what is WOKE ??? It turns out, "Woke" is Republican-speak for an

[Trueblue1968]

John Pavlovitz @johnpavlovitz
It turns out, "Woke" is Republican-speak for anyone who gives a damn about other human beings or the planet; a dog-whistle slur against expressions of humanity that seek or to spread resources, opportunity, power, and a voice to more people.


To Republicans, Decency is “Woke”

The politics of fear is nothing new.
We’ve seen it throughout history.
It’s a well-worn playbook.
When you lack actual ideas, you need an enemy.
When you have nothing redemptive to offer, you have to create a monster to push back against.
When you are devoid of decency, you need to vilify it and somehow turn that decency into a threat.
That’s what we’re seeing right now in America.

Turn on any Fox News show monologue, read any Right-wing hack news outlet, visit any MAGA influencer’s TikTok page, or sample any Republican politician’s social media account and you’ll find their latest ubiquitous boogeyman: the “Woke Mob.”

They shoehorn the words into every televised conversation, every incendiary think piece, every pearl-clutching press conference—usually tethered to other recently-wielded phrases like “the Radical Left” and “cancel culture.” These repetitive, nonsensical word salads are designed to terrify their constituents, leverage fear in the easy-manipulated, and to misdirect them from the reality that they have no actual platform, outside of the opposition to progress, the resistance to diversity, the aversion to equity, and the evasion of justice.



It’s woke to want fair elections.
It’s woke to be anti-racist.
It’s woke to be anti-fascist.
It’s woke to trust Science.
It’s woke to wear a mask in a pandemic.
It’s woke to be the parent of a bullied child.
It’s woke to want to be addressed with the gender you identify with.
It’s woke to want a less-polluted community.

Anything that brings equity gets this label from the Right because inequity is its only goal.

read more here....... very interesting :::: https://johnpavlovitz.com/2021/05/05/when-republicans-say-woke-they-really-mean-human/?utm_campaign=coschedule&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=johnpavlovitz

[Shermann]

1. It's a jaded, pseudo-intellectual extension of "radical left" which can be used more widely nt

[TheBlackAdder]

49. Woke is the possession of three dimensional thought. 🤣

.



.

[Trueblue1968]

55. THANK YOU DU for giving my post so many recommendations & replies !!! . Thanks friends

[calimary]

64. Well? It's a SUPERB and tremendously thought-provoking post.

Really does make you think. All great posts do. Or they make you smarter. Or both.

[Timeflyer]

2. Exactly

Thanks for posting. Cult leader Trump-wanna-be DeSantis throws "woke" into every campaign appearance. Mean, power-hungry little hypocrite.

[MissMillie]

3. sign me up! (n/t)

.

[secondwind]

4. Been WOKE all my life.. and proud of it.

[thomski64]

45. One synonym might be..

...enlightened

[lambchopp59]

61. antonyms include "gauche".

[Walleye]

5. The one thing my mom brought us up strongly on, was being considerate of other people's feelings

I think most other people were brought up that way. So I totally do not understand what the Republicans are doing here. Causing people to go against their upbringing. I think Kurt Vonnegut said something like “Love may fail, but courtesy will prevail” so to me being anti-woke is like being anti-courtesy and civilized behavior. And I believe you should call people what ever name or pronoun they want. It’s the least amount of respect one human can give another

[TigressDem]

51. Dunno. Me too as far as be considerate of others upbringing, but honesty was the highest value.

I do not think LOVE ever truly fails.

It may not look like the Hallmark Channel and marriages may break and families stop talking to each other.

BUT LOVE truly doesn't give up and often finds it's way back somehow.

Courtesy and Civil behavior made the Senate and House etc FUNCTION SO MUCH BETTER.

It is the standard equipment needed for rational problem solving.

I LOVE MY COUNTRY DEEPLY. Even the idjits who are destroying it by following the tRump l'ord like a bunch of circus freaks.

I WANT ALL OF US to have real freedom to be ourselves and learn to respect others in the process.

We need a LOT more WOMEN leaders. THEY have experience dealing with irrational children and getting them from point A to B without massive blood shed most days. That is what our country has become, sadly. And we need the Mother and Grandmother mentality back to get us on track.

AND NOT THE KKK Moms who teach hate.

REAL MOMs.

[SCantiGOP]

6. Define it by its opposites:

Asleep, uncaring, brain dead, etc

[lambchopp59]

62. gauche

[Kid Berwyn]

7. "Bleeding Heart Liberal."

Thank you for an excellent essay on the truly deplorable mindset.

[hibbing]

8. "Secular humanism" also scary!

