John Klar: CRT and Marxism — odd bedfellows

Critical race theory is regularly criticized as “Marxist,” but this allegation — however true that CRT’s “roots” are Marxist — is inaccurate. Worse, this label merely encourages many young Americans and swing voters to view this racist doctrine (which more closely resembles eugenics and Nazism) as acceptable, and dismiss CRT critics as McCarthyites. Critical race theory is far more pernicious, and thus more easily discredited, than Marxism — and it should be called out accordingly.

CRT arose as a distinct school of thought in America’s law schools. In fact, it may have succeeded because it wasn’t Marxism:

John Klar

“Critical race theorists did not reach these conclusions through Marxist theory but through a revisionist reading of landmark civil rights cases, which they argued had been interpreted too conservatively. … Why did CRT become so influential? Perhaps because it left class largely out of the picture.”

Thomas Sowell explains carefully both the similarities and differences between CRT and other past failed ideologies that looked to disparate outcomes as proof of their untested hypotheses:

“We find assumptions of equal or comparable outcomes as a default setting in many social theories that regard the absence of equality of outcomes as automatic signs of some sinister influences which have prevented this natural equality from taking place. … Tow of the monumental catastrophes of the twentieth century — Nazism and Communism — led to the slaughter of millions of human beings by their own governments, in the name of either ridding the world of the burden of some ‘inferior’ races or ridding the world of ‘exploiters’ responsible for the poverty of the exploited. While each of these beliefs might have been testable hypotheses, their greatest political triumphs came as dogmas placed beyond the reach of evidence or logic.” (Thomas Sowell, Discrimination and Disparities, p. 27)

But as Sowell shows in this book, there are volumes of evidence that reveal — mathematically — the grotesque flaws in CRT and its claims. Right here in Vermont this deliberate effort to manipulate facts to spew lies is openly visible, but those who have drunk in their “wokeness” to CRT dogma have no interest in truth. Facts are there to be abused, not to provide insight or test the hypothesis of CRT — which is being enacted in Vermont as law. CRT reflects then a familiar pattern: “Neither Hitler’s Mein Kampf nor Marx’s Capital was an exercise in hypothesis testing,” Sowell writes. Neither is CRT.

A few years ago, Vermont boasted the narrowest income gap between blacks and whites in America. Now, H.210 says blacks’ median incomes are about $10,000 lower, and that this “proves” Vermont is systemically racist. Are CRT advocates this easily deluded, or do they just think pathetic failures to apply science properly will be ignored? Those who point to racial disparities say that they prove racist causation — but not all disparities are caused by racism. Indeed, it is quite evident that the drop in median incomes of Vermont’s black population is because of the influx of impoverished immigrants gaining asylum here.

How perverse would it be if CRT progressive activists used the drop in average black incomes in Vermont, which was caused by relocating Rwandan and Somali refugees here, to label all Vermonters and their ancestors racist exploiters? And if that actually happened in Vermont — as it has now in H.210 — would it not be understandable for Vermonters to ask proponents of said legislation to explain the statistical change that they claim proves racism? Like Hitler and Stalin, CRT zealots have no interest in testing their theory — they have already reached a false judgment, and it is now their cult-like mantra: all disparities are caused by horrible white people.

This is just one of many examples of how far this abuse of science and civility has already gone in the name of creating “equity,” while instead creating unfairness, division, slander and wasted legislative effort. Vermonters who are truly waking up to the dangers of CRT realize that this is an attack that comes not from a desire to love and heal, but to denigrate and hate.

In response, many Americans are screaming “Marxism” — a good way to assist the indoctrination of American children into CRT, and the concomitant damage to their psyches this will inevitably cause. (The Left are today’s McCarthyites — they see Nazis and KKK in every corner and behind every confederate flag; soon the American flag will be identified as a symbol of white supremacy). Railing against communism is more than passe, it is self-sabotage, because it clouds the truth about CRT.

This doesn’t mean that there is not a parallel between the one-issue determinism of class inherent in Marxism, and that of race, gender and sexual orientation in the social justice movement. But mislabeling CRT as a Marxist threat is a CRT selling point in a generation that believes socialism is a good thing, but that might take notice that eugenics and Nazism are not so good.

In late 2019, it was noted:

Since 2010, young adults’ positive ratings of socialism have hovered near 50%, while the rate has been consistently near 34% for Gen Xers and near 30% for baby boomers/traditionalists. … At the same time, since 2010, young adults’ overall opinion of capitalism has deteriorated to the point that capitalism and socialism are tied in popularity among this age group.

The COVID pandemic, which has caused economic hardship and highlighted inequities, has fueled an even greater support for socialism:

Looking at the entire population, support for capitalism declined from 58 percent in 2019 to 55 percent in 2020, while support for socialism among all Americans increased from 36 percent in 2019 to 40 percent in 2020.

Those who understand the pernicious, toxic falsehood of CRT would do well to relate its dangers to listeners by pointing out its parallels to the DNA-measuring ideologies of eugenics and Nazism, both of which came from the same progressive academia as CRT. Critical race theory’s connection to Marxism is less direct and less relevant — and connecting the two creates more confusion than clarity.

Remember: This ain’t your grandmother’s communism.

John Klar is an attorney and farmer residing in Brookfield, and the former pastor of the First Congregational Church of Westfield. © Copyright True North Reports 2021. All rights reserved.

Image courtesy of Public domain

4 thoughts on “John Klar: CRT and Marxism — odd bedfellows

  1. I think we overthink these things too much.

    In the end, one believes in one of two conceptions:

    That ultimate sovereignty (defined as the source of authority) resides in the individual soul and one establishes a form of government towards these ends – or – …

    That final sovereignty resides in the collective and one establishes a form of government towards these ends.

  2. Regarding CRT, I see its main failing is that it deliberately throws out reason– just another white man’s trick, they say– and so “the sleep of reason produces monsters,” as Goya knew. These monsters are assertions that can fly wherever they want with nothing to stop them– no check through common sense or plain reasoning. The theorists of CRT will have none of it.

    But in the big picture, I and many others are asking, what in hell in going on? Covid fear, CRT, BLM riots that are “peaceful,” a largely peaceful protest that’s an Insurrection almost as bad as 9-11? Well, we know what’s going on: the mainstream media and our government are allied with whoever is doing this to freedom, throughout the entire world, so that we submit to a world ruled by big tech and the “greater good” that they, not we, define. The technology is now here to easily monitor and manage everything we do and everything we say.

    Here’s an interesting video by a stage hypnotist who argues that what’s happening now is exactly what he used to do in his stage shows: create anxiety and confusion to prepare the way for suggestions as to the way forward. https://tinyurl.com/56ws5a8w As you watch this, keep in mind the reaction Sweden had to Covid– relative calm, no big deal, people acting normally with no masks– versus the reaction of most of the rest of the world. A benevolent government (like Sweden’s) would have kept people calm and would not have immediately and repeatedly induced fear and anxiety.

  3. Fomenting division by culture and race is just one of the necessary steps in establishing Communist rule. Others are:
    Eliminate faith in religions.
    Eliminate the Patriarchal Family Unit.
    Capture the upbringing of children.
    Eliminate historical records.
    Establish control of the Bureaucracy.
    Establish complete control of information.
    Disarm the citizenry.

    GAME OVER!

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