Caleb Anderson: Critical Race Theory - At what price?

It is sometimes difficult to fathom the thinking, ultimate intent, or even psychological condition, of many proponents of Critical Race Theory. Those most active in promotion of Critical Race Theory are almost cultish in their singular, and unwavering, embeddedness in the cause, and discordant, unstable, aggressive, and inconsistent, in their messaging.

We see this with regularity in the prognostications and pronouncements of the political left ... which, tellingly, are nearly always accompanied by near silence of the political right.

While these reactions are often framed as an understandable, and justifiable, reaction to racism, this doesn't go anywhere near explaining the extreme, and often tenuous, nature of their arguments, and the lengths to which these willing sufferers will go to atone for themselves, for earlier generations and, vicariously, for those like them who have yet to fall on their swords.

As with atonement generally, the need to shift some responsibility elsewhere can become an overwhelming preoccupation and a justification for useful excesses.

Internalization of guilt, the bane of the critical theorist, always causes internal conflict, or denial, which always, ultimately, produces ego defence, often in the form of projection or transference of one's perceived (or implied) shortcomings. Both projection, and transference, are a form of atonement by which guilt is shifted, or transferred, to another person or group. In a sense, the object of projection becomes the embodiment of what the person cannot bear to see in themself, and evidence of their own restoration to a holier state.

Psychologists from Freud to Jung, and beyond, and religious systems preceding them, largey knew this.

Racism is unpleasant, or much worse, but it has existed as long as humanity. It is confined to no particular group, over another, no period in history, over another, it has always been there, although obviously not always in equal measure or degree.

At its most basic level, when survival was the goal, and it often was, it was always smarter to associate with those most like you, than to risk it with those who were not, the odds were simply better. This is a primal instinct in almost all species. This is one of many arguments against the assertion that racism is simply a social construct.

It is much deeper than that, and much older than that.

Unfortunately we can be pretty selfish. Solzhenitsyn's famous comment that the line between good and evil runs through every human heart is a fitting one. Exploitation happens, and our legacy is all too frequently stained, but this is not confined to one group alone, it is a universal principle. When people have the opportunity to exploit they have generally (although not always) done so. This is no less evident in indigenous societies than in more complex societies ... as the Rousseauians of early ages discovered at great cost to themselves, and their argument.

The problem with critical race theory is that, in attributing racism to one group over another, it misrepresents the true nature of humanity. It lifts responsibility from some, and places it almost exclusively on others, and it simplifies something that is much more layered and complex. It distorts. In so doing it divides rather than unites, and, perhaps paradoxically, gives licence to those who would use race to their advantage.

In other words, critical theory is the very negation of that which it purports. It is self-contradictory. It is also dangerous.

The problem with projection, as with any form of denial, is that it only yields a temporary reprieve. It needs to be repeated to have effect, and with greater intensity, over time, in order to yield an equivalent return. This is often accompanied by high levels of negative emotion, especially anger, engenders increasingly outrageous claims, and results in isolation, alienation and damage to self-image, of both giver and receiver.

There has only ever been one solution to this, not to endlessly manipulate the political order, and shift (or project) responsibility elsewhere, but to see people ultimately as individuals over groups, to value character over identity, and exalt personal responsibility over (but not always in negation of) collective responsibility.

Personal responsibility alone, ultimately, and always at some cost, enables the reconciliation of our demons. Personal responsibility allows renewal and self-improvement ... and it makes psychological and spiritual death and renewal possible.

One of the rare mysteries of humanity is its capacity to transcend its darker side, to look beyond the obvious, and to collaborate based on points in common. It is tragically ironic that this had been achieved most significantly, although not perfectly, in the period that gave birth to Critical Race Theory itself.

The duty of the state is to provide opportunities to succeed, not to engage in the endless, and dehumanizing, manipulation of the political and social order ... which only ever makes things worse. We need to turn the volume down on those whose careers are built upon the attribution of blame, the shameless distortion of truth, and the denigration of others.

Critical Race Theory condemns decent and hard working people to carry a wholly disproportionate burden of guilt for things for which they were never responsible, and to tolerate the palpable falsehoods promulgated daily by the left, the media, academia, and the wider state.

Those less inclined to decency and hard work, unshackled from any sense of duty, can simply claim entitlement to the fruits of another's labour, while denying what they truly know ... that they are living a lie.

Denial of self, including identity and past, as with pointing the finger, is always, ultimately, a very dark place to go, and it only ever gets darker.

Imagine the long term impact of this on those of mixed heritage, the greater number, as they metaphorically deny (sacrifice) a part of themselves, in order to be that which they never were, can never be, and do not need, or perhaps even want, to be.

Marx never hid his contempt for the working classes of his time, his goal was a socialist world order, the working classes were the sacrifice he was willing to make.

It was never really about them either, it was always about him, his delusions, and his resentments.

Simply too high a price to pay!

Caleb Anderson, a graduate history, economics, psychotherapy and theology, has been an educator for over thirty years, twenty as a school principal.