"Woke" means...you can't get paint??

Conservatives love to talk about and make fun of "woke," but they have NO idea what it means. If you think I'm kidding, ask them to define it.

Dear Republicans: Despite what you may think, “Woke” is a good thing.

Hundreds of wise men cannot make the world a heaven, but one idiot is enough to turn it into a hell.

• Raheel Farooq

Florida is where woke goes to die.

• Ron DeSantis

Indeed, one of the stupidest controversies of the past quarter-century or so has to be the GOP’s obsession with “woke.” Never mind that many Republicans still can’t define the concept- they just know it’s bad/nasty/awful- the sort of thing “woke” Liberals cling to, which somehow makes them weak and effeminate.

Before we begin, we should probably start with a definition. That way, we’re at least singing from the same hymnal, no?

When I look at that definition, I see something that means giving a damn about people other than yourself. It means being aware of the reality of White privilege and the reality that racial, sexual, and ethnic minorities DO suffer from systemic prejudice and injustice. That’s not breaking new ground; that’s the truth of our situation.

Those on the Right have chosen to ignore that simple truth for reasons only they can explain. They resent being reminded of their privilege and that there are minority groups that don’t enjoy the same benefits they do. They rebel at the idea that their children may be taught that the White man was often the oppressor throughout early American history. And they sure as Hell don’t want to be exposed to the LGBTQ community…because they or their children might be “recruited.”

And diversity, equity, and inclusion? OMG, don’t you EVER infringe on the sacred notion that America belongs to White Conservative Christian heterosexual cisgender males, capice?

But, after several years of hearing Republicans bleating impotently about “woke this” and “woke that,” it appears that Joe and Ethel Sixpack may be growing tired of “woke.”

DES MOINES, Iowa — Jill Connell is sick of hearing the word “woke.”

The 66-year-old from Kansas is an undecided Republican voter with a host of concerns about the country, and she knows for sure what doesn’t top that list.

“To me, wokeness is, ‘Hey, I woke up this morning,’” Connell said, employing the most literal definition of a word the right uses to describe what it sees as left-wing ideas and political correctness. “I call it goofy — it’s ridiculous. I’m a person who believes you should love everybody. I’m a person of faith.”

Connell isn’t alone. After almost two years as a conservative rallying cry, Republicans may finally be over the war on woke.

Last week at the Iowa State Fair, the Republican presidential candidates who had relentlessly decried wokeness in the weeks and months prior barely mentioned it by name. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who has called wokeness a virus more dangerous than COVID, didn’t talk about it at all. Vivek Ramaswamy, the tech entrepreneur who wrote a manifesto against wokeness in corporate America, used it only a few times in front of crowds.

“Wokeness” is a “virus more dangerous than COVID?” If that isn’t the height of (stupid and overcooked) political hyperbole, I don’t know what would be. I don’t know that anyone challenged Gov. Haley to define “woke,” but I suspect she would’ve had considerable difficulty doing so.

Every Republican reflexively knew that “woke” is bad/awful/terrible…but did they know what it meant? If they’d bothered to check the definition, they would’ve learned that “woke” isn’t bad at all and that being “woke” means caring for people other than yourself. In short, being “woke” means “not being a self-absorbed asshole.”

But too many Republicans have tried to co-opt the word, trying unsuccessfully to turn “woke” into a pejorative. It was almost as if they couldn’t be bothered to check a dictionary.

During the 2023 Conservative Political Action Conference, speaker after speaker attacked "woke" ideology in their speeches to conservative activists. 

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley decried wokeness as "a virus more dangerous than any pandemic, hands down." 

"I traveled the country calling out the woke-industrial-complex in America,” GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy bragged.

Elsewhere, Republicans have declared war on "woke capitalism” and even introduced legislation like the "Stop WOKE Act," in Florida, an acronym for Stop the Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees.

Declaring war on “woke capitalism?” So Republicans believe capitalism should be a “show no mercy, take no prisoners, display no social conscience” endeavor? Chase the Almighty Dollar above other considerations, and leave the “doing good” to non-profit organizations? Never mind that for-profit corporations and businesses are made up of people.

It seems rather cynical, doesn’t it? Until, of course, you consider that the GOP doesn’t give a damn about people, who are merely cogs in the machine to be used up and spit out once their utility has been exhausted.

The uptick on excoriating "woke " ideology has increased in recent years among politicians, including former President Donald Trump, as Americans across the nation battle over diversity, inclusion and equity efforts in the workforce, public schools and in legislation.

Indeed, anything that doesn’t accrue to the benefit of White Conservative Christian heterosexuals should be verboten. Because anything that DOES benefit them ipso facto benefits all of society.

Except that you and I know that society doesn’t work like that. “Trickle down” is a theory that didn’t work during the Reagan Administration and won’t work today.

But, if you think I’m kidding when I say that Conservatives will deride “woke” even as they have no idea what it means, well….

I don’t have high expectations of Conservatives when it comes to political discourse. Most of the time, what we get from MAGA-types is of the “Ready-FIRE!-Aim” variety, so I don’t get too excited about a lack of correct and/or factual information. That’s just the nature of their game. Many of The Former Guy’s supporters suffer from a severe information (and reality) deficit. And there’s no breaking through that. You’d have better luck slamming your forehead into a concrete wall.

These “patriots” know what they know, and anyone trying to sell them anything different is guilty of “indoctrination.” The facts have nothing to do with anything, because, as we all know, facts have a decidedly Liberal bias.

MAGA nation is populated with folks who are poster children for the Dunning-Kruger Effect.

If you try to tell them that their definition of “woke” is wrong, it probably won’t go well. That’s what happens when your base is composed of those firmly in the grip of the Dunning-Kruger Effect. I’m not going to say that supporters of The Former Guy are uniformly intellectually bereft, but you can draw your own conclusions on that count.

Let’s just say that Conservatives across the board have been beating a dead horse for the wrong reasons. They’ve been thinking that “woke” is bad because everyone’s been telling them so without taking the time to consider what the word means. It’s what happens when you lack critical thinking skills…or refuse to engage the few skills you do possess.

I found this ad on Truth Social the other day. Before anyone gets too excited, I have an account on The Former Guy’s social media site, primarily for giggles. I have a nasty habit of going on Truth Social to troll people sometimes.

It can be highly entertaining, mainly because the responses I get are pure anger and vitriol- no reasoned, rational arguments, and no attempts at rational discourse, which is what I generally try to start with.

The responses I get are almost uniformly angry, profane, and abusive- as if these folks are incensed that I’m not worshiping the ground The Former Guy blesses with his 6’ 3”, 215-lb. footprints.

I’ll continue trolling until I get bored with the sport, and then I’ll check some of the ads, which can also be highly entertaining- like the one above.

TIRED OF OVERPAYING WOKE INSURANCE COMPANIES? Hmm…should I be? Should I give my money to insurance companies that treat their customers like shit? And that care nothing for anything except its bottom line?

And why would I buy anything endorsed by Donald Trump, Jr., who’s never done anything honest? And who’s probably snorted more cocaine than half the players in the NBA combined?

Last question: How in the Hell will an insurance company protect my liberty? Go ahead…I’ll wait….

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