September 5, 2020

"President Trump is moving to revamp federal agencies’ racial sensitivity trainings, casting some of them as 'divisive' and 'un-American'..."

WaPo reports, citing a new memo from White House Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought.
Vought says OMB will instruct federal agencies to come up with a list of all contracts related to training sessions involving “white privilege” or “critical race theory,” and do everything possible within the law to cancel those contracts, the memo states.... He... refers to press reports that say federal employees “have been required to attend trainings where they are told that ‘virtually all White people contribute to racism’ or where they are required to say that they ‘benefit from racism.’ ”...

“It’s absolutely astonishing how critical race theory has pervaded every institution in the federal government,” Chris Rufo, research fellow at the right-wing Discovery Institute, told Fox News’s Tucker Carlson earlier this week....

[M.E. Hart, an attorney who has given hundreds of diversity training sessions for businesses and the federal government for more than 20 years, said] “If we are going to live up to this nation’s promise — ‘we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal’ — we have to see each other as human beings, and we have to do whatever it takes, including taking whatever classes make that possible... These classes have been very powerful in allowing people to do that, and we need them more than ever. There’s danger here.”...
Here's the memo.

Here's a Fox News article about Rufo's interview with Carlson. That article has the same quote plus a little more: "It's absolutely astonishing how critical race theory has pervaded every institution in the federal government. What I have discovered is that critical race theory has become, in essence, the default ideology of the federal bureaucracy and is now being weaponized against the American people."

Why didn't The Washington Post find someone better than Hart to quote about the value of training federal employees in Critical Race Theory? It's Hart's business to sell this training. That's the ultimate bias. Instead WaPo pads its article with prods to think of Trump as some sort of racist:
Trump has put himself at the center of intense national debates about race, police tactics, the Civil War and the Confederate flag. Democrats have long taken aim at Trump’s comments about race, including his false assertion that former president Barack Obama was not born in the United States. And this year, as numerous Black Lives Matter protests occurred around the country after police officers killed or shot Black Americans, Trump has sharply criticized social justice protesters and called for law enforcement to crack down.
Trump has sharply criticized social justice protesters? When did he criticize the protesters? Is WaPo using the word "protesters" to refer to the rioters, looters, and arsonists? Here's a higher level question for WaPo: Do you understand Critical Race Theory deeply enough to know whether it would include rioters, looters, and arsonists in the category "protesters"? Please show your work. I'm tired of the mushy insinuations. I'm reading WaPo this morning after taking a break from it and so far it's making me sick.

117 comments:

Lucid-Ideas said...

A perfect example of this ridiculousness is the recent blow up at Sandia National Laboratories. I know scientist (he's actually an electrician...a good one) who revealed the training they were required to go through.

It's not just a divisive and an American. It's freaking illegal.

Krumhorn said...

Our hostess is a treasure. Would that more people, regardless of political beliefs, have the intellectual integrity to deal with the reality that the lefties are nasty, hateful little shits.

- Krumhorn

Dust Bunny Queen said...

It would be different if "they" decided to have a seminar to just help ALL people learn how to get along and not irritate each other.

Actually, your Parents should have taught you that by the age of 5 years old...but I digress.

The assumption that ONLY white people are capable of being racists, discriminatory is racist in and of itself. The idea that ALL men are misogynists is ridiculous.

Anyone can be a racist. Can be horrible to the other sex. This BS comes in all colors and sexes.

"Sensitivity" training only serves to divide people from one another and actually CREATE the problems "they" think they are curing.

THEY can just fuck off.

Original Mike said...

"I'm reading WaPo this morning after taking a break from it and so far it's making me sick."

Unfortunately, most of their readers eat this shit up. They don't read it to learn, they read it to have their world view validated.

Original Mike said...

The Sandia Labs "training" sessions included the same tripe we saw in Seattle; goal orientation, punctuality, hard work, etc. are "white attributes" that must be denounced. Vile, destructive stuff.

Jersey Fled said...

I'm reading WaPo this morning after taking a break from it and so far it's making me sick.

I've felt the same way for years. But I'm kind of glad you've been doing it for us.

DEEBEE said...

This is a great troll. With Biden and TEAM 9incl. The MSM) engaged in throwing the proverbial kitchen sink at Trump, this move has to generate a tacit support for CRT etc. even if calling Trump a racist. Good for the deplorable to see.

Jersey Fled said...

Incidentally, Trump is exactly right about this.

Trump's super power is that he's not afraid to say what we all know to be true. And do something about it.

traditionalguy said...

