It’s time for another Open Q&A. Write a question on any topic in the comments. Then, later today, I’ll answer as many as I can and collect highlights for a future post.
How to irrefutably link movements, like the Trans Agenda or the LGBQT+ Flag to Marxism? Every school or admin that waves the pride flag should fully understand that the equivalence is the gold hammer and sickle on a red background. Every parent should see it for what it is!
You are one of the few warriors the conservative movement has to battle the Left, yet they seem to have an endless supply on their side. How can we level the playing field?
We need legislation to stop this massive transgender social contagion. The government, universities, major medical associations and social media are complicit. Thousands of parents like me are experiencing indescribable grief as our young adult children are misled to poison and mutilate themselves. How can we stop it?
Are you aware of or could you help develop, specific policies or laws in every state, county or school board that should be targeted when we win a local election. What are the specific laws or policies that leverage power and money for these entities that we need to know about right away? There have to be similarities across states.
If the good guys win an election, is there a plan or a list of things that should be addressed on Day 1?
Rafe Heydel-Mankoo recently highlighted research showing that ethnic diversity is significantly linked to decreased social trust, which arguably leads to a host of other social ills. The core data he cited was from a 2019 meta analysis on the topic which found almost all evidence supporting this notion. In looking into one prominent article by Robert Putnam called 'Bowling Alone', I found a rebuttal claiming that some of that data was somewhat misinterpreted. Again, this was one critique and not related to the full meta analysis. Given this overall data, what are your thoughts and implications, or ways forward for society, given that ethnic diversity is likely perpetual and inevitable in many places? Are any benefits of diversity being thrown out with the bathwater? Can we be successfully multi racial yet overcome pitfalls of being overly multi ethnic?
Sources:
Diversity is not a Strength. It weakens Society, Research Clearly Shows
How can we better illustrate the problems with credentialism? Having expertise in a specific field matters and should provoke thoughtful assessments and conversations. But so often, having educated opinions (educated but without a degree) is dismissed when that opinion contradicts mainstream consensus. This is a question that reaches across paradigms, ie journalism, medicine, law, etc. How might we strike a balance between appreciating skills and knowledge without slipping into the authoritarian, lazy assumption that the “experts” know best? Are there useful philosophies / approaches that can be instructive or should we think about creating new ones?
How can we possibly know who, in politics or any media, mainstream or alternative, to trust anymore? There is always the “controlled opposition” red flag thrown at anyone who remotely sounds sane and all conservative thought is equated with fascism, showing its roots of “bad white men”, throughout history, taking advantage of everyone else.
Campus activities re Israel-Palestine have done a lot to expose the intellectual rot on our campuses. You’ve drawn a line in some of your tweets between that and CRT, BLM. I’ve never really understood the connection. Is it as simple as the left needing to place everything into an oppressor-oppressed paradigm? And the only real debate in the Dem Party is which category Jews fall in? Also what is with the tactic of tearing down photos of Hamas kidnapping victims? That seems like such a transparently stupid thing to do that not even the Squad can give it political cover.
The only real leverage to get wokeness out of schools is donors withholding their money. Is there an effort to connect and organize major donors so that there is strength in numbers and individual donors are less hesitant to stick their necks out?
I just learned that my cousin's daughter, who is now 13, came out as trans 2 years ago. My cousin and his wife are affirming the transition but thankfully not initiating any medical interventions. Seems likely though, that this will change because the environment they live in (lower east side of NYC) is seriously progressive. I've been counseled by friends and family members not to intervene. Any suggestions of what to do?
Where is this long thread of discussion going? Isn't the main challenge for us the defeat of the present Regime that is destroying our country and our freedoms? We need voices like Christopher Rufo's to be resounding through the halls of Congress, the wayward state legislatures, the universities and the media to counteract the brainwashing that has now captured the minds of multiple generations. This requires the ABILITY TO ARTICULATE THE ISSUES, which I wish Rufo would teach to the Conservatives who spend the most time in front of cameras. Until propaganda is replaced by truth in the culture and in the media, our country will continue its slide into oblivion. Everyone reading this thread has a job to do in that respect, so please get busy on what is important!
I'm an attorney for a public interest law firm, the Upper Midwest Law Center. We and others like us bring cases to uphold individual rights and the rule of law, including against government imposition of CRT and its related ideologies on government employees and students. I agree with you that politics is downstream of culture, but I think the legal arena is an important driver of cultural norms. Other than representing individuals like you in amicus briefs and co-authoring law review articles not read by many outside the courts, how else can we work collaboratively to bring important cultural perspectives like yours into the legal arena?
In light of your recent discussion with Charles Haywood, what do you make of the claim that conservatives won’t be able to conserve anything as long they are operating within a western liberal framework? The premise of course being that western liberalism’s entire purpose is to advance liberalism, and thus any attempts to stop such “progress” is bound to inevitably fail in the long run.
A tradition of co-belligerency between various radical groups in America goes back to the early republic. We see this repeatedly in the early Jacobin clubs, various social reform movements (a sampling of which were mocked 200 years ago in Hum-Bugs of New York), utopian communities, Henry George's single tax movement, Edward Bellamy's Nationalists, and a huge Encyclopedia of Social Reform in the 1890s whose contributions reads like a directory of the reform-minded academic, intellectual, and ministerial elite of the day. So-called Nationalism and Christian Socialism was far more prevalent than Marxism and identity politics would become much later. The blending of various forms of socialism and neo-Malthusianism is evident in the encyclopedia. Nietzsche's influence would be increasingly be felt in the American Fabian movement after the turn of the century.
Last week I read your book, Americas' Cultural Revolution, while reading the news about the anti-Israel / anti-Jewish protests at supposedly top colleges and universities here in the USA. I could not tell where the news ended, and your book began as your book explains how we got here. On Friday October 5 colleges worried about safe spaces and correct pronouns and on Monday October 8 suddenly "free speech" (harassment of Jews / glorification of the attack (wasn't rape violence against women) / calls for the eradication of Israel) became the new rule.
To what extent do you think these anti-Israel protests and harassment of Jewish students will turn the public against the woke higher education industrial complex?
I live in a blue state, blue county, blue city. I can’t leave (try selling a house with 9% interest rates). For all your impact in FL and elsewhere, things only get worse in places like this - every place, every forum, every job is DEI/decolonize/equity infected. Run by the maoists. Everywhere. Why isn’t there any conservative effort (for example, via the initiative process in west coast states) to take this on in a real way? Everyday is hell here.
Hi Christopher, I am one of hundreds, if not thousands, of parents that have seen our beautiful children destroyed by the Trans Cult. We wait in the darkness for fear of losing what connection we do have with these confused and hurting children. Would you be willing to tell our side of the story?
