Cultural Marxism

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The term '''"cultural Marxism"''' is most commonly encountered as a [[snarl word]] decrying everything right-wingers don't like. It may be used specifically to mean the [[Frankfurt School]] or the product of that school, critical theory,<ref>[http://www.marxists.org/subject/frankfurt-school/ Frankfurt School and Critical Theory], marxists.org</ref> or to allude to a critical theory based leftist insurgence into media and culture. That is, most commonly, just to snarl at anyone who isn't a [[reactionary]].
 
The term '''"cultural Marxism"''' is most commonly encountered as a [[snarl word]] decrying everything right-wingers don't like. It may be used specifically to mean the [[Frankfurt School]] or the product of that school, critical theory,<ref>[http://www.marxists.org/subject/frankfurt-school/ Frankfurt School and Critical Theory], marxists.org</ref> or to allude to a critical theory based leftist insurgence into media and culture. That is, most commonly, just to snarl at anyone who isn't a [[reactionary]].
  
More properly, cultural Marxism is a school of [[Marxism]] that concentrates on non-[[economics|economic]] [[culture|cultural]] factors, i.e., what [[Karl Marx]] called the "superstructure" of [[society]], but you'll never see this usage in the wild.
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More properly, "cultural Marxism" can describe a school of [[Marxism]] that concentrates on non-[[economics|economic]] [[culture|cultural]] factors, i.e., what [[Karl Marx]] called the "superstructure" of [[society]], but you'll never see this usage in the wild.
  
 
The slogan was prefigured in [[Nazism|Nazi Germany]], where ''Kulturbolschewismus'' ("Cultural Bolshevism") was used as a term of political abuse.<ref>[https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kulturbolschewismus Kulturbolschewismus], German Wikipedia (in German).</ref>
 
The slogan was prefigured in [[Nazism|Nazi Germany]], where ''Kulturbolschewismus'' ("Cultural Bolshevism") was used as a term of political abuse.<ref>[https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kulturbolschewismus Kulturbolschewismus], German Wikipedia (in German).</ref>

Revision as of 20:40, 2 January 2015

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Cultural Marxism? What the holy hell are you talking about?
—Any liberal who's been exposed to the term for the first time

The term "cultural Marxism" is most commonly encountered as a snarl word decrying everything right-wingers don't like. It may be used specifically to mean the Frankfurt School or the product of that school, critical theory,[1] or to allude to a critical theory based leftist insurgence into media and culture. That is, most commonly, just to snarl at anyone who isn't a reactionary.

More properly, "cultural Marxism" can describe a school of Marxism that concentrates on non-economic cultural factors, i.e., what Karl Marx called the "superstructure" of society, but you'll never see this usage in the wild.

The slogan was prefigured in Nazi Germany, where Kulturbolschewismus ("Cultural Bolshevism") was used as a term of political abuse.[2]

Right-wing usage

In current wingnut usage, the term is a favourite of Pat Buchanan and, to the most dangerous extent, Anders Behring Breivik. It is a Cold Warrior's way of decrying "political correctness."[3][4]

The conspiracy theory usage asserts that the Frankfurt School, instead of being the relatively arcane strain of academic criticism that it was, actually was a Marxist plot to destroy the capitalist West from within, supposedly spreading its tentacles throughout academia and indoctrinating students to hate America and freedom. Thus, the Sixties counterculture, civil rights movement, anti-war movement, modern feminism, and in general all the "decay" in the U.S. and elsewhere since the good old days of the Fifties are actually products of this conspiracy.

Some variants of this usage have an anti-Semitic tinge to them, such as Kevin MacDonald's Culture of Critique series, which argues that cultural Marxism is part of a Jewish group evolutionary strategy.[5] Others just prefer to say that it's all a ploy to destroy traditional and family values through atheism, feminism, racial equality, homosexuality,[6] legalizing drugs and other things. It's become a favorite term of many of the nuttier Gamergaters—demonstrating the movement's attraction of many anti-Semites, white supremacists, and MRAs — to explain why those bitch slut whores won't shut up about sexism in video games.

Despite its widespread popularity among the hard-right, many have thoroughly debunked the concept as not being Marxist at all, including Christian Dominionist Gary North, Michael Acuña from Common Ruin, and How to Paint Your Panda. [7][8][9]

External links

Footnotes

  1. Frankfurt School and Critical Theory, marxists.org
  2. Kulturbolschewismus, German Wikipedia (in German).
  3. Bill Berkowitz. Cultural Marxism Catching On. Southern Poverty Law Center Intelligence Report, Summer 2003, Iss. 110.
  4. Anders Behring Breivik. How It All Began -- Political Correctness is Cultural Marxism, in Breivik's Manifesto, 2083: A Declaration of European Independence. (This will probably be analyzed by criminal studies professors for years to come.)
  5. Kevin MacDonald. (1998) The Culture of Critique: An Evolutionary Analysis of Jewish Involvement in Twentieth-Century Intellectual and Political Movements. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers.
  6. Jeffrey T. Kuhner explains why the gay agenda is Cultural Marxism!
  7. Gary North. Cultural Marxism Is an Oxymoron, garynorth.com
  8. Michael Acuña. On the Myth of "Cultural Marxism", commonruin.wordpress.com
  9. Cultural Marxism, Cultural Conservatism and the Frankfurt School: Making Sense of Nonsense, paintyourpanda.blogspot.com
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