[Cozmo]

9. Woke is the new word for what used to be referred to as Politically Correct

[gulliver]

16. +1

[callous taoboy]

25. Bingo!

[crickets]

34. Exactly. nt

[yonder]

48. And a big bonus for the tighty righties: easy to say and spell

Unlike politically correct, bleeding heart liberal, secular humanist, etc.

No sense in wasting brain power on us libruls.

[certainot]

57. yes. limbaugh used it all the time to defend racist sexist republicans and he was the biggest actual

political correctness enforcer in the country in that he led 1500 radio stations attacking any republican who didn't toe the line, or anyone who stood out in calling out racism, sexism, injustice etc.

now it's 'woke'

"Political correctness is a straw man that blowhard reactionaries attack in lieu of reasonable refutations of sensible arguments for progress." Barry Crimmins

[MineralMan]

10. It's just another example of the right taking a word that is in

use by a specific group to mean something specific, and turning it into a curse word the right can use to demean people.

Woke, as an adjective, goes back a long time, but was not in common use, generally. Now, it has been turned into a negative thing for political reasons.

[jaxexpat]

36. Right, you are MM and there's another aspect. Kinda like an elephant in the room.

The second most modern incidence of the word "woke" is as an adjective associated with the concept, perhaps new to many white Americans, that black culture is an aspect of our society deserving deeper exploration and special acknowledgement.

This, more controversial and most recent usage is common among the worst of our current neo-nazi population. It provides for broad-brush coverage of their fetishes by a single word. They apply it as mockery in a purely racist manner, a term they can use publicly and in casual conversation because it's not considered socially taboo. It's even used on the evening news. Still, they primarily use it as key to an open secret, a password, an insider's joke, in place of the term they crave to restore to common usage, "n....r".

A lot of their schtick is because they're essentially ashamed to be known for or identified as who they are. They mock because otherwise they're shown to be the physical manifestation of mockery. They feign a secret cabal-esque cohesion because opacity camouflages the desperate loneliness of denial and self-hatred.

[Tadpole Raisin]

11. Woke is the lazy man's way for describing anything you don't like while avoiding

the need to explain your position because you can just smile with your compatriots as they nod knowingly.

Ask them what it means and they are unable to define it.
I won’t tolerate someone using that word without demanding they define it. It’s impossible for them and only shows their narrow minded selfishness and hypocrisy.

‘Woke’ belongs on the junk heap along with ‘elite’ and a bunch of other useless pissant charged words.

All righty!

[plimsoll]

26. That must get awkward.

Ask them to define stuff like democracy or republic.

Hell, something simple human being. That will cause contortions. Almost no definition they can give would confer Human status to a fetus, yet here we are.

[Takket]

12. Woke is...

Anyone suggesting the a cisgender white evangelical male not be allowed to do whatever they want and terrorize anyone they want. That’s what they call woke.

[KS Toronado]

13. Repugs use of Woke

is just their newest weapon in their divide & conquer tactics.

[eppur_se_muova]

14. I only recently realized "woke" is the new reichwing dogwhistle word for the old "n****rlovin'" ...

I got a card from some Uglican candidate attacking his Dem opponent as "woke" for voting to remove a Confederate monument. The background had a very prominent BLM sign in the middle of a large protest featuring "those people" -- the message was as clear as it could be, without ever being exactly explicit. And I bet it works.

[DBoon]

31. woke race traitor

[Martin Eden]

15. The opposite of WOKE is asleep, willfully blind, or...

... Knowingly trying to make America less just, less free, and more of an autocracy that favors White "Christian" nationalists.

[patphil]

17. Woke is the normal state of Humanity.

People who are awake can see how bad the Republicans are; how little they care for anyone unlike themselves. It is no wonder they have orchestrated an attack on "wokism".

Don Jr. wants us to be brain dead zombies.

[The Unmitigated Gall]

18. The newest slur...it's all the repukes can do...

Because all they have is fear, bigotry, selfishness and greed.

[gulliver]

19. "Woke" is bad word to begin with and was further ruined through usage

We don't see people running around saying they're Zen enlightened, for example, and poking their tongues out at everyone. To do that would be to make a liar of oneself, and, really, an a-hole. That's what woke does. "I'm awake; you don't see things exactly my way; ergo, you're asleep."

The term now is used by Republicans to take advantage of the largely deserved unpopularity of the term. They write it on a sheet of paper and put tape on it. They don't even have to slap it on the back of some folks to make them look foolish. They simply hand it to them and say, "I dare you not to stick this on your back."

