The thought that follows this introduction began as a comment to What is Cultural Marxism and What is Critical Theory? that Redbaiter posted at his blog, TrueblueNZ. This is not the first time RB has written about the Left's nihilistic tendencies, particularly its employ of Critical Theory to bring Western society and culture to its knees. But this time he brings to our attention a newer video "What Is Critical Theory" that he pleads that his readers watch so as to gain more familiarity with the tactic even if they are largely aware of it already. His reason for desiring that more of us are better educated and aware of the enormity of the threat he makes clear at the end. "They [Cultural Marxists and Critical Theorists] are a massive force, but we can defeat them if we unite in that one
purpose and that one understanding. Go out there, and fight the
Cultural Marxists at every opportunity. If you don’t, everything is
lost."
I largely concur with that request. But I also know what a daunting task it is he is wishing that many more of us will take on. Daunting because overcoming denial of the very real existence of evil is far more difficult today when the religions that traditionally stood against it have been eroded both from within individual institutions and in the minds of the huge percentage of adherents it has lost.
So in the interest of building up RB's case I tried to show what was missing from the video he featured and what more can be accomplished once we look at what was not said. I ask that you read RB's post and view the short video, and including comments left by AF and EAD. I think it will help you greatly understand what I think is an important lesson to be learned.
As I think you know RB, I love history. With my recall and ease at
synthesizing connections between the past with the present I can bore
even you before you gain an inkling as to why I am mentioning some story -- say, from ancient Greece.
Speaking of boring. While this video's narration is somewhat informative even for me who has familiarity with Critical Theorists, it will bore a lot of
viewers in part because of something critically missing from it.
The narrator in the video says “defining or categorizing Critical
Theory is exceptionally difficult.” His reason — essentially that it’s too
complex — misses the mark set by the title of the video. “What is” is
not really answered dammit. When I’m done here — it won’t take long — I
hope you might say it is his own intellectualism that gets in the way of
getting to the point.
Yes the narrator finally decides to provide listeners with an oblique
definition that I’ll shorten just a bit to aid clarity
“Critical theory
is the searching for … instruments of social transformation.”
Transformation of Western Civilization to
what? This video leaves that out too.
Let me grant that he does do something very well. He lists most all
the common varieties of attacks on Western Civ. But he never classifies
it for what it is. Let me do that.
Critical theory is the application of criticisms beyond what those with common human decency call “constructive criticism:” criticism intended to aid the person or project criticized.
Therein lies the answer to the question.
Critical Theory aims for destructive criticism. Criticism for the sake of criticism. The social transformation sought by its adherents
is the destruction of happiness, seeking to make everyone dissatisfied
with life. Its ultimate end is the destruction of human life. Their perfect outcome would have every man at
every other man’s throat.
What I’m suggesting is that Critical Theory serves a definition of
evil that I’ve seen (most often in novels and film) but about which I’ve never seen written before.
I think it was Mortimer Adler who defined love as the emotion wherein another’s
happiness is essential to your own (others may recognize in it a similar line used by Robert Heinlein in one of his fictions). The form of evil we see behind
critical theory is the emotion wherein everyone else’s misery is
essential to your happiness.
In other words, what I'm defining is beyond hate. It's love of hatefulness. Critical Theorists will not rest until
everyone else is dead or wishing they were.
If you can see what I’m saying, then you know there
is an antidote
RB. The problem lies not in that we people most inclined to behaving decently couldn’t win the
battle. The problem is that most of us are too civilized to believe that
such rotten people exist. But they are currently thriving. And they are doing so it at our expense, with the cooperation of many of us and with the unawareness (if not denial) of most of us.
The antidote is found in the basic decency code of the Judeo-Christain ethos. Critical Theorists have worked hard at undermining a lot of Western thinking, but never more hard than at undermining the fundamental message of the Western creeds. They do this by relentlessly using Alinksy's
rule number 4 against western religions by as many angles as each religion has adherents, because every man will simply will fall short of the ideals they profess. Those failings provides an endless supply of low-hanging fruit. The relentless criticism achieves its destruction first by always focusing on the failings no matter how minor. Then they go on to downplay all the magnificent benefits to living that resulted from the civility induced by the religions into the individuals that provided those benefits.
The consequences of all of this criticism is that the very gains that have made living easier and the means by which they were achieved are belittled. We are witnessing a large segment of the latest generation being misled into discarding it all. In essence they've been inclined to aligning with the notion that less civilized would make life better. Nihilism being mainstreamed. Proving that the Critical theorists' campaign has been supremely effective.
Think of it as Chinese water torture applied to personal morality. One gift horse after another has its mouth inspected by the torturers, linking any flaw, real or imagined, to the self-interests of the giver. No good deed goes unpunished is the message they have imbued in too many of us, but especially the current youngest generation. The Critical Theorists understood before the rest of us that anyone who takes them seriously will find it hard not to become invested in the same death spiral as our torturers.
Now here is where I begin to address all those who continue to value the older ways that have led to all the good things our Western Civilization has delivered. To you who continue to strive to make life better for yourselves and those around you.
When next you experience callous ingratitude, the sort suggesting dismissal of the many benefits you have provided others, I think it is where "turn the other cheek" has the power to change the world one ungrateful soul at a time.
Those who continue to provide comforts and warmth and happiness to others in the course of their lives mocks the efforts of these rotten death dealers.
And then there will be the time where the enemy, the neighbor who no longer can tolerate your happiness no matter how large or small, will have gone too far. Each of you at some point will come to recognize that no matter how many cheeks you offer to the enemy they will remain the enemy of common human decency forever. Each enemy will have clearly inscribed his name to his own proscription.
Love the Lord your God with all of you heart and all of your might and all of your soul.
And love your neighbor as yourself.
These two sentences can be stated in a secular manner.
Love that you have life; be grateful for the abilities with which you've been endowed to discover all about it that you can; strive to learn to feel to your depths life's worth and value it with your utmost to do so.
And offer to help your neighbor learn to strive for himself; because it will be harder for you to enjoy life when your neighbor does not know how and is afraid to try. It is in your best interests to carry him for a time whenever you are able. Make him aware that you are offering only a starter course and that he will signal its end.
Do these things as much as it is in your power to do so and you will have thwarted the Progs in ways far beyond any reachable by argument.
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