I see a lot of news coverage regarding the rise of antisemitism in our country,, particularly on college campuses. But there is very little coverage of what is the root cause of this explosion of Jew hatred? It feels clear to me that it is directly related to race based ideology being taught to our children. Why is no one holding those teaching these divisive ideologies accountable? This feels like the time to convey the deadly consequences of this poorly thought out doctrine. If our young people think it’s justifiable to go house to house murdering civilians in Israel because they are the oppressors/colonizers, will they also cheer when innocents are slaughtered here because they fall into these categories? This is insanity and stupidity, which needs to stop.
Have you looked into helping injured parties sue BLM or any of the schools that instructed, conspired or aided and abetted in the crimes of their student activists and radical revolutionaries, as laid out in your book?
Not necessarily if forward isn’t accurately progressing anywhere and going sideways or backwards is better! We need to reclaim the word progress. If you /Chis read my concept of Indiesectionality, you might see a nod towards MLKs ‘I Have a Dream’ speech. We need to resell this to a new generation
>>>>>> I would be honored to get in touch with you.<<<<< Before I write more about myself and my activities, let me briefly share my observations on some of your statements:
>> Contaminated and infected universities <<
My eyes were opened when you described the strategically planned efforts to infiltrate and brainwash universities or k-12 school districts (here the comparison of the Black Panther and current school curricula, NY). A very good example of an intelligent shift from appropriating the means of production to appropriating education, intellect, mentality to ultimately influence and shape a new culture - all a staggered process.
It is very interesting that what was clearly rejected in the early 1970s as a political reality - now we see it succeeding in the universities. A very apt phrase: ‘a powerful process of cultural conquest!’
>>New culture hijacks long-held truths and definitions<<
I fully agree with you. The new culture is aggressively and unfortunately effectively hijacking the meanings of culturally important terms and stories.
Key terms have been taken over ... young minds have been hijacked (again, by the universities), new marketing slogans have become "common sense" reality (like "My body my choice", instead of "My body for you").
Love, charity have lost their meaning; Dignity has lost its meaning; The definition of a human being has lost its meaning (a new, expanded, transhumanist nature is being imposed on new generations); Truth has lost its meaning.
Diversity and inclusion have captured people's minds - creating a new fashion - a new trend - that has become very attractive especially among the young and more ‘artistic and empathetic souls’….
Science has been pitted against spirituality and religiosity - trying to ridicule all those who remain in the realm of spirit and believe in a superior order, natural law, the first mover, the first cause - Intelligence and the Moral Ideal of the Creator.
The concept of the Creator has been marginalized and relegated to the realm of taboo. Under the guise of separation of state and religion - it is forbidden to form opinions about the Creator - yet contained and described in the Declaration. When I ask Americans - I see that there is no single understanding of the meaning of the Creator contained in the Declaration. People are confused.
>> Freedom <<
You said, ‘Freedom and responsibility go together – they are two sides of the same coin. Freedom without responsibility - meaning, unlimited Freedom right - it leads to nihilism because all that you have is the ego and unlimited choice.’ I cannot agree more.
>>Culture<<
I really like the following thesis: ‘Culture is born in leisure.’
Ordinary Americans don't have time to breathe, to think, to delve into existential or transcendent matters. I call this living in the shallows - without depth - that gives deeper satisfaction, true joy, true meaning to life.
Leisure time is 100% appropriated by fast-spreading scandals - preferably moral scandals, or actions on the edge of the law or breaking the law, total devaluation of the truth in favor of cheap sensationalism, celebrity cultivation, ubiquitous sports business (all days of the week - young people are in gymnasiums from morning to night, during the week, on weekends and on Holidays - as well as on so-called great religious holidays - then there are major tournaments). People sit in front of TVs, in stadiums, in bars.... They look with stupefied eyes at changing images - instead of losing themselves in deep conversations, forming relationships, living for real. Basic needs are satisfied (after all, ‘Wine and the Olympic Games’ are the only necessity).
It is easy to manipulate, steer, and direct such a society.
>> Salvation and a better future are possible. <<
To quote Bishop Barron: ‘Catholic social teaching is cooperative.’
What if our attitude was similar to that displayed by the Polish Pope John Paul 2 - who, in a 'supernatural way' one might say, influenced the fate of the world - playing a key role in successfully ending the Cold War - without violence - without bloodshed. Some powerful force of peace. What a powerful negotiating force - the power of persuasion.
- A strong spirituality, a strong ethical foundation and a clear sense of direction and purpose in life (to know the Creator, to unite with Him ultimately, to love at all costs, to humbly obey the Supreme principles and laws, to trust the history of salvation and a personal God with dispassion).
- Deep and broad ‘humanism’ - man as a creature made in the image of God. Humans as sons of God - and thus endowed with infinite dignity, the inalienable value of being human.
- Strong philosophical and linguistic competence.
- Strong support of science and having a serious dialogue with it. Science treated as a way of discovering truth.
- Strong political intelligence, understanding of politics and social and economic issues.
- Deep immersion in the individual cultures of specific nations or social groups - including learning a dozen foreign languages.
- Master of communication, mediation, negotiation.
- Intellect, will, faith - all integrated.
- Peaceful conflict resolution. Showing understanding and love.
- Persuasion always through kindness - always with an individual approach to each person, with sensitivity and compassion. And when necessary - with unequivocal admonition and a call to repentance - and always with care and showing respect for the other person.
- Being always well prepared intellectually and spiritually.
- A tremendous sense of humor.
>>>>>> I would be honored to get in touch with you. <<<<<
I have written a personal letter to you and would like to pass it on to you.
Konrad Milewski, author of ‘Escape from the American Cage’. Activist for a better America, whose vision ensures the flourishing of humanity - with the guarantee of interpersonal solidarity, free market forces, democracy, a militarily strong state and law derived from morality originating from the highest ideal, the Creator. A promoter of a culture based on Christian values and Christian vision of the world. A proclaimer that Truth, Dignity and Love - along with the right to life, to freedom and happiness flowing from the opportunity to ensure a decent life and a personal relationship with God - are inalienable rights and properties of every human being. A preacher that personal freedom must always be linked to taking full personal responsibility for words, behaviors, and actions. Man has free will and constantly makes moral choices. Coordinator of international humanitarian efforts.
The United States Air Force Academy, like all other US military academies, has been inundated with CRT/DEI programs that pervade every aspect of cadet life. The administration, from the Superintendent to the Dean of Academics, is transforming an institution whose foundation is based on constitutional and non political principles into a hotbed of activism and Neo-Marxist advocacy. Numerous examples of this appalling overreach are given in the article, The Air Force Academy’s White Boy #2. https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2023/09/25/the_united_states_air_force_academys_white_boy_2_981680.html
As a member of STARRS (STARRS.us), a group of graduates and veterans who are opposed to racism and radicalization of the military, I alert you to the perilous course of our nation’s most revered institutions.