[BumRushDaShow]

23. "'Woke' is bad word to begin with"

Regardless of the fact that the young black millennials were using the term for years as part of their coming-of-age slang before white loons "discovered" it and then white "liberals" believed the RW loon hype about it the past couple years because it hit the mark so effectively.

But the black community has always been and continues to be marginalized from every side, so it's not surprising.

[vlyons]

20. A better question -- what's the opposite of woke?

Woke is black slang for awake, aware, knowing, mindful, educated, enlightened. And the opposite is asleep, unaware, ignorant, unmindful, uneducated, intolerant, bigoted, close-minded.

As a Buddhist, I begin every meditation with the aspiration to become a completely and perfectly enlightened Buddha for the benefit of all sentient beings. That to me is the ultimate in wokeness.

republicans who use woke as some sort of vile label are basically racists, who don't give a hoot about anyone but themselves.

[Mr. Steve]

21. Awakened

"WOKE" is a perfect example of the dog-whistle type of speech that the semi-literate mob of self-centered conservatives respond to. It is almost fitting that rude and crude speech attracts them. Like responds to like.

[In It to Win It]

22. "Woke" is the new "Antifa"

[AllaN01Bear]

24. thank you. another is im more patriotic than you or communist.

star trek strange new worlds is "woke ". st discovery is woke .

[PatrickforB]

27. The opposite of WOKE, of course, is ASLEEP. I wonder if any of the right-wing people

have ever had that nagging little thought?

Have you ever wondered why people who want policies and programs that serve the public good and materially help us and our families - like healthcare, a green new deal, infrastructure upgrades, improving K-12, affordable debt-free college and expanded Social Security, more environmentally and socially conscious corporate governance, and better tax policies, coupled with less war spending and de-privatization of prisons, are commonly referred to as being

FAR LEFT, EXTREME LEFT, and RADICAL LEFT

While people who advocate ramming dominionist 'christian' dogma down the rest of our throats are somehow considered normal?

[dchill]

50. From the current position of the Right...

ALL that's LEFT is FAR, EXTREME and RADICAL.

[TNNurse]

28. We talked about what to say if someone says "you sound woke".

The answer is yes, I am. I am aware, I am informed. I pay attention to what is going on in the world. I care about others, I care about the environment and know climate change is real. I understand I have gotten some privileges because I am a white woman. I think that is not fair.....do you want me to go on?>

I am pretty sure the person has walked away by now, but I have insults ready.

[Botany]

29. Once I see the word "woke" used in almost any context I stop reading.

A friend from college sent me a link to some made up crap about liberal
medical people and social workers are having people who really aren't trans
get sex re-assignment surgeries because they are "woke." It tried to act
like it was a serious research paper but in the end it really wasn't with a
lot of "some people say" and "it looks like" shit and it was from Hillsdale
College in Michigan. I looked up it up and it was right wing nut job place.
Home of Eric Prince and Fox News people.

Both "woke" and "cancel culture" are right wing buzz words because they can
not talk about the facts.

[central scrutinizer]

30. Used to be "political correctness" said in a disparaging tone

But, too many syllables for the MAGAts, so it was replaced by “woke”. Next it will devolve to a grunt and the white power hand signal.

[sop]

32. Some people are saying Jesus Christ was "woke."

[IronLionZion]

33. They'd rather be asleep

where it's comfy for them but no one else

[H2O Man]

35. Recommended.

The word "woke" is being used improperly today by many, especially republicans. Properly used in esoteric texts, it refers to when one grasps the higher meaning of those texts. But when it is confused with that of the lower levels, it always results in the abuse of other people. Always.

[lees1975]

37. Then I'm woke...

...and proud of it.

https://signalpress.blogspot.com/2022/02/theres-not-thing-wrong-with-being-woke.html

[FakeNoose]

38. I'm pretty sure everything is a dog-whistle for Repukes

It doesn't matter what we say or do, they are living in permanent outrage-land. Chump's only kernel of brilliance was knowing how to trigger their outrage, and he's still doing it even now.

We have to learn how to tune them out and just continue doing what we're doing. We must be on the right path, otherwise they wouldn't be so unhinged.

[TheFarseer]

39. Woke is becoming meaningless

It just means anything they don’t like at this point. I fully expect to hear the Huskers losing is so woke next season.

[keithbvadu2]

40. Ashli Babbitt said she was 'woke'.

Ashli Babbitt said she was 'woke'.

[Martin68]

41. I'v been hearing people all over (eveJapan, New Zealand) using the term "woke" as kind of ultra-PC

prohibition on expression. Clearly the right wing is framing the term as a pejorative because they want to express their homophobic, misogynistic, elitist, and racist views without restrictions.

