try to heal and educate during the pandemic. We went from heroes to villains so quickly! Destroying the trust between parents and teachers and between patients and doctors is a strike at the heart of our society, and I don't think that's a coincidence.
I am so sorry for the position in which you find yourself! It must be awful to be forced to teach things you consider harmful, or risk being fired. I assume teachers are pressured to join the union, or maybe some do so without much thought, but if all the teachers who disagree with what they are being asked to teach refused to join and pay dues, would that be enough to send a message? I mean, if the unions don't represent most teachers on such important issues, why join? Maybe that is too simple. Obviously, the unions do other things that benefit teachers, but this seems so egregious. It is almost like blackmail. I hope that teachers can find a way to fight back that does not threaten their careers. I know plenty of families who would stand with you. I am just thankful my youngest is graduating from high school this year and was old enough to know a dangerous ideology when he saw it. What is being done to the young ones is unconscionable. They have no other frame of reference and really are (almost) blank slates. As a society, we will be reaping the "rewards" of this for years to come.
Yes of course, organizing would be ideal. Problem is they've pushed the ideology in so quickly, and at the same time labeled any disagreement "hate speech" and anyone who disagrees a Nazi. There are many examples now of educators getting bullied or fired for not toeing the party line, and the activists can be vicious. The people ultimately responsible are the state superintendents of education. They should be getting taken to task for the DEI "Equity Lens" ideology pushed into curricular standards and professional development in blue states. It's going to take pressure from all sides to turn the ship. Thanks for your thoughts.
Yes, I have heard the stories of teachers being fired or bullied into submission. It is a terrible shame! I wish you well! Your students are lucky to have you! I think we can start making a difference by voting out the superintendents and school board members who support these things.
These proposals and essays give me hope. Thank you Mr. Rufo for working on these issues. There is yet hope for a post-racial future of actual equality (not equity) some day with thought leaders like these on tap for a future presidential administration.
I am very pleased to see Dr. Shapiro involved in this symposium - I have followed his career since he came to my attention a few years ago. I respect his judgement.
Leading off with Mr. Miller's contribution and seeing that he is a former Marine combat veteran reminds me of the reverence with which citizens once regarded our armed forces. I still feel that way about those who serve, but perhaps the institutions themselves need their boots cleaned. Providing them with more respectable civilian leadership - as you propose to do - would be a good place to start.
We should all be clear about what it is that we are defending, and why.
Thank you for gathering this symposium together, Mr. Rufo! It's a sign of the times that you have to be the one to do it, when it should be our elected representatives gathering together to solve our societal problems.
With respect to contracting I would add that there is not only discrimination in favor or against certain individuals and groups based on ethnicity, there is discrimination in favor or against individual contractors who diverge ideologically from the woke platform. Contractors are not as well protected as employees are by civil rights laws. The Congress should correct this. If they don't, the Supreme Court may have to deal with the issue.
How about adding a series of initiatives to stop the Federal government from promoting the trans activist agenda of undermining women’s rights? Including denying men access to women’s restrooms, locker rooms, prisons and sports. Also stop the chemical and surgical mutilation of children.
Governments are the embodiment of this expression, and excel in turning any and all good intentions into disasters, corruption and catastrophic injustices.
"Woke" probably started out as a positive and well-meaning cause, but was quickly hijacked and transformed into Bizarro World "philosophy" and agendas that are unjust, destructive and flat-out psychotic.
Same for policies of affirmative action and setting aside a piece of the government contract pie for minorities. All starting out with good intentions, yet turning into corrupt or unjust operations.
Universities were taken over by socialism/Marxism long ago, and are now operating with a weird mix of socialism, communism, feudalism and fascism. We need a new "ism" for this wild combination.
My definition of Woke is "Stealth Communism" because that's what it is. From abolishing (defunding) police to wealth redistribution (reparations and land back) to eliminating freedom of speech (hate speech laws) and sneaky doublespeak word games like "anti-racist" which is actually racist, all the Marxist tenents are right there. It's right in front of our noses, but we're blinded by American "it can't happen here" hubris. Patriots better get woke to that before it's too late. Thanks to Chris Rufo who smells the coffee!!☕️
Honestly, I think there is a better way to approach this for now. Demand that Conservatives are a minority group that is suffering from discrimination: racial and intellectual. Force them to give us priority in hiring and contracts. Play by their own rules. Get conservatives hired in state and federal offices. We must demand hiring for upper level positions in every area of government, from local school boards to Cabinet positions. That's how the Left gained power. Once we have some clout, we can implement these terrific suggestions. Until then, nothing will change.
