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1. Thomas Zimmer (tzimmer_history@mastodon.social)'s status on Saturday, 18-Feb-2023 22:26:11 UTC Thomas Zimmer

   The “cancel culture” and anti-“wokeism” moral panics rely on a complete inversion of the actual balance of power, portraying traditionally marginalized groups as mighty forces that urgently need to be reined in – and those in elite positions as desperately in need of protection. (Thread - 1/)

   • Thomas Zimmer (tzimmer_history@mastodon.social)'s status on Saturday, 18-Feb-2023 22:26:08 UTC Thomas Zimmer

     in reply to

     In this way, this whole affair captures the anxiety that fuels these reactionary crusades against “wokeism” and “cancel culture”: Societal elites - and elite white men, in particular - face a little more scrutiny and public criticism today than in the past. And they don’t like that. 6/

     Javier Armas repeated this.
   • Thomas Zimmer (tzimmer_history@mastodon.social)'s status on Saturday, 18-Feb-2023 22:26:08 UTC Thomas Zimmer

     in reply to

     As soon as traditionally marginalized groups gained enough power and acquired the technological means to make their demands for respect and their criticism heard, traditional elites started bemoaning “persecution” - “The hordes are coming to cancel us!” 7/

   • Thomas Zimmer (tzimmer_history@mastodon.social)'s status on Saturday, 18-Feb-2023 22:26:09 UTC Thomas Zimmer

     in reply to

     Think about how silly this is: “Oh, the woke militants dominate everything over there!” – when the New York Times has just hired staunchly conservative David French to join the existing stable of famous anti-“woke” columnists like Pamela Paul, Bret Stephens, and David Brooks. 4/

   • Thomas Zimmer (tzimmer_history@mastodon.social)'s status on Saturday, 18-Feb-2023 22:26:09 UTC Thomas Zimmer

     in reply to

     The only “persecution” that is happening here is David French being criticized online. Some of that criticism may even be unfair or cross the line – the internet is a nasty place. But that’s it. No one is firing or “canceling” him. No one in a position of power is doing anything. 5/

   • Thomas Zimmer (tzimmer_history@mastodon.social)'s status on Saturday, 18-Feb-2023 22:26:10 UTC Thomas Zimmer

     in reply to

     It’s an unbelievably cynical game: Some of society’s most vulnerable groups – trans people, for instance, whose fundamental rights, including their right to exist in the public square, are being stripped away – are presented as a dangerous, powerful cabal. 2/

   • Thomas Zimmer (tzimmer_history@mastodon.social)'s status on Saturday, 18-Feb-2023 22:26:10 UTC Thomas Zimmer

     in reply to

     In a way, the New York Times recently elevating an unhinged anti-“woke” crusader like Pamela Paul is actually useful: In everything she writes, the cynical inversion of  power is dialed up to 11 – which gets you to “In defense of JK Rowling.” It’s not gonna get any more obvious. 3/