The proposed ammendments to the WHO international health regulations are not being discussed in the public domain, and so citizens of all countries are not aware they should be contacting their MPs to demand their country opt out of this plan(Treaty) to give up national sovereignty to an unelected privately funded group. The WHO would then appoint a Director General who would decide what constitutes the next pandemic or any public health emergency, including the authority to give EA to "vaccines," travel restrictions, access to anything in the public sphere, etc etc. and to MANDATE any sort of treatment they can think of! Please lift up this rock!
Thank you for the work you do and this opportunity. In this time of hypersensitivity to anything remotely resembling 'hate speech', Women Studies, Black Studies and Queer studies continue to pump out hatred on our college campuses. White heterosexual men in particular are finding colleges to be a hostile environment. With false rape accusations, special accommodations for every other group and hostile female professors. Where are the adults? Why doesn't anyone speak out? Do politicians lack a backbone to take this difficult task on. Many of them with white heterosexual sons in these colleges. How do we fight this?
I hold a BS in Math and a general Master's in Ed (believe me, I know! So much Freire - I was expecting more quantitative research and policy analysis...). I've had several jobs in the science research and edu admin sectors. I've been stuck in a rut trying to obtain a new job that might be integrated with the classical education and merit movement in the U.S. - how might you recommend that I get involved? I'll take any suggestions.
I work for a bank and they are holding 2 hour DEI ‘conversations’ with a consulting firm and the CEO said his goal is 100% employee participation. What is the most effective way for me to refuse to take part in this political indoctrination? I don’t want to be spoken down to and discriminated against for being a white male.
Do we have enough trained leaders with common sense (non-lefties) to take back the leadership of our bureaucracies? And if not, how do we overcome such deficiencies, whether it be by trimming the bureaucracies to fit the available leaders we have, or by drawing leaders from local governments, or something else?
I used to assume that revealing misdeeds would be enough to fix corruption in our government. That's clearly not true now. I'm not sure it ever was. What will it take now?
What do you do to relax and not focus on all the crap going on? I pray, lift, grow veggies, try to become self sufficient, Is the "war" in the Middle East another means to focus our attention away from the open borders in the US?
What curriculums are available for for parents to use k to 12 as an alternative to sending kids to public schools in CA where teachers are teaching hatred of America?
Why haven't Trump attorneys filed Writs of Mandamus, Prohibition and Quo Warranto to stop the " malicious persecution" of their client in SCOTUS? ALSO please stop letting the leftist looney tunes from stealing our language: it is not "lawfare" , it is malicious prosection!
I have been seeing signs that the recent events in Israel have created a unique opportunity for some sort of political re-alignment (at least partial). The fact that barbaric acts of Hamas terrorists received a wide-spread defense and praise in the progressive circles turned off many on the left. Many lefties (especially Jews, but not only) have been surprised by the fact that such vile acts received justification and often are being celebrated by their fellow-progressives. Do you think this could be a significant political moment and is this an opportunity for conservatives?
How do you do it? I see and keep reading articles and comments from you everywhere, interesting and thoughtful works. It takes me forever to write even occasional pieces worth reading. Anyway, keep it up, Rufo!
Do you know of any activist groups that focus specifically on anti-woke stuff, as opposed to fiscal conservatism or gun rights? I'd love to get involved in any way I can.
ive really enjoyed the leading edge work you have been doing on your site, esp the DEI agenda and its history and exposure to the public. I just see that Texas senate passed a bill removing any DEI agendas from public entities, esp schools that receive govt funds.
Are you in comm with other publications that are now writing about DEI, such as The Free Press? I am seeing numerous new articles / stories that seem to echo what you have been writing about for the past couple years. I never see you referenced here. Same with the gender topic, everyone is getting on the band wagon, which you seem to have been driving for a while. thanks
I believe that there is a direct relationship between the current parties that have displayed criticism and hatred of Israel while justifying Hamas atrocities and further in threatening mayhem in this country to Jews and conservatives.
The link is in the CRITICAL RACE THEORY. The theorists of the Critical Race Theory were largely black academicians. Kimberle Crenshqw and Derrick Bell in the early 1970s first crafted a legal theory that imputed that all the laws of this country were the products of racism fostered by white supremacy.
The theory found support among left wing academics but Brown v The Board of Education (1954) and the Supreme Court rejecting Plessy v Ferguson (1895) removing separate but equal from the lists of injuries made some of their theories irrelevant. The passage of Roe v Wade also denied them abortion as a platform for a while. The Civil Rights Act (1964) eradicated most other grievances and its extension the Fair Housing Act (1968) further pushed CRT into the shadows.
Academia continued to provide them a refuge and they planned how to attract new audiences, alliances and new grievances.
The opposition to LGBTQI, furore over Sexual Harrassment, the reframing of Slavery as being the foundation of the United States and their Claim that the arrival of Slaves in 1619 was truly the beginning of racist America and the publication of Nikole Hannah Jones distorted history by the New York Times helped their resurrection. The opposition to same sex relationships and marriage and the rejection of gender affirmation allowed them to create several minority oppressed.
Obama with hs abject apology for America's" mistakes "in the was promising the Middle East US apologies and money and in return he was advancing his candidacy for the Nobel Prize.
The CRT found support in blaming White Supremacy not only for Slavery but also for the decimation of the indigenous peoples. They ignored the fact that Christopher Columbus terminated his voyage in Hispaniola ( Bahamas and Dominica) never ever setting foot in the Continental US as they brought down his statues, that slavery and intertribal strife was common among the indigenous people who got their slaves as the spoils of war and after 1619 also enslaved black and white captives. The claims of white barbarism were overblown. Premature death was a result of new diseases from Europe. The life expectancies of slaves and slave owners was not significantly different in any event as medical interventions were equally lacking.
However all the factors above increased the impressionable "oppressed"
CRT advocates relaxed restrictions to their ranks by deciding that the biologic constructs of race and gender were too stifling and that they should be be replaced by social constructs that the individual could select or change at will they viewed this position as social justice. It allowed for the conversion of any of life's vicissitudes into a grievance that could be beneficial financially and politically.
The different groups seeking social justice were akin to tribes using the social construct theory. In addition to race they could include feminists, LGBTQI individuals, transgender activists, Marxists, homeless due to substance abuse. Each a separate tribe.
To describe them collectively we must allow for the descriptor SOCIAL JUSTICE WARRIORS.
Social Justice Warriors are at war with traditional American values
They have adopted CRT philosophies as their own. DIVERSITY here implies that each tribe has individual grievances but also adopt and sympathize with the grievances of the others. They demand EQUITY, not with each other but with with the oppressors, mainly white "supremacists" although other ethnic groups who were once discriminated against like the Irish, Italians and Asian Americans and Jews who over generations bettered themselves and merged into the multicolored , multicultural fabric of America are now also classed as oppressors. They demand wealth transfers to achieve equty not equality demands that would have made Karl Marx proud. The final philosophical pillar is INTERSECTIONALITY where all their grievances intersect and can be combined as a powerful weapon which would allow the tribal malcontents a vehicle to exorcise their grievances.
