A conservative critique of the fact that liberals love wokeness

 A conservative critique of (and concern about) the fact that liberals love wokeness:

• Individuals over groups: Wokeness tends to prioritize group identity over the individual, eroding equal treatment under the law and civic friendship across differences [1].
• Merit and standards: It often replaces universal standards with proportional outcomes and ideological litmus tests, undermining excellence and trust in institutions [4].
• Free speech and due process: Speech codes, compelled affirmation, and “believe-all-accusations” norms threaten open inquiry and procedural fairness—pillars of a free society [6].
• Bureaucratic overreach: Permanent DEI structures expand administration, impose mandates, and divert resources from mission to ideology, with little evidence of improved outcomes [2][5].
• National cohesion: A steady emphasis on grievance and historical guilt can weaken shared identity, gratitude for national achievements, and the habits of civil society that sustain liberty [3].

A constructive, conservative way forward

• Reaffirm universal principles: Equal protection, colorblind law, and individual dignity—no compelled speech, no ideological loyalty oaths in public institutions [1][6].
• Protect free speech and due process: Campus and workplace norms should favor debate, transparency, and fair procedures over enforcement of dogma [4].
• Prioritize opportunity over bureaucracy: Replace DEI mandates with viewpoint diversity, rigorous academic and professional standards, and socioeconomic mobility measures that help the disadvantaged without tribalism [2][5].
• Strengthen mediating institutions: Families, faith communities, and local associations cultivate virtue and belonging more effectively than centralized ideological programs [3].

In short, liberals often “love” wokeness because it offers moral clarity and institutional leverage. Conservatives should answer with principled universalism, freedom of conscience and speech, merit, and civic unity—pursuing justice without sacrificing the constitutional and cultural foundations that make reform possible [1][4][6].

Sources

1 The Political Theory of the American Founding: Natural Rights, Public Policy, and the Moral Conditions of Freedom by Thomas G. West

2 Arguing With Idiots by Glen Beck

3 Hamilton's Curse by Thomas J. Dilorenzo

4 Broke by Glen Beck

5 Vindicating the Founders: Race, Sex, Class, and Justice in the Origins of America by Thomas G. West

6 The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution enlarged edited by Bernard Bailyn