Modern Wokeness is a Narrow, Intolerant, and Moralizing Ideology

Harris’s promotion of equity over equality and her support for DEI and ESG initiatives represent a radical shift away from traditional American values of equal opportunity and meritocracy.

In 2017, during Recode's annual Code Conference, then-Senator Kamala Harris stated about being "woke": "We have to stay woke. Like everybody needs to be woke, and you can talk about if you're woke or woker, but stay more woke than less woke." Harris reinforced her comment in a message posted to X (formerly Twitter) a day after the conference, which read: "We have to stay active. We have to stay woke." At the time, "woke" was understood to mean being alert to social and racial injustices. This statement reflects Harris's values and vision which she claims has not changed even as she and her Party attempt to rebrand her as a moderate.

The progressive wing of the Democratic Party has been influential in the Biden-Harris administration’s policy decisions and appointments. They do so at the behest of woke liberals who demand unquestioning adherence to policies on social justice, racial inequality, police reform, the environment, and government spending on entitlements. Most Americans do not support these policies.

Wokeness was not coined initially to mock those who oppose racial injustice. Instead, it described a political ideology aimed at changing the country in ways many Americans neither understand nor support. While most Americans recognize that racism is pervasive and part of the American social fabric, they do not accept that all social issues must be viewed through the prism of critical race theory.

It is self-evident that politicians like Harris, who advocate woke policies, are described as woke politicians. Such a characterization does not weaponize the term nor mock those who acknowledge racial disparities; it accurately describes their stance.

Woke is an old term, first appearing in the 1940s to mean being awake and alert to social injustice. However, it has since become a pejorative term, representing a narrow, intolerant, and moralizing ideology that employs cancel culture and identity politics to suppress opposition. To its critics, ‘wokeness’ is seen as insincere performative activism that uses virtue signaling to showcase moral superiority. It is viewed as accessible, superficial, and meaningless. Texans might say it is all about hats and no cattle.

Harris and her progressive woke Party have overplayed their hand by alienating many of those whose support they depend on. If one blames individuals for historical wrongs, ensuring that they are responsible for what is being claimed is crucial. People, regardless of race, cannot change their genes or ancestry.

The Left's "woke" ideology is an authoritarian agenda that has infected academia, AI, corporations, and government, indoctrinating society with neo-Marxist ideology that undermines democracy.

Who scripts the algorithms shaping artificial intelligence? Ideological progressives imbued with corrosive "woke" dogma, not rational centrists or conservatives. Even if the AI code itself is politically agnostic in origin, the programmers "teaching" these systems are indoctrinating them, wittingly or unwittingly, with a deeply partisan worldview—by only exposing AI to a steady diet of progressive propaganda posing as objective truth.

Elon Musk’s "woke mind virus" has already metastasized from academia into corporate America, government, media -- and now even artificial intelligence itself. Under the sinister Orwellian banners of "social justice" and forced "equity," these neo-Marxist progressives are cynically pushing an ominous anti-democratic agenda—one as corrosive to individual liberties and free societies as it is to our American way of life.

The Anti-meritocracy Inefficiencies of DEI and ESG

Throughout her career, Kamala Harris has been a strong proponent of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. As Vice President, she has championed the Biden administration’s approach to incorporating DEI initiatives across all government agencies. This aligns with President Biden’s statement when selecting her as his running mate in 2019, where he explicitly said he wanted a woman of color as his vice president.

Harris frequently argues that not everyone starts from the same place in society; therefore, “equity” is needed to level the playing field. In her view, equality of opportunity is insufficient; outcomes must be equal. This stance implies that, as President, she would promote policies that go beyond equal treatment under the law to actively advantage certain groups—Democratic Party constituencies—considered disadvantaged.

This approach undermines meritocracy and individual responsibility. Harris herself benefited from this mindset, with some labeling her a “DEI hire” for the vice presidency, suggesting her selection was based more on her race and gender than her qualifications.

Harris has also supported Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives, which impose progressive ideologies on businesses and investment strategies. Her climate and energy positions closely align with President Biden’s, prioritizing clean energy and environmental justice. These counterproductive policies have been proven to reduce investor returns and have been rejected by an increasing number of businesses and investment funds.

The implementation of DEI policies across government agencies under the Biden-Harris administration has been extensive. This has led to a focus on identity and ideological characteristics and views over merit in hiring and promotion decisions, compromising the efficiency and effectiveness of government operations.

Kamala Harris staunchly supports DEI, particularly its most controversial aspects: equity and equal outcomes. She has repeatedly stated that equity is equivalent to equality. Under her vision of equity, the government and private sector should treat people differently based solely on their race. This stance supports the most insidious and racist elements of DEI.

Even before announcing Kamala Harris as his Vice President, Biden repeatedly said he wanted a Black woman for the role. A USA TODAY poll from that period showed that 72% of Democrats believed it was “important” for Biden to select a woman of color.

Final Thoughts

Elon Musk's feared "woke mind virus" describes the insidious progressive ideology pushing a Marxist agenda in America. Their goals are clear—infinitely expanding the welfare state, opening borders indiscriminately to import an endless underclass, silencing dissent through censorship and abusive lawfare, and dividing the nation into a Manichean struggle of oppressed vs. oppressor tribes. It's the Left's grand scheme to secure permanent one-party rule, stripping democracy of any meaningful choice.

‘Wokeness’ is why Democrats should lose Congress in November. It is reflected in the ill-suited and ineffective appointments made by Biden and in the growth and job-killing policies pushed by the Biden-Walz administration. Americans are weary of being lectured by political activists and politicians who use identity politics to silence criticism of the government’s penchant for social engineering.

Harris’s promotion of equity over equality and her support for DEI and ESG initiatives represent a radical shift away from traditional American values of equal opportunity and meritocracy. If further implemented under a Harris presidency, these policies would increase racial division, reduce economic efficiency, and fundamentally transform American society and its institutions.