WaPo: Extreme wokeness isn't as bad as right-wing authoritarianism because it doesn't threaten to undo democracy

The Washington Post’s Michael Gerson admits that he’s woke because it’s a good thing, although he can see a problem with “extreme wokeness,” which makes itself felt in critical race theory. He’s right when he says it’s “a fight for power, a zero-sum struggle between oppressor and oppressed,” and it involves favoring the oppressed in every instance.

However, the real problem with “America’s contest of nightmares” is right-wing authoritarianism:

Large elements of the American populist right mythologize the nation’s past rather than face its failures. They dismiss real news as fake and embrace obvious propaganda. They are anti-intellectual to the point of denying lifesaving scientific truths. They fear diversity and target racial, ethnic and religious minorities for resentment. They cultivate a sense of victimhood by warning of arrogant elites and vast conspiracies. These are not isolated ailments; they are the textbook symptoms of a fascist political infection.

OK, he lost us there when he touched upon fake news. Didn’t the fact-checker for his own paper just lay out a timeline that made the Wuhan lab-leak theory “suddenly” credible? Who’s embracing obvious (CCP) propaganda?

Opinion: Extreme wokeness vs. right-wing authoritarianism? It’s no contest which is worse. https://t.co/iEhciYR4WY

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) June 15, 2021

It’s no contest which is worse.

Indeed. Wokeness is obviously much worse.

— Dr. Raymond Voetsek 🇿🇦 (@DrVoetsek) June 15, 2021

Extreme wokeness is turning a mass of people into joyless vindictive philistines, so yeah…it isn't that much of a contest.

— Guy Faux (@Faux_Guy_) June 15, 2021

I dunno, maybe it's just me, but if we actually had "right-wing authoritarianism" wouldn't Trump still be in office? Conversely, we watched a summer of "wokeness" destroy cities while "authoritarian" Trump did nothing about it? Something isn't connecting here.

— JD Horowitz (@HorowitzTime) June 15, 2021

Straw man. Right-wing authoritarianism isn’t the opponent, because there are very few of them, and they have no power. The true contest is between “Extreme wokeness” and conservatism.

— VinFizzFlyer (@VinFizzFlyer) June 15, 2021

Considering that “right wing authoritarianism” is pretty much a myth, yes, the choice is easy.

— Can of Spam (@iDoLikeSpam) June 15, 2021

Insert ominous Trump photos… there, our work here is done.

— Ziltoid the Omniscient (@ZiltoidtheOmni1) June 15, 2021

Image the bravery it took to acknowledge there’s even a strain of “extreme wokeness” poisoning the country.

Related:

Wokest of the WOKE –> Thread BLASTS Loudoun County Public Schools and their ‘bias reporting system’ meant to name and shame STUDENTS https://t.co/86iCdiXgJI

— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) June 3, 2021