They find support in academia which tolerate their partisan comments as expressions of free speech and punish dissenters with threats to their jobs, academic pursuits and finances. They silence dissent with examples of their institutional power.
Merit in academia is destroyed as the brightest and often the best are denied admission to make room for social justice warriors and lower academic standards to satisfy the lowest common denominator.
The money bags are blackmailed into lending a patina of intellectualism for Ibram Kendi's Center for Antiracist Studies. The Center which received tens of millions of dollars is now laying off staff and accusations of self enrichment are surfacing.
Other financial entities trying to burnish their reputations are directing their clients funds into Environmental and Social Investing Ashwath Damodaran at the NYU Stern School one of the giants of Corporate Finance had condemned such practices (https://pages.stern.nyu.edu/~adamodar/pdfiles/country/ESGShortNew.pdf)
Let us now realize as we mourn the loss of innocent lives half a world away that we have a silent war with the Tribespeople of Social Justice and their Warriors their activities are more threatening to America than Hamas and Iran
There’s a quote from Tolstoy that fits: “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” The myriad ways the heart of man can corrupt things vs. the 'ancient paths' that God reveals
Mark Levin suggested that every school district have a "citizen's committee on the schools." so parents know what is happening in that Marxist factory, your local K-12 schools. Every teacher, librarian and school administrator sees their role as training youth in Progressive social activism. They cannot get through teacher's training without pledging fealty to the Marxist agenda. The Civicscenter.org organized over 70 non-profits to establish voter pre-registration drives in high schools, starting at age 16. -some have dedicated school administrators whose function it is to organize kids for protests & social activism-like here in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, where high school students recently walked out to protest Israel's defending themselves. The Jewish parents in this district are trying to find out who organized this to let the kids out of school shouting: "From the river to the sea" and other Hamas slogans. Nothing new: in 2021 they held a November walkout to protest supposed racist incidents- We have to get the K-12 schools under control or defund them. Mr. Rufo is making a difference at the college level-PARENTS must demand teachers wear cameras and for starters they must make sure no teacher/administrator has a student's cellphone number if they don't want their child to be a victim. Google "teacher arrested", "teacher convicted" or "principal arrested" and you will be horrified & sickened by court testimony showing the depravity of school officials who always seem to get off the hook and go on their merry way to another school to offend again. There are solution-FIND THEM LOCALLY. Do something!
Does Hillsdale have a School of Ed? I have a masters of Ed and would love to teach in a classical program for new teachers. I am a public school teacher in an enormous district captured by the Left. I would love to teach in a classical program but one that pays! Do they exist?
Desperation disguised as questions. Teaching in public schools is brutal these days.
What are your thoughts on putting 'clawbacks' on college funding, so that every dollar they spend on things like DEI becomes a dollar (or two!) of lost funding - is that legal?
You and others have written about the dangers of DEI policies, mainly by looking at what is taught / indoctrinated / mandated by government and schools. But what about second and third order issues -- such as how these policies affect the operational performance of government agencies (and business)?
Some people are addressing this issue among the military and in DoD generally, as by discussing causes of recruitment problems. But what else?
I have written about such problems in the intelligence community in the form of politicization of intelligence, trust issues, and the skewing of analytic messages (as in John A. Gentry, Neutering the CIA: Why US Intelligence Versus Trump Has Long-Term Consequences (Armin Lear Press, 2023)). And I am looking at other issues.
What concerns you most? Why? And what can be done to ameliorate or fix problems?
Different from the garbagy 1619 Project, do you know of a grade school age “civic duty” curriculum available for promotion by parents to public school districts? This curriculum needs to be a priority.
An area that is often ignored where the rot has been allowed to gain a strong foothold is in those health and professionals orgs that require CEs to maintain professional certification. Certifications, of various types have been hollowed out by various influences including grant monies that many "non profit entities" rely on to keep the doors open and the grift alive, which have the requirement of mandatory focus on DEI etc. This also infects other accreditation bodies that are important to private k-12 education. Is there anyone working on these areas to uncover, dismantle and re-focus these bodies?
Most products are just products without inherent meaning. I drank Bud Light because I like lite beer, it is usually the least expensive offering, and it is available almost everywhere. I prefer Coors Light, but Bud Light was my backup for sports stadiums and similar locales.
Once Bud Light took on an agenda (really driven more by Ms. Hammerscheidt than Dylan Mulvaney), I dropped it and wont go back. To me, what was once a simple act of finding a cheap light beer became symbolic, and more specifically symbolic of something I oppose and resent.
This AI patent enables a computer to reason and speak employing ethical parameters, an innovation based upon a primary complement of instinctual behavioral terms (rewards-leniency-appetite-aversion). This elementary instinctual foundation, in turn, extends to a multi-level hierarchy of the traditional groupings of virtues, values, and ideals, collectively arranged as subsets within a hierarchy of metaperspectives - as depicted below.
The systematic organization underlying this ethical hierarchy allows for extreme efficiency in programming, eliminating much of the associated redundancy, providing a precise determination of motivational parameters at issue during a given verbal interchange. A similar pattern further extends to the contrasting behavioral paradigm of punishment, resulting in a parallel hierarchy of the major categories of the vices. Here rewards / leniency is withheld rather than bestowed in response to actions judged not to be suitably solicitous or submissive (as depicted in the diagram below). This format contrasts point-for-point with the respective virtuous mode (the actual patent encompasses 320 individual terms).
No Solicitousness . No Rewards ..... No Submissiveness . No Leniency
With such ethical safeguards firmly in place, the AI computer is formally prohibited from expressing the corresponding realm of the vices, allowing for a truly flawless simulation of virtue. more at www.lamuth.online
Is it too late to ask a Q? Here’s mine: Christopher, I’m a mother of two tweens. We are saving and planning for college. What advice do you have for selecting a college, and would you suggest the Nee School in Florida where you teach?
How to irrefutably link movements, like the Trans Agenda or the LGBQT+ Flag to Marxism? Every school or admin that waves the pride flag should fully understand that the equivalence is the gold hammer and sickle on a red background. Every parent should see it for what it is!
You are one of the few warriors the conservative movement has to battle the Left, yet they seem to have an endless supply on their side. How can we level the playing field?
We need legislation to stop this massive transgender social contagion. The government, universities, major medical associations and social media are complicit. Thousands of parents like me are experiencing indescribable grief as our young adult children are misled to poison and mutilate themselves. How can we stop it?
Are you aware of or could you help develop, specific policies or laws in every state, county or school board that should be targeted when we win a local election. What are the specific laws or policies that leverage power and money for these entities that we need to know about right away? There have to be similarities across states.
If the good guys win an election, is there a plan or a list of things that should be addressed on Day 1?
