Madness Of Crowds

1. The collapse of grand narratives has led to a new, divisive ideology

We have been living through a period of more than a quarter of a century in which all our grand narratives have collapsed.

Ideological vacuum: The decline of religious and political ideologies in the late 20th century created a void in societal meaning. This vacuum has been filled by a new set of beliefs centered around social justice, identity politics, and intersectionality. These ideas, once confined to academic fringes, have rapidly entered mainstream discourse.

New metaphysics: This emerging ideology presents itself as a comprehensive worldview, offering explanations for societal inequities and personal struggles. It divides society into oppressor and oppressed groups, based on characteristics like race, gender, and sexuality. This framework promises to sort out every inequity, not just in individual lives but across society as a whole.

Division and animosity: Rather than unifying society, this new ideology often exacerbates divisions. It encourages people to view themselves primarily through the lens of group identity and victimhood, fostering resentment and conflict between different demographic groups.

2. Social justice warriors weaponize identity politics for power

The purpose – unknowing in some people, deliberate in others – is to embed a new metaphysics into our societies: a new religion, if you will.

Academic origins: The roots of modern social justice ideology can be traced to post-Marxist thinkers in academia. Concepts like "white privilege," "toxic masculinity," and "intersectionality" were developed in university departments before spreading to wider society.

Power dynamics: Social justice advocates often view all human interactions through the prism of power. This Foucauldian perspective reduces complex social relationships to simplistic oppressor-oppressed dynamics, ignoring other important factors like individual agency, cultural differences, and economic realities.

Moral currency: Victimhood and oppressed status have become forms of social capital in this new paradigm. This incentivizes people to emphasize or even fabricate grievances, leading to a "race to the bottom" in terms of claimed oppression.

3. Gay rights movement's success breeds new challenges and contradictions

Just as a previous era might have tilted the see-saw towards straight, this one has decided to tilt it in the other direction.

From liberation to dogma: The gay rights movement achieved remarkable success in a relatively short time. However, this rapid progress has led to new challenges, including:

• Tension between assimilationist and radical queer politics
• Debate over the fluidity vs. fixedness of sexual orientation
• Conflicts with other identity groups, particularly transgender activists

Biological confusion: The push to view sexual orientation as innate ("born this way") conflicts with more fluid conceptions of sexuality promoted by some activists. This creates confusion about the nature of homosexuality and its relationship to gender identity.

Overreach and backlash: Some gay rights advocates have pushed for goals that go beyond equality, such as celebrating gay parenting as superior to heterosexual parenting. This risks alienating potential allies and fostering resentment among the broader population.

4. Feminism's evolution creates paradoxes and impossible demands

From being strongly inclined towards straight the culture has settled with a mild inclination towards gay.

Waves of change: Feminism has evolved through several "waves," each with its own focus and demands:

• First wave: Legal rights (voting, property ownership)
• Second wave: Workplace equality, reproductive rights
• Third/Fourth wave: Intersectionality, body positivity, #MeToo

Contradictory messages: Modern feminism often sends mixed signals, such as:

• Demanding to be seen as strong and capable, while also emphasizing victimhood
• Celebrating female sexuality while condemning objectification
• Promoting gender equality while sometimes demonizing men ("toxic masculinity")

Unresolved issues: Important feminist concerns, like balancing career and motherhood, remain unaddressed as the movement focuses on more radical or divisive topics. This leaves many women feeling unsupported by mainstream feminism.

5. Race relations are regressing due to obsessive focus on identity

We face not just a future of ever-greater atomization, rage and violence, but a future in which the possibility of a backlash against all rights advances – including the good ones – grows more likely.

Colorblind ideal abandoned: The goal of a "colorblind" society, championed by figures like Martin Luther King Jr., has been largely abandoned in favor of an obsessive focus on racial identity. This shift risks undoing decades of progress in race relations.

Racialization of everything: Every aspect of society is now viewed through a racial lens, from cultural appropriation debates to casting decisions in entertainment. This constant focus on race often creates more division than unity.