As long as I can remember, and that's a long time, the right has been on the defensive, and gone from defeat to defeat. With the "election" of the most corrupt president in American history, freedom has its back to the wall. We have been underfunded, utterly disorganized, fighting desperate rearguard actions, generally with no idea how to effectively defend American society, much less possessing a plan to take the offensive.
We need first to diagnose the nature of the constantly evolving assault the nation and its values is under, and then develop a realistic plan of effective resistance along with a strategy to transition to offense. Among other things we need a (counter)revolutionary party. It is probably best to take over an existing one. To this end, I suggest utilizing the "precinct strategy noted here. https://precinctstrategy.com
Although many have attempted to diagnose. the nature of the nation's disease, and prescribe appropriate treatment, I know of none who has done a better and more critically successful job than Chris Rufo, here and elsewhere, including his new book America's Cultural Revolution.
This was again another brilliant chronology of we have got so lost as a the Great Republic it was designed.
I really need to re-read. There are many details I realized I have tried to omit or deny as all Heck broke loose the night of terror and the aftermath of G.Floyd.
Wouldn’t disband minority contracts though. People do deserve a chance to prove themselves, and there are legacies of discrimination and cronyism. Systematically auditing all of the contracts (even with larger established firms) would go a long way to fixing the issues. Would push for a tiered system, have minimal value contracts open to all (say $100k or less) to allow firms to have a chance, then only after successful completion of a few projects in that range would they then be eligible for the next tier of up to $500k, and then the same again for up to $2 million, and so on. This is self regulating and minimizes the opportunity for graft. You can adjust the tiers for the scope of projects (local, county, state, federal).
TERM LIMITS on ALL government employees except some military. Most “lifers” in government have forgotten what it’s like to truly serve a customer or solve problems. The free market is a better training ground for humanity.
Honestly, the majority of the high-ranking career military are politicians themselves. Most of them would sell their soul for that next promotion. As General Powell said and I am paraphrasing: The people you want to have as generals leave the military as majors and lieutenant colonels because they dared to challenge the system at some point and their careers were truncated.
I don't live in the USA, but I think that Americans need to examine the non-profit/charity sector and reform it by greatly curtailing what you can call a charity and a charitable activity. 'Raising awareness' has become a catch-all for getting the government to pay for political messaging.
I cannot thank you enough for making this remark. Our "charities" are just part of the "NGO" sector - a subset.
What is called a "Charity" is nothing more than a capital fund managed by PMC and paying wages to prospective cadres ostensibly in support of some "cause." To look at Amnesty International or Oxfam is to see organizations which may have helped some at some time past, but which have been reoriented toward ideological indoctrination. Their former "missions" are now promoted as part of dishonest/fraudulent "fundraising" tactics.
What is true of these organizations is true of the entire "NGO" sector - when they aren't outright undeclared government agency representatives.
Bingo! What started as a heartfelt way for committed “classical liberals” to devote themselves (at low pay and long hours) to a cause they believed in has now become a corrupt industry of cynical/corrupt lobbyists writing grant applications for taxpayer dollars. Salaries are high, many of the “causes” are having harmful impacts on our society (take a look at the homeless-industrial complex, and the illegal-drug industrial complex if you want two examples), and there is enormous duplication of efforts, which costs many times more to fund. “Good intentions” have become a means to fraud, waste, and abuse in many cases.
They have become vehicles to pay high salaries to accomplished/credentialed PMC and provide wage support to prospective cadres. They are part of a larger revolving door with academia, government and other sectors.
Providing, say, drinking water to children in rural Bolivia is now window-dressing for a fundamentally different mission.
Indeed! Many NGOs have lost their way. In his eye opening 2004 book, Dark Safari, Paul Theroux describes the NGOS driving about in their air conditioned LandRovers with the windows rolled up tight ignoring & doing little to help the African poor all all around them. Even Theroux, a former Peace Corp worker & atheist, said that the only real help came from some dedicated Christian missionaries.