Rafe Heydel-Mankoo recently highlighted research showing that ethnic diversity is significantly linked to decreased social trust, which arguably leads to a host of other social ills. The core data he cited was from a 2019 meta analysis on the topic which found almost all evidence supporting this notion. In looking into one prominent article by Robert Putnam called 'Bowling Alone', I found a rebuttal claiming that some of that data was somewhat misinterpreted. Again, this was one critique and not related to the full meta analysis. Given this overall data, what are your thoughts and implications, or ways forward for society, given that ethnic diversity is likely perpetual and inevitable in many places? Are any benefits of diversity being thrown out with the bathwater? Can we be successfully multi racial yet overcome pitfalls of being overly multi ethnic?
Sources:
Diversity is not a Strength. It weakens Society, Research Clearly Shows
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=o821QX5LFpg
Ethnic Diversity and Social Trust: A Narrative and Meta-Analytical Review
https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-polisci-052918-020708
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/does-diversity-create-distrust/
How can we better illustrate the problems with credentialism? Having expertise in a specific field matters and should provoke thoughtful assessments and conversations. But so often, having educated opinions (educated but without a degree) is dismissed when that opinion contradicts mainstream consensus. This is a question that reaches across paradigms, ie journalism, medicine, law, etc. How might we strike a balance between appreciating skills and knowledge without slipping into the authoritarian, lazy assumption that the “experts” know best? Are there useful philosophies / approaches that can be instructive or should we think about creating new ones?
How can we possibly know who, in politics or any media, mainstream or alternative, to trust anymore? There is always the “controlled opposition” red flag thrown at anyone who remotely sounds sane and all conservative thought is equated with fascism, showing its roots of “bad white men”, throughout history, taking advantage of everyone else.
Campus activities re Israel-Palestine have done a lot to expose the intellectual rot on our campuses. You’ve drawn a line in some of your tweets between that and CRT, BLM. I’ve never really understood the connection. Is it as simple as the left needing to place everything into an oppressor-oppressed paradigm? And the only real debate in the Dem Party is which category Jews fall in? Also what is with the tactic of tearing down photos of Hamas kidnapping victims? That seems like such a transparently stupid thing to do that not even the Squad can give it political cover.
The only real leverage to get wokeness out of schools is donors withholding their money. Is there an effort to connect and organize major donors so that there is strength in numbers and individual donors are less hesitant to stick their necks out?
I just learned that my cousin's daughter, who is now 13, came out as trans 2 years ago. My cousin and his wife are affirming the transition but thankfully not initiating any medical interventions. Seems likely though, that this will change because the environment they live in (lower east side of NYC) is seriously progressive. I've been counseled by friends and family members not to intervene. Any suggestions of what to do?
Where is this long thread of discussion going? Isn't the main challenge for us the defeat of the present Regime that is destroying our country and our freedoms? We need voices like Christopher Rufo's to be resounding through the halls of Congress, the wayward state legislatures, the universities and the media to counteract the brainwashing that has now captured the minds of multiple generations. This requires the ABILITY TO ARTICULATE THE ISSUES, which I wish Rufo would teach to the Conservatives who spend the most time in front of cameras. Until propaganda is replaced by truth in the culture and in the media, our country will continue its slide into oblivion. Everyone reading this thread has a job to do in that respect, so please get busy on what is important!
I'm an attorney for a public interest law firm, the Upper Midwest Law Center. We and others like us bring cases to uphold individual rights and the rule of law, including against government imposition of CRT and its related ideologies on government employees and students. I agree with you that politics is downstream of culture, but I think the legal arena is an important driver of cultural norms. Other than representing individuals like you in amicus briefs and co-authoring law review articles not read by many outside the courts, how else can we work collaboratively to bring important cultural perspectives like yours into the legal arena?
In light of your recent discussion with Charles Haywood, what do you make of the claim that conservatives won’t be able to conserve anything as long they are operating within a western liberal framework? The premise of course being that western liberalism’s entire purpose is to advance liberalism, and thus any attempts to stop such “progress” is bound to inevitably fail in the long run.
A tradition of co-belligerency between various radical groups in America goes back to the early republic. We see this repeatedly in the early Jacobin clubs, various social reform movements (a sampling of which were mocked 200 years ago in Hum-Bugs of New York), utopian communities, Henry George's single tax movement, Edward Bellamy's Nationalists, and a huge Encyclopedia of Social Reform in the 1890s whose contributions reads like a directory of the reform-minded academic, intellectual, and ministerial elite of the day. So-called Nationalism and Christian Socialism was far more prevalent than Marxism and identity politics would become much later. The blending of various forms of socialism and neo-Malthusianism is evident in the encyclopedia. Nietzsche's influence would be increasingly be felt in the American Fabian movement after the turn of the century.
Last week I read your book, Americas' Cultural Revolution, while reading the news about the anti-Israel / anti-Jewish protests at supposedly top colleges and universities here in the USA. I could not tell where the news ended, and your book began as your book explains how we got here. On Friday October 5 colleges worried about safe spaces and correct pronouns and on Monday October 8 suddenly "free speech" (harassment of Jews / glorification of the attack (wasn't rape violence against women) / calls for the eradication of Israel) became the new rule.
To what extent do you think these anti-Israel protests and harassment of Jewish students will turn the public against the woke higher education industrial complex?
I live in a blue state, blue county, blue city. I can’t leave (try selling a house with 9% interest rates). For all your impact in FL and elsewhere, things only get worse in places like this - every place, every forum, every job is DEI/decolonize/equity infected. Run by the maoists. Everywhere. Why isn’t there any conservative effort (for example, via the initiative process in west coast states) to take this on in a real way? Everyday is hell here.
Hi Christopher, I am one of hundreds, if not thousands, of parents that have seen our beautiful children destroyed by the Trans Cult. We wait in the darkness for fear of losing what connection we do have with these confused and hurting children. Would you be willing to tell our side of the story?
I see a lot of news coverage regarding the rise of antisemitism in our country,, particularly on college campuses. But there is very little coverage of what is the root cause of this explosion of Jew hatred? It feels clear to me that it is directly related to race based ideology being taught to our children. Why is no one holding those teaching these divisive ideologies accountable? This feels like the time to convey the deadly consequences of this poorly thought out doctrine. If our young people think it’s justifiable to go house to house murdering civilians in Israel because they are the oppressors/colonizers, will they also cheer when innocents are slaughtered here because they fall into these categories? This is insanity and stupidity, which needs to stop.
Have you looked into helping injured parties sue BLM or any of the schools that instructed, conspired or aided and abetted in the crimes of their student activists and radical revolutionaries, as laid out in your book?
What percentage of American Conservatives are properly trained for the rhetorical and literal battles they face?