The War on America is coming to a halt simply by the Obama-Biden phalanx of fifth column warriors being cancelled by President Trump. Hell of a job, Donald.

Rob said...

If reading this article made you sick, try reading the comments to it at the Post. These people are freaking nuts, and their ascendance is only an election away.

gspencer said...

"Chris Rufo, research fellow at the right-wing Discovery Institute"

Yeah, that's the sort of thumb-on-the-scale type of descriptions we're talking about. But the CFR, NPR, PBS, ABC, NBC, CNN, are never described as left-wing.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Rioters, Looters and Arsonists = Antifa Resist Club for the White Left.

WaPo down with the struggle.

wild chicken said...

I know the Left and Democrats aren't one and the same, but I can't reward either of them for all this horseshit by voting against Trump.

Yet I'm afraid if he wins, they will succeed in driving him bugfuck crazy paranoid. Then he will try to become the dictator of their nightmares.

See, I can dream up these novelistic plot turns too.

Temujin said...

The clean-up of this country, morally and intellectually, begins with the cleansing of critical race theory and diversity departments (directors, consultants, et al) from our corporations and government offices. But nothing really gets accomplished until it is laughed out of the colleges and universities where it currently holds the most prominent positions and has forced every campus in the country to follow it's edicts.

That is where the indoctrination is thick and pure. That is where it needs to be cut out.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

The democrat solution to everything is more division, more hate, more speech codes, more speech crimes, and more woke BS.

mesquito said...

I remember a story. A bunch a federal workers and volunteers from state and local agencies, on their way to New Orleans to help with the Katrina damage, were diverted to Atlanta to be harangued by these fucking grifters.

Temujin said...

Rob said, "If reading this article made you sick, try reading the comments to it at the Post. These people are freaking nuts, and their ascendance is only an election away."

Yeah, but to do that I'd have to subscribe to WaPo and I don't see donating a dime to that rag as a good thing.

Another old lawyer said...

Yeah, but doesn't it always boil down to "What you going to do about it?"?

That is the implicit rejoinder of so many of our elected officials and other 'leaders', not to mention the protester/rioter on the street. Unless there are real consequences to behavior and actions that are outrageous, harmful, unacceptable, should be discouraged, etc., then they will continue and get even further from what you find acceptable and want as a culture norm.

So, what are you personally going to do about it? Talk isn't enough, Going to keep buying the WaPo? Keep using Amazon and benefit Bezos, or shop elsewhere? Keep your Amazon portal so you help Amazon make money and reward Bezos, while you take a cut? Going to keep voting Democratic because of the party's marketing pitch, but ignore what they actually do or support or allow and fail to rebuke?

James K said...

I hope all the stupid sexual harassment “training” is next on the chopping block. Along with the laws that define harassment in terms of how a the person “feels.” Someone can make a joke, or say, “That’s a nice dress,” and if it makes someone “feel uncomfortable” the guy could be in trouble.

AllenS said...

When I said "good", I meant that Trump stopping contracts related to training sessions involving “white privilege” or “critical race theory” was good. Not that it made you sick, Althouse.

Jaq said...

"Unfortunately, most of their readers eat this shit up. They don't read it to learn, they read it to have their world view validated.”

I had always assumed that in Nazi Germany, the average German just rolled their eyes at the propaganda that came out every day. Now I am beginning to think that they waited for each new days dose eagerly.

Original Mike said...

Trump needs to explicitly quote from the Sandia Labs training material.

Beaneater said...

Thanks, gspencer, for pointing out the loaded language.

As far as critical race theory goes, I found this video to be a great intro. (Long, and from a Christian point of view, but featuring someone who has read a lot of the CRT source texts. And I hope I didn't mess up the link.) I used to hear things like, "Only white people can be racist," and I thought, "What world does that person live in?" But I have a better idea of where that type of comment is coming from now. I still think it's absurd and destructive, but I have a better idea of the intellectual/theoretical background that it springs from. And it's always good to understand things if you're going to oppose them.

Quayle said...

One world view says God sent his son to tell us to love one another, to lay down our lives for our fellow man, to sell all that we have and give it to the poor, to forgive over and over, and to love our enemies and do good to them who despitefully use us and to love our enemies and do good to them who despitefully use us. We are taught that we should not be spending our time looking at others and finding their faults and criticizing them, but that we should look at ourselves and make sure we are doing all we can to do good and working on our faults to become better. Regardless of the divinity (or not) of the origin of those teachings, those would be a pretty good foundation on which to build a democratic republic. (But the mere claim of their divine origin makes them often explicitly banned from public political dialogue.)

Another worldview