Wokeness Isn’t a Religion, but a Rejection of the Secular American Creed

Jan. 14 2025

In the past decade, a new iteration of progressivism, often described as “woke,” has gained traction; its dogmatism, its power over its adherents, and the ways it seems to go beyond normal political discourse have led some critics to describe it as a kind of religion. But as Hannah Arendt wrote many decades ago about a similar analogy, using a shoe to bang on a nail doesn’t make it a hammer. Katherine Dee writes:

There was no divine or supernatural element [to wokeness], for one. . . . While figures like George Floyd, Trayvon Martin, Breonna Taylor, and—more recently, though to a much lesser extent—Jordan Neely took on a kind of mythic, folk-hero-like stature, they lacked truly religious character. People were not worshipful in the face of their stories, even if their fervor had a taste of the Pentecostal to it. In the end, George Floyd was a regular person—at most a martyr—who could just as easily have been you, me, or a neighbor, something you would never say of the pope, a saint, or Jesus Christ. There was no church and, as anyone who has been “canceled” could attest, no promise of redemption or transcendence.

But still, wokeness was touching on something deeply emotional. It was unfamiliar, at times frightening. It wasn’t “just politics.” There was, even if inarticulable, something undeniably new about it.

But if wokeness is not a religion, Dee writes, it is still something of a creed:

I would argue wokeness stands in stark contrast to what we might consider the narrating cosmology of the U.S. If there’s a faith that undergirds much of our culture, it’s the belief that our thoughts and wills can reshape our circumstances. We are a culture that believes we can “lift ourselves up by our bootstraps” in our heart of hearts. Even though the last 30-odd years have been overwrought with narratives of victimhood, this belief in being self-made, a conviction that personal effort and willpower can triumph over any and all adversity, rages on.

It is this idea, Dee concludes, that woke progressives reject most vociferously.

Read more at Dispatch

More about: American Religion, American society, Progressivism

Kuwait Should Be the Next Country to Make Peace with Israel

Feb. 13 2025

Like his predecessor, Donald Trump seeks to expand the Abraham Accords to include Saudi Arabia. But there are other Arab nations that might consider taking such a step. Ahmad Charai points to Kuwait—home to the Middle East’s largest U.S. army base and desperately in need of economic reform—as a good candidate. Kuwaitis haven’t forgiven Palestinians for supporting Saddam Hussein during his 1990 invasion, but their country has been more rhetorically hostile to Israel than its Gulf neighbors:

The Abraham Accords have reshaped Middle Eastern diplomacy. . . . Kuwait, however, remains hesitant due to internal political resistance. While full normalization may not be immediately feasible, the United States should encourage Kuwait to take gradual steps toward engagement, emphasizing how participation in regional cooperation does not equate to abandoning its historical positions.

Kuwait could use its influence to push for peace in the Middle East through diplomatic channels opened by engagement rather than isolation. The economic benefits of joining the broader framework of the Abraham Accords are overwhelming. Israel’s leadership in technology, agriculture, and water management presents valuable opportunities for Kuwait to enhance its infrastructure. Trade and investment flows would diversify the economy, providing new markets and business partnerships.

Kuwaiti youth, who are increasingly looking for opportunities beyond the public sector, could benefit from collaboration with advanced industries, fostering job creation and entrepreneurial growth. The UAE and Bahrain have already demonstrated how normalization with Israel can drive economic expansion while maintaining their respective geopolitical identities.

Read more at Jerusalem Strategic Tribune

More about: Abraham Accords, Kuwait