Not necessarily if forward isn’t accurately progressing anywhere and going sideways or backwards is better! We need to reclaim the word progress. If you /Chis read my concept of Indiesectionality, you might see a nod towards MLKs ‘I Have a Dream’ speech. We need to resell this to a new generation
>>>>>> I would be honored to get in touch with you.<<<<< Before I write more about myself and my activities, let me briefly share my observations on some of your statements:
>> Contaminated and infected universities <<
My eyes were opened when you described the strategically planned efforts to infiltrate and brainwash universities or k-12 school districts (here the comparison of the Black Panther and current school curricula, NY). A very good example of an intelligent shift from appropriating the means of production to appropriating education, intellect, mentality to ultimately influence and shape a new culture - all a staggered process.
It is very interesting that what was clearly rejected in the early 1970s as a political reality - now we see it succeeding in the universities. A very apt phrase: ‘a powerful process of cultural conquest!’
>>New culture hijacks long-held truths and definitions<<
I fully agree with you. The new culture is aggressively and unfortunately effectively hijacking the meanings of culturally important terms and stories.
Key terms have been taken over ... young minds have been hijacked (again, by the universities), new marketing slogans have become "common sense" reality (like "My body my choice", instead of "My body for you").
Love, charity have lost their meaning; Dignity has lost its meaning; The definition of a human being has lost its meaning (a new, expanded, transhumanist nature is being imposed on new generations); Truth has lost its meaning.
Diversity and inclusion have captured people's minds - creating a new fashion - a new trend - that has become very attractive especially among the young and more ‘artistic and empathetic souls’….
Science has been pitted against spirituality and religiosity - trying to ridicule all those who remain in the realm of spirit and believe in a superior order, natural law, the first mover, the first cause - Intelligence and the Moral Ideal of the Creator.
The concept of the Creator has been marginalized and relegated to the realm of taboo. Under the guise of separation of state and religion - it is forbidden to form opinions about the Creator - yet contained and described in the Declaration. When I ask Americans - I see that there is no single understanding of the meaning of the Creator contained in the Declaration. People are confused.
>> Freedom <<
You said, ‘Freedom and responsibility go together – they are two sides of the same coin. Freedom without responsibility - meaning, unlimited Freedom right - it leads to nihilism because all that you have is the ego and unlimited choice.’ I cannot agree more.
>>Culture<<
I really like the following thesis: ‘Culture is born in leisure.’
Ordinary Americans don't have time to breathe, to think, to delve into existential or transcendent matters. I call this living in the shallows - without depth - that gives deeper satisfaction, true joy, true meaning to life.
Leisure time is 100% appropriated by fast-spreading scandals - preferably moral scandals, or actions on the edge of the law or breaking the law, total devaluation of the truth in favor of cheap sensationalism, celebrity cultivation, ubiquitous sports business (all days of the week - young people are in gymnasiums from morning to night, during the week, on weekends and on Holidays - as well as on so-called great religious holidays - then there are major tournaments). People sit in front of TVs, in stadiums, in bars.... They look with stupefied eyes at changing images - instead of losing themselves in deep conversations, forming relationships, living for real. Basic needs are satisfied (after all, ‘Wine and the Olympic Games’ are the only necessity).
It is easy to manipulate, steer, and direct such a society.
>> Salvation and a better future are possible. <<
To quote Bishop Barron: ‘Catholic social teaching is cooperative.’
What if our attitude was similar to that displayed by the Polish Pope John Paul 2 - who, in a 'supernatural way' one might say, influenced the fate of the world - playing a key role in successfully ending the Cold War - without violence - without bloodshed. Some powerful force of peace. What a powerful negotiating force - the power of persuasion.
- A strong spirituality, a strong ethical foundation and a clear sense of direction and purpose in life (to know the Creator, to unite with Him ultimately, to love at all costs, to humbly obey the Supreme principles and laws, to trust the history of salvation and a personal God with dispassion).
- Deep and broad ‘humanism’ - man as a creature made in the image of God. Humans as sons of God - and thus endowed with infinite dignity, the inalienable value of being human.
- Strong philosophical and linguistic competence.
- Strong support of science and having a serious dialogue with it. Science treated as a way of discovering truth.
- Strong political intelligence, understanding of politics and social and economic issues.
- Deep immersion in the individual cultures of specific nations or social groups - including learning a dozen foreign languages.
- Master of communication, mediation, negotiation.
- Intellect, will, faith - all integrated.
- Peaceful conflict resolution. Showing understanding and love.
- Persuasion always through kindness - always with an individual approach to each person, with sensitivity and compassion. And when necessary - with unequivocal admonition and a call to repentance - and always with care and showing respect for the other person.
- Being always well prepared intellectually and spiritually.
- A tremendous sense of humor.
>>>>>> I would be honored to get in touch with you. <<<<<
I have written a personal letter to you and would like to pass it on to you.
Konrad Milewski, author of ‘Escape from the American Cage’. Activist for a better America, whose vision ensures the flourishing of humanity - with the guarantee of interpersonal solidarity, free market forces, democracy, a militarily strong state and law derived from morality originating from the highest ideal, the Creator. A promoter of a culture based on Christian values and Christian vision of the world. A proclaimer that Truth, Dignity and Love - along with the right to life, to freedom and happiness flowing from the opportunity to ensure a decent life and a personal relationship with God - are inalienable rights and properties of every human being. A preacher that personal freedom must always be linked to taking full personal responsibility for words, behaviors, and actions. Man has free will and constantly makes moral choices. Coordinator of international humanitarian efforts.
https://www.americancage.org/
The United States Air Force Academy, like all other US military academies, has been inundated with CRT/DEI programs that pervade every aspect of cadet life. The administration, from the Superintendent to the Dean of Academics, is transforming an institution whose foundation is based on constitutional and non political principles into a hotbed of activism and Neo-Marxist advocacy. Numerous examples of this appalling overreach are given in the article, The Air Force Academy’s White Boy #2. https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2023/09/25/the_united_states_air_force_academys_white_boy_2_981680.html
As a member of STARRS (STARRS.us), a group of graduates and veterans who are opposed to racism and radicalization of the military, I alert you to the perilous course of our nation’s most revered institutions.
The proposed ammendments to the WHO international health regulations are not being discussed in the public domain, and so citizens of all countries are not aware they should be contacting their MPs to demand their country opt out of this plan(Treaty) to give up national sovereignty to an unelected privately funded group. The WHO would then appoint a Director General who would decide what constitutes the next pandemic or any public health emergency, including the authority to give EA to "vaccines," travel restrictions, access to anything in the public sphere, etc etc. and to MANDATE any sort of treatment they can think of! Please lift up this rock!
Thank you for the work you do and this opportunity. In this time of hypersensitivity to anything remotely resembling 'hate speech', Women Studies, Black Studies and Queer studies continue to pump out hatred on our college campuses. White heterosexual men in particular are finding colleges to be a hostile environment. With false rape accusations, special accommodations for every other group and hostile female professors. Where are the adults? Why doesn't anyone speak out? Do politicians lack a backbone to take this difficult task on. Many of them with white heterosexual sons in these colleges. How do we fight this?
