The hard reality about social justice activism in America and in my opinion, its greatest setback, is that it is undeniably inspired by Maoism. The Guardian explains that in short,
“Maoism is a set of contradictory ideas that has distinguished itself from Soviet guises of Marxism in several important ways. Giving centre stage to a non‑western, anti-colonial agenda.”
Sound familiar to anyone? The controversy of “Western ideas” and “decolonizing college campuses” is easily disguised as a well-intentioned effort to point out the wrongs that the West has done to the world. Although that discussion is certainly important, it is even more important to point out that the main motivation is geared towards radical revolution, not simply providing a fuller picture of history. This is of course extremely unproductive because framing social justice on a college campus around overthrowing and stamping out the ideas of John Locke and Aristotle is going to be a point of tension, but that’s the whole point, unfortunately.
If the tactics and demands of those that purport to stand for racial justice sound suspiciously authoritarian and far left, that’s because they are. The fusion of racial justice activism and Maoism dates back to the Civil Rights era if not earlier.
The Maoist Roots of Social Justice in Higher Education
Put not your faith in princes