Good ideas. Good luck. You, somewhat understandably, ignore the elephant in the living room: sex discrimination. Every institution in the US openly and unapologetically discriminates against males in favor of females. My GF and I (both in our 60's) disagree on how much sexual discrimination there was in the 80s and 90s, but we both agree that punishing a 25 yo male because a 65 yo female was discriminated against is wrong. We both agree that if you wanted to raise a generation of misogynists, you couldn't have devised a better way than this open unapologetic mistreatment of young males in favor of females.
PLEASE HELP TEACHERS! People mistakenly think what we teach is our decision, but we follow pretty strict guidelines ("fidelity to the curriculum"), and this stuff is coming from state and district administration through new state trainings, mandates and standards. There definitely are some social justice warriors, but most K-12 teachers are rule followers! Our unions are captured, and do not represent most teachers on these issues. Many of us are from law enforcement and military families, yes even in blue states, and we are patriotic Americans. We have nowhere to turn as radicals destroy any trust families had in our profession. It's heartbreaking, and frankly terrifying, to start a new school year with all the division and hatefulness that has been caused by extremist ideologies pushed into our schools since 2020. Chris Rufo understands this situation better than anyone. Hoping he can help forge a movement that brings families and teachers together again, united in the best interests of children as we should be.
We see this with physicians too. The radicals have taken over the various specialty associations and the majority of doctors don’t agree with their politics. The problem is they have a loud voice and now when my patients come to see me they think that I am somehow in league with the ideas promulgated by the associations until I can convince them otherwise. It is a tough place to find oneself professionally.
Yes, I often commiserate with people in the medical professions. It's especially heartbreaking after all we went through to try to heal and educate during the pandemic. We went from heroes to villains so quickly! Destroying the trust between parents and teachers and between patients and doctors is a strike at the heart of our society, and I don't think that's a coincidence.
Good points!
I am so sorry for the position in which you find yourself! It must be awful to be forced to teach things you consider harmful, or risk being fired. I assume teachers are pressured to join the union, or maybe some do so without much thought, but if all the teachers who disagree with what they are being asked to teach refused to join and pay dues, would that be enough to send a message? I mean, if the unions don't represent most teachers on such important issues, why join? Maybe that is too simple. Obviously, the unions do other things that benefit teachers, but this seems so egregious. It is almost like blackmail. I hope that teachers can find a way to fight back that does not threaten their careers. I know plenty of families who would stand with you. I am just thankful my youngest is graduating from high school this year and was old enough to know a dangerous ideology when he saw it. What is being done to the young ones is unconscionable. They have no other frame of reference and really are (almost) blank slates. As a society, we will be reaping the "rewards" of this for years to come.
Yes of course, organizing would be ideal. Problem is they've pushed the ideology in so quickly, and at the same time labeled any disagreement "hate speech" and anyone who disagrees a Nazi. There are many examples now of educators getting bullied or fired for not toeing the party line, and the activists can be vicious. The people ultimately responsible are the state superintendents of education. They should be getting taken to task for the DEI "Equity Lens" ideology pushed into curricular standards and professional development in blue states. It's going to take pressure from all sides to turn the ship. Thanks for your thoughts.
Yes, I have heard the stories of teachers being fired or bullied into submission. It is a terrible shame! I wish you well! Your students are lucky to have you! I think we can start making a difference by voting out the superintendents and school board members who support these things.
These proposals and essays give me hope. Thank you Mr. Rufo for working on these issues. There is yet hope for a post-racial future of actual equality (not equity) some day with thought leaders like these on tap for a future presidential administration.
Good proposals!
I am very pleased to see Dr. Shapiro involved in this symposium - I have followed his career since he came to my attention a few years ago. I respect his judgement.
Leading off with Mr. Miller's contribution and seeing that he is a former Marine combat veteran reminds me of the reverence with which citizens once regarded our armed forces. I still feel that way about those who serve, but perhaps the institutions themselves need their boots cleaned. Providing them with more respectable civilian leadership - as you propose to do - would be a good place to start.
We should all be clear about what it is that we are defending, and why.
Great to see actual plans to course correct the takeover. It has to start somewhere, thanks Chris.
Thank you for gathering this symposium together, Mr. Rufo! It's a sign of the times that you have to be the one to do it, when it should be our elected representatives gathering together to solve our societal problems.