I don't have a question. I just wanted to thank you for your interesting, timely and to-the-point daily articles.
I hold a BS in Math and a general Master's in Ed (believe me, I know! So much Freire - I was expecting more quantitative research and policy analysis...). I've had several jobs in the science research and edu admin sectors. I've been stuck in a rut trying to obtain a new job that might be integrated with the classical education and merit movement in the U.S. - how might you recommend that I get involved? I'll take any suggestions.
I work for a bank and they are holding 2 hour DEI ‘conversations’ with a consulting firm and the CEO said his goal is 100% employee participation. What is the most effective way for me to refuse to take part in this political indoctrination? I don’t want to be spoken down to and discriminated against for being a white male.
Do we have enough trained leaders with common sense (non-lefties) to take back the leadership of our bureaucracies? And if not, how do we overcome such deficiencies, whether it be by trimming the bureaucracies to fit the available leaders we have, or by drawing leaders from local governments, or something else?
I used to assume that revealing misdeeds would be enough to fix corruption in our government. That's clearly not true now. I'm not sure it ever was. What will it take now?
What do you do to relax and not focus on all the crap going on? I pray, lift, grow veggies, try to become self sufficient, Is the "war" in the Middle East another means to focus our attention away from the open borders in the US?
What curriculums are available for for parents to use k to 12 as an alternative to sending kids to public schools in CA where teachers are teaching hatred of America?
Why haven't Trump attorneys filed Writs of Mandamus, Prohibition and Quo Warranto to stop the " malicious persecution" of their client in SCOTUS? ALSO please stop letting the leftist looney tunes from stealing our language: it is not "lawfare" , it is malicious prosection!
I have been seeing signs that the recent events in Israel have created a unique opportunity for some sort of political re-alignment (at least partial). The fact that barbaric acts of Hamas terrorists received a wide-spread defense and praise in the progressive circles turned off many on the left. Many lefties (especially Jews, but not only) have been surprised by the fact that such vile acts received justification and often are being celebrated by their fellow-progressives. Do you think this could be a significant political moment and is this an opportunity for conservatives?
How do you do it? I see and keep reading articles and comments from you everywhere, interesting and thoughtful works. It takes me forever to write even occasional pieces worth reading. Anyway, keep it up, Rufo!
Do you know of any activist groups that focus specifically on anti-woke stuff, as opposed to fiscal conservatism or gun rights? I'd love to get involved in any way I can.
Hi
ive really enjoyed the leading edge work you have been doing on your site, esp the DEI agenda and its history and exposure to the public. I just see that Texas senate passed a bill removing any DEI agendas from public entities, esp schools that receive govt funds.
Are you in comm with other publications that are now writing about DEI, such as The Free Press? I am seeing numerous new articles / stories that seem to echo what you have been writing about for the past couple years. I never see you referenced here. Same with the gender topic, everyone is getting on the band wagon, which you seem to have been driving for a while. thanks
rich
SOCIAL JUSTICE TRIBES AND THEIR WARRIORS
I believe that there is a direct relationship between the current parties that have displayed criticism and hatred of Israel while justifying Hamas atrocities and further in threatening mayhem in this country to Jews and conservatives.
The link is in the CRITICAL RACE THEORY. The theorists of the Critical Race Theory were largely black academicians. Kimberle Crenshqw and Derrick Bell in the early 1970s first crafted a legal theory that imputed that all the laws of this country were the products of racism fostered by white supremacy.
The theory found support among left wing academics but Brown v The Board of Education (1954) and the Supreme Court rejecting Plessy v Ferguson (1895) removing separate but equal from the lists of injuries made some of their theories irrelevant. The passage of Roe v Wade also denied them abortion as a platform for a while. The Civil Rights Act (1964) eradicated most other grievances and its extension the Fair Housing Act (1968) further pushed CRT into the shadows.
Academia continued to provide them a refuge and they planned how to attract new audiences, alliances and new grievances.
The opposition to LGBTQI, furore over Sexual Harrassment, the reframing of Slavery as being the foundation of the United States and their Claim that the arrival of Slaves in 1619 was truly the beginning of racist America and the publication of Nikole Hannah Jones distorted history by the New York Times helped their resurrection. The opposition to same sex relationships and marriage and the rejection of gender affirmation allowed them to create several minority oppressed.
Obama with hs abject apology for America's" mistakes "in the was promising the Middle East US apologies and money and in return he was advancing his candidacy for the Nobel Prize.
The CRT found support in blaming White Supremacy not only for Slavery but also for the decimation of the indigenous peoples. They ignored the fact that Christopher Columbus terminated his voyage in Hispaniola ( Bahamas and Dominica) never ever setting foot in the Continental US as they brought down his statues, that slavery and intertribal strife was common among the indigenous people who got their slaves as the spoils of war and after 1619 also enslaved black and white captives. The claims of white barbarism were overblown. Premature death was a result of new diseases from Europe. The life expectancies of slaves and slave owners was not significantly different in any event as medical interventions were equally lacking.
However all the factors above increased the impressionable "oppressed"
CRT advocates relaxed restrictions to their ranks by deciding that the biologic constructs of race and gender were too stifling and that they should be be replaced by social constructs that the individual could select or change at will they viewed this position as social justice. It allowed for the conversion of any of life's vicissitudes into a grievance that could be beneficial financially and politically.
The different groups seeking social justice were akin to tribes using the social construct theory. In addition to race they could include feminists, LGBTQI individuals, transgender activists, Marxists, homeless due to substance abuse. Each a separate tribe.
To describe them collectively we must allow for the descriptor SOCIAL JUSTICE WARRIORS.
Social Justice Warriors are at war with traditional American values
They have adopted CRT philosophies as their own. DIVERSITY here implies that each tribe has individual grievances but also adopt and sympathize with the grievances of the others. They demand EQUITY, not with each other but with with the oppressors, mainly white "supremacists" although other ethnic groups who were once discriminated against like the Irish, Italians and Asian Americans and Jews who over generations bettered themselves and merged into the multicolored , multicultural fabric of America are now also classed as oppressors. They demand wealth transfers to achieve equty not equality demands that would have made Karl Marx proud. The final philosophical pillar is INTERSECTIONALITY where all their grievances intersect and can be combined as a powerful weapon which would allow the tribal malcontents a vehicle to exorcise their grievances.
They find support in academia which tolerate their partisan comments as expressions of free speech and punish dissenters with threats to their jobs, academic pursuits and finances. They silence dissent with examples of their institutional power.
Merit in academia is destroyed as the brightest and often the best are denied admission to make room for social justice warriors and lower academic standards to satisfy the lowest common denominator.
The money bags are blackmailed into lending a patina of intellectualism for Ibram Kendi's Center for Antiracist Studies. The Center which received tens of millions of dollars is now laying off staff and accusations of self enrichment are surfacing.