Reverse discrimination: In the name of equity, some institutions now openly discriminate against historically privileged groups, particularly white males. This risks creating new forms of resentment and injustice, rather than addressing root causes of inequality.

6. The trans movement exposes deep societal confusion about gender

We still don't have much or any idea as to why some people are gay. After decades of research this is a huge – and potentially destabilizing – question to remain unresolved on an identity question which has arrived at the very forefront of our purported values.

Rapid normalization: Transgender rights have moved from the fringe to the mainstream with unprecedented speed. This has outpaced scientific understanding and societal adaptation, leading to confusion and conflict.

Medical ethics concerns: The push for early medical interventions for gender-dysphoric youth raises serious ethical questions, especially given the lack of long-term studies on outcomes. The author argues that caution is being overridden by ideological zeal.

Definitional problems: The expansion of "trans" to include non-binary and gender-fluid identities further complicates matters. This makes it difficult to create coherent policies or have meaningful discussions about transgender issues.

7. Intersectionality fails to solve problems, instead sows division

Contrary to the claims of the advocates of social justice, these categories do not in fact interact well with each other. The oppression matrix is not a great Rubik's cube waiting for every square to be lined up by social scientists.

Competing victimhoods: Intersectionality theory claims to unite various oppressed groups, but in practice, it often leads to infighting over who is more oppressed. This "Oppression Olympics" mentality diverts energy from addressing real societal problems.

Logical inconsistencies: The intersectional framework contains numerous contradictions. For example:

• Claiming gender is a social construct while insisting on innate transgender identities
• Promoting cultural diversity while condemning "cultural appropriation"
• Advocating for women's rights while sometimes downplaying the concerns of biological women in favor of trans women

Paralysis through complexity: By insisting that every possible intersection of identity must be considered, intersectionality makes it nearly impossible to take decisive action on any issue. This leads to a kind of analytical paralysis.

8. Tech companies amplify and distort social justice narratives

We've been working to prevent that technology from perpetuating negative human bias.

Algorithmic bias: Major tech companies like Google have implemented "Machine Learning Fairness" algorithms ostensibly to reduce bias. However, these often introduce new forms of bias, distorting search results and information presentation to align with social justice narratives.

Platform censorship: Social media companies increasingly police speech on their platforms, often in ways that favor social justice ideologies. This can lead to the suppression of dissenting viewpoints and the amplification of activist messaging.

Echo chambers: The nature of social media algorithms tends to create ideological bubbles, where users are exposed primarily to information that confirms their existing beliefs. This exacerbates polarization and makes it difficult for people to encounter alternative perspectives.

9. The impossibility of satisfying all identity-based demands

From some of the most famous women on the planet we have heard the demand that women have the right to be sexy without being sexualized.

Contradictory claims: Many demands made by identity-based movements are inherently contradictory or impossible to satisfy. For example:

• Wanting to be seen as both strong and oppressed
• Demanding representation while condemning "cultural appropriation"
• Insisting on the fluidity of gender while claiming innate gender identities

Moving goalposts: As soon as one demand is met, new and often more extreme demands take its place. This creates a never-ending cycle of grievance and activism that can never reach a stable resolution.

Practical limitations: In a diverse society, it's impossible to cater to every identity group's specific demands without infringing on the rights of others or creating unworkable policies. This leads to constant conflict and dissatisfaction.

10. Rejecting victimhood narratives for a more balanced perspective

Perhaps instead of seeking out oppression and seeing oppression everywhere, we could start to exit the maze by noting the various 'victim groups' that aren't oppressed or are even advantaged.

Recognizing progress: While acknowledging that inequalities and injustices still exist, it's important to recognize the tremendous progress that has been made in areas like civil rights, women's equality, and LGBT acceptance. This provides a more balanced perspective on societal issues.

Individual agency: Overemphasis on systemic oppression can diminish the role of individual choice and responsibility. A more productive approach recognizes both societal factors and personal agency in shaping outcomes.

Seeking common ground: Rather than focusing exclusively on differences and grievances, society would benefit from emphasizing shared values and common humanity. This approach is more likely to foster genuine understanding and cooperation between diverse groups.

Last updated: August 15, 2024