The pushback against corporate activism and what is sometimes called "Woke Capital" has made unprecedented gains recently. But how much further can it go?
Hi Helen, I think honestly that it’s lots of things, I wanted to write something that highlighted that there is a large and valued base of customers who actually do like this stuff and that there’s a logic behind pursuing them, from an organisational/ commercial pov.
I think that, generally, the one case in which the conservative side is "strengthened by cultural forces" is when parents and kids get involved. BLM was wildly successful in terms of getting media presence, but campaigning against CRT in schools was a successful approach for conservatives in the Virginia elections. I think it makes sense to explain parents as the median voter - affluent central-liberal parents will, at some margin, vote as parents.
The trans issue is similar - I'm sure you can find people vehemently calling for some kind of horrific deeds towards trans kids, but most of the parents I know would be opposed if you spent any effort in school discussing transgender procedures, etc., rather than going out of their way to *do* anything to trans kids. Conservative parents are definitely opposed wholesale, but even liberal parents I know would find a lot of sex talk odd below middle or high school (FL law in mind.)
My ace in the hole on the "parents as the median culture war voter" is WFH. A lot of workplaces I know hated it, threatened to fire people, but parents just left whenever it wasn't on the table. Parents are divided left-right like everyone else, but especially affluent parents will work together to get what they need out of workplaces, schools, etc. A candidate who says "Your honor student is going to do well in my America" can win a lot of votes, this just usually gets drowned out in the sea of other left/right issues.
This is so interesting! Fairplay for writing something that is so blatantly against the Irish woke agenda, and in the middle of Pride month. It really does not encourage you to send future offspring to college...
It would be interesting to explore what makes young college educated women so liberal / compassionate to transwomen rights, while ignoring all potential risks for biological women's rights. We live in such a comfortable time, we do not have to fight for our survival and we have many opportunities to work hard and flourish. And we are the most unhappy moany whingy bunch!
It's a high status signalling behaviour with an underestimated downside for women, and leverages care/harm moral intuitions that women, and liberal women in particular, tend to be biased towards.
James Lindsay is cringe but he has a recent video on ESG, DEI, and the corporate equality index which was a pretty good explanation of the institutional pressures that are keeping this show on the road.
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/esg-dystopia-why-corporations-are-doubling-down-woke-even-they-lose-billions
Hi Helen, I think honestly that it’s lots of things, I wanted to write something that highlighted that there is a large and valued base of customers who actually do like this stuff and that there’s a logic behind pursuing them, from an organisational/ commercial pov.
The link in your eighth paragraph goes to the wrong article. It should link here:
https://www.conorfitzgerald.com/p/why-the-reactionaries-are-always
Very good read, thanks.
I think that, generally, the one case in which the conservative side is "strengthened by cultural forces" is when parents and kids get involved. BLM was wildly successful in terms of getting media presence, but campaigning against CRT in schools was a successful approach for conservatives in the Virginia elections. I think it makes sense to explain parents as the median voter - affluent central-liberal parents will, at some margin, vote as parents.
The trans issue is similar - I'm sure you can find people vehemently calling for some kind of horrific deeds towards trans kids, but most of the parents I know would be opposed if you spent any effort in school discussing transgender procedures, etc., rather than going out of their way to *do* anything to trans kids. Conservative parents are definitely opposed wholesale, but even liberal parents I know would find a lot of sex talk odd below middle or high school (FL law in mind.)
My ace in the hole on the "parents as the median culture war voter" is WFH. A lot of workplaces I know hated it, threatened to fire people, but parents just left whenever it wasn't on the table. Parents are divided left-right like everyone else, but especially affluent parents will work together to get what they need out of workplaces, schools, etc. A candidate who says "Your honor student is going to do well in my America" can win a lot of votes, this just usually gets drowned out in the sea of other left/right issues.
Great comment, thanks, very insightful about parents
Great essay, Conor.
Thank you!
It’s not women! It’s ESG score investment!
This is so interesting! Fairplay for writing something that is so blatantly against the Irish woke agenda, and in the middle of Pride month. It really does not encourage you to send future offspring to college...
It would be interesting to explore what makes young college educated women so liberal / compassionate to transwomen rights, while ignoring all potential risks for biological women's rights. We live in such a comfortable time, we do not have to fight for our survival and we have many opportunities to work hard and flourish. And we are the most unhappy moany whingy bunch!
It's a high status signalling behaviour with an underestimated downside for women, and leverages care/harm moral intuitions that women, and liberal women in particular, tend to be biased towards.
James Lindsay is cringe but he has a recent video on ESG, DEI, and the corporate equality index which was a pretty good explanation of the institutional pressures that are keeping this show on the road.