Other financial entities trying to burnish their reputations are directing their clients funds into Environmental and Social Investing Ashwath Damodaran at the NYU Stern School one of the giants of Corporate Finance had condemned such practices (https://pages.stern.nyu.edu/~adamodar/pdfiles/country/ESGShortNew.pdf)
Let us now realize as we mourn the loss of innocent lives half a world away that we have a silent war with the Tribespeople of Social Justice and their Warriors their activities are more threatening to America than Hamas and Iran
There’s a quote from Tolstoy that fits: “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” The myriad ways the heart of man can corrupt things vs. the 'ancient paths' that God reveals
Mark Levin suggested that every school district have a "citizen's committee on the schools." so parents know what is happening in that Marxist factory, your local K-12 schools. Every teacher, librarian and school administrator sees their role as training youth in Progressive social activism. They cannot get through teacher's training without pledging fealty to the Marxist agenda. The Civicscenter.org organized over 70 non-profits to establish voter pre-registration drives in high schools, starting at age 16. -some have dedicated school administrators whose function it is to organize kids for protests & social activism-like here in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, where high school students recently walked out to protest Israel's defending themselves. The Jewish parents in this district are trying to find out who organized this to let the kids out of school shouting: "From the river to the sea" and other Hamas slogans. Nothing new: in 2021 they held a November walkout to protest supposed racist incidents- We have to get the K-12 schools under control or defund them. Mr. Rufo is making a difference at the college level-PARENTS must demand teachers wear cameras and for starters they must make sure no teacher/administrator has a student's cellphone number if they don't want their child to be a victim. Google "teacher arrested", "teacher convicted" or "principal arrested" and you will be horrified & sickened by court testimony showing the depravity of school officials who always seem to get off the hook and go on their merry way to another school to offend again. There are solution-FIND THEM LOCALLY. Do something!
What concrete steps can people take to move culture in the right direction?
Does Hillsdale have a School of Ed? I have a masters of Ed and would love to teach in a classical program for new teachers. I am a public school teacher in an enormous district captured by the Left. I would love to teach in a classical program but one that pays! Do they exist?
Desperation disguised as questions. Teaching in public schools is brutal these days.
What are your thoughts on putting 'clawbacks' on college funding, so that every dollar they spend on things like DEI becomes a dollar (or two!) of lost funding - is that legal?
You and others have written about the dangers of DEI policies, mainly by looking at what is taught / indoctrinated / mandated by government and schools. But what about second and third order issues -- such as how these policies affect the operational performance of government agencies (and business)?
Some people are addressing this issue among the military and in DoD generally, as by discussing causes of recruitment problems. But what else?
I have written about such problems in the intelligence community in the form of politicization of intelligence, trust issues, and the skewing of analytic messages (as in John A. Gentry, Neutering the CIA: Why US Intelligence Versus Trump Has Long-Term Consequences (Armin Lear Press, 2023)). And I am looking at other issues.
What concerns you most? Why? And what can be done to ameliorate or fix problems?
Different from the garbagy 1619 Project, do you know of a grade school age “civic duty” curriculum available for promotion by parents to public school districts? This curriculum needs to be a priority.
An area that is often ignored where the rot has been allowed to gain a strong foothold is in those health and professionals orgs that require CEs to maintain professional certification. Certifications, of various types have been hollowed out by various influences including grant monies that many "non profit entities" rely on to keep the doors open and the grift alive, which have the requirement of mandatory focus on DEI etc. This also infects other accreditation bodies that are important to private k-12 education. Is there anyone working on these areas to uncover, dismantle and re-focus these bodies?
Which states have the most effective laws to protect children from LGBT grooming and woke tribalism indoctrination in the school system?
Most products are just products without inherent meaning. I drank Bud Light because I like lite beer, it is usually the least expensive offering, and it is available almost everywhere. I prefer Coors Light, but Bud Light was my backup for sports stadiums and similar locales.
Once Bud Light took on an agenda (really driven more by Ms. Hammerscheidt than Dylan Mulvaney), I dropped it and wont go back. To me, what was once a simple act of finding a cheap light beer became symbolic, and more specifically symbolic of something I oppose and resent.
I will never go back.
This AI patent enables a computer to reason and speak employing ethical parameters, an innovation based upon a primary complement of instinctual behavioral terms (rewards-leniency-appetite-aversion). This elementary instinctual foundation, in turn, extends to a multi-level hierarchy of the traditional groupings of virtues, values, and ideals, collectively arranged as subsets within a hierarchy of metaperspectives - as depicted below.
Solicitousness . Rewards ..... Submissiveness . Leniency
Nostalgia . Worship ......... Guilt . Blame
Glory . Prudence ............. Honor . Justice
Providence . Faith ........... Liberty . Hope
Grace . Beauty ............. Free-will . Truth
Tranquility . Ecstasy ............ Equality . Bliss
_________________________________
Appetite . + Reinforcement .... Aversion . Neg. Reinforcement
Desire . Approval ........... Worry . Concern
Dignity . Temperance ........... Integrity . Fortitude
Civility . Charity ............... Austerity . Decency
Magnanimity . Goodness ............. Equanimity . Wisdom
Love . Joy .................. Peace . Harmony
The systematic organization underlying this ethical hierarchy allows for extreme efficiency in programming, eliminating much of the associated redundancy, providing a precise determination of motivational parameters at issue during a given verbal interchange. A similar pattern further extends to the contrasting behavioral paradigm of punishment, resulting in a parallel hierarchy of the major categories of the vices. Here rewards / leniency is withheld rather than bestowed in response to actions judged not to be suitably solicitous or submissive (as depicted in the diagram below). This format contrasts point-for-point with the respective virtuous mode (the actual patent encompasses 320 individual terms).
No Solicitousness . No Rewards ..... No Submissiveness . No Leniency
Laziness . Treachery ........... Negligence . Vindictiveness
Infamy . Insurgency................. Dishonor . Vengeance
Prodigality . Betrayal.....................Slavery . Despair
Wrath . Ugliness.......................Tyranny . Hypocrisy
Anger . Abomination.....................Prejudice . Perdition
_________________________________
No Appetite . Punishment. .... No Aversion . - Punishment
Apathy . Spite ............... Indifference . Malice
Foolishness . Gluttony.................Caprice . Cowardice
Vulgarity . Avarice...................Cruelty . Antagonism
Oppression . Evil.....................Persecution . Cunning
Hatred . Iniquity....................Belligerence . Turpitude
With such ethical safeguards firmly in place, the AI computer is formally prohibited from expressing the corresponding realm of the vices, allowing for a truly flawless simulation of virtue. more at www.lamuth.online
Is it too late to ask a Q? Here’s mine: Christopher, I’m a mother of two tweens. We are saving and planning for college. What advice do you have for selecting a college, and would you suggest the Nee School in Florida where you teach?