With respect to contracting I would add that there is not only discrimination in favor or against certain individuals and groups based on ethnicity, there is discrimination in favor or against individual contractors who diverge ideologically from the woke platform. Contractors are not as well protected as employees are by civil rights laws. The Congress should correct this. If they don't, the Supreme Court may have to deal with the issue.
How about adding a series of initiatives to stop the Federal government from promoting the trans activist agenda of undermining women’s rights? Including denying men access to women’s restrooms, locker rooms, prisons and sports. Also stop the chemical and surgical mutilation of children.
"The road to hell is paved with good intentions."
Governments are the embodiment of this expression, and excel in turning any and all good intentions into disasters, corruption and catastrophic injustices.
"Woke" probably started out as a positive and well-meaning cause, but was quickly hijacked and transformed into Bizarro World "philosophy" and agendas that are unjust, destructive and flat-out psychotic.
Same for policies of affirmative action and setting aside a piece of the government contract pie for minorities. All starting out with good intentions, yet turning into corrupt or unjust operations.
Universities were taken over by socialism/Marxism long ago, and are now operating with a weird mix of socialism, communism, feudalism and fascism. We need a new "ism" for this wild combination.
My definition of Woke is "Stealth Communism" because that's what it is. From abolishing (defunding) police to wealth redistribution (reparations and land back) to eliminating freedom of speech (hate speech laws) and sneaky doublespeak word games like "anti-racist" which is actually racist, all the Marxist tenents are right there. It's right in front of our noses, but we're blinded by American "it can't happen here" hubris. Patriots better get woke to that before it's too late. Thanks to Chris Rufo who smells the coffee!!☕️
I like your definition.
Honestly, I think there is a better way to approach this for now. Demand that Conservatives are a minority group that is suffering from discrimination: racial and intellectual. Force them to give us priority in hiring and contracts. Play by their own rules. Get conservatives hired in state and federal offices. We must demand hiring for upper level positions in every area of government, from local school boards to Cabinet positions. That's how the Left gained power. Once we have some clout, we can implement these terrific suggestions. Until then, nothing will change.
Yes--defund the left.
Thank you for pointing out the fact that taxpayers are funding them--unwittingly.
As long as I can remember, and that's a long time, the right has been on the defensive, and gone from defeat to defeat. With the "election" of the most corrupt president in American history, freedom has its back to the wall. We have been underfunded, utterly disorganized, fighting desperate rearguard actions, generally with no idea how to effectively defend American society, much less possessing a plan to take the offensive.
We need first to diagnose the nature of the constantly evolving assault the nation and its values is under, and then develop a realistic plan of effective resistance along with a strategy to transition to offense. Among other things we need a (counter)revolutionary party. It is probably best to take over an existing one. To this end, I suggest utilizing the "precinct strategy noted here. https://precinctstrategy.com
Although many have attempted to diagnose. the nature of the nation's disease, and prescribe appropriate treatment, I know of none who has done a better and more critically successful job than Chris Rufo, here and elsewhere, including his new book America's Cultural Revolution.
This was again another brilliant chronology of we have got so lost as a the Great Republic it was designed.
I really need to re-read. There are many details I realized I have tried to omit or deny as all Heck broke loose the night of terror and the aftermath of G.Floyd.
Some very good points.
Wouldn’t disband minority contracts though. People do deserve a chance to prove themselves, and there are legacies of discrimination and cronyism. Systematically auditing all of the contracts (even with larger established firms) would go a long way to fixing the issues. Would push for a tiered system, have minimal value contracts open to all (say $100k or less) to allow firms to have a chance, then only after successful completion of a few projects in that range would they then be eligible for the next tier of up to $500k, and then the same again for up to $2 million, and so on. This is self regulating and minimizes the opportunity for graft. You can adjust the tiers for the scope of projects (local, county, state, federal).
TERM LIMITS on ALL government employees except some military. Most “lifers” in government have forgotten what it’s like to truly serve a customer or solve problems. The free market is a better training ground for humanity.
Honestly, the majority of the high-ranking career military are politicians themselves. Most of them would sell their soul for that next promotion. As General Powell said and I am paraphrasing: The people you want to have as generals leave the military as majors and lieutenant colonels because they dared to challenge the system at some point and their careers were truncated.