The very sharp Jeet Heer traces David Brooks's intellectual panic back to the John Birch Society: Jeet Heer: A Few Thoughts on "Cultural Marxism," Marcuse, John Wayne, the John Birch Society, and Anti-Semitism: "Goobers in the Trump administration are worried about 'Cultural Marxism' in the 'Deep State' opposing Trump.... 'Cultural Marxism' is a big boogeyman on the alt-right: it's the people who are supposedly responsible for creating PC, feminism, etc. The actual historical 'cultural Marxists' (or 'Western Marxists') were the Frankfurt School: Adorno, Benjamin, Marcuse etc... sought to supplant and update Marx's economic system with recognition of cultural forces...
...Frankfurt School marginalized for decades (at odds with both Stalinism of East & capitalism of West) but enjoyed 1960s resurgence. For a variety of reasons Marcuse was most popular Frankfurt School figure in New Left (live in CA, Angela Davis student, wrote about sex). By coincidence Marcuse was in France in 1968 and incorrectly portrayed by press as major instigator. The conspiracy-minded John Birch Society picked up on idea of Marcuse as evil masterminded & made it part of their lore. John Wayne was a Bircher and in Playboy interview of May 1971 repeats idea of Marcuse as root of all New Left evil. Lore about Marcuse became a kind of common sense on the right, partly because it fit existing anti-Semitic tropes.... Jewish masterminds stir up the nonwhites against white culture: far right plugged Marcuse & Angela Davis into mythos
Should be said this whole view of "cultural Marxism" as root of feminism, anti-racism, PC etc is radically at odds with history. Feminism, anti-racism etc had roots very different than Frankfurt School. Marcuse's ties to New Left more personal than ideological. The Frankfurt School guys were pretty stuffy European elitists. Adorno hated Jazz & radical students and was super Eurocentric.
The alt-right view of "cultural Marxism" is just an updating of this old Birch Society myth. As with all conspiracy theories, "cultural Marxism" creates convenient foe: foreign Jewish intellectuals are problem. Women & POC dupes. What's interesting is that Trumpists are now connecting "cultural marxism" with "deep state." This is return to Bircher roots. 1950s/1960s Birchers thought USA gov't infiltrated by communists. Eisenhower was a commie!... Trumpist replicating this idea.... Anyways, as a rule, there's little novelty in Trumpism. It all has roots in history of USA far right...
#noted #orangehairedbaboons #moralphilosophy #publicsphere