[SouthernDem4ever]

42. Just one of many ways the repugs try to disparage anyone else

You only need one word for them - Assholes!

[llashram]

43. never understood

"woke" Thank now I do. I better not hear it in my travels. Someone uses it, I call bravo to woke and clap my "effing" hands-off...

[Ilsa]

44. Taking the place of "Librul"? nt

[Evolve Dammit]

46. That actually sums up the despicable behavior quite well. They hate anything progressive or helpful

for those less fortunate and especially less white. Selfish, disturbed fucks with very little decency IMO.

[Scalded Nun]

47. It is nothing more than another GOP trigger word for their dull-minded, hate-blinded followers

They cannot comprehend understanding of words/phrases more then 1-3 syllables long or concepts more visual than a gun, knife or noose.

[andym]

52. "Woke" is the latest GOP way to appropriate and demonize a word describing liberals using conflation

By taking "woke", a term coined by the some on the Left, and redefining it to emphasize the most unpopular and fringe liberal/progressive policy recommendations like "defund the police" or banning books like Huckleberry Finn as if they are mainstream Democratic policies. By conflating all Democratic policy with a specific word that includes fringe ideas in order to demonize every liberal position is their tactic.

[YoshidaYui]

53. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY THE REPUBLICAN PARTY HAS NOTHING ITS RUNNING ON

EXCEPT FEAR AND HATE

[calimary]

68. I could be wrong, but it seems to me the GOP has been running on fear and hate for a long time.

Last edited Sat Jul 30, 2022, 12:30 AM - Edit history (1)

That’s what I remember over the years, anyway. But then again, that’s what I’m always expecting to see and hear and read from that bunch.

[YoshidaYui]

69. agreed

[Initech]

54. "Woke" is anyone who has an opinion that is not of the Fox News Channel.

[IcyPeas]

56. they say it like it's a bad thing.

K&R

[Frostlight]

58. They use the word 'Woke' instead of

"Enlightened"
"Compassionate"
or "Educated"...

... Because they can't spell those.

[soldierant]

59. For along time it was "Bleeding Heart."

Then is was "political correctness."
For a while there it was "Snowflake ("Fuck your feelings."
Now it's "Woke."
If and when we manage to rehabilitate "woke" they'll come up with something else.

(Before it was "Bleeding Hear" ot was Idealist for a while, but that's getting back so far I wasn't around. And I'm sure it was other derogatory terms before that.)

[MustLoveBeagles]

60. K&R

[Old Crow]

63. There's an interesting history of the term "Woke" ...

... in a 2021 article in the UK's Independent.

[Richard58]

65. Great commentary!

I get so sick of the Right using the word "woke" as a pejorative. I consider myself woke because I care about people and the environment. I use the pronouns people want and I support gay, trans, Black and women's civil rights. When they demonize people being woke it just tells me they are terrible human beings: racist, sexist, homophobic. I am proud to be woke!

[IngridsLittleAngel]

66. QOP are heartless thugs

Nothing but heartless monsters who believe that kindness, compassion, respect, empathy, consideration are all signs of "weakness." These goons are under the delusion that caring about others, that trying to understand people who are different, makes them "pussies," and that bullying and abusing others make them "tough" - and of course, the "weaker" or "less fortunate" or more vulnerable the target, the "tougher" they are.

What's the opposite of "woke"? Asleep, of course. Which is what these thugs are. Asleep. Their hearts (if they have any) are asleep. Their brains (if they have any) are asleep. They just go through life, sleep-walking and ruled by their ids. Modern day reactionaries who merely respond to their programming from Drumpf or Fux or OANN.

So, you know what? Don't be "woke." Don't be awake. Sleep. Sleep all you want. Sleep forever. Problem solved. They won't have to be "woke," and we'll be safe from their hate and abuse.

[rlegro]

67. Worth noting that right-wingers have their own version of "woke"

They call it being "born again" in terms of religious faith, typically Christian. And typically far-right, fundamentalist, Old Testament Christian. For them, this passes as seeing the world in a true, correct, and informative light. The rest of us see through that as a justification for their evil ways and a mantric method of self-delusion. Recall that numerous Nixon campaign and White House henchmen went to jail after Watergate and several of them emerged claiming they were good guys now because in stir they'd found Jesus. So please hire them for your next political dirty-trick gig because now they'll assist you with the complete pureness of their heart, and oh by the way God has forgiven them thanks to their religious enlightenment. It's no wonder, then, that they consider secular woke-ness some kind of blasphemy, even if their religious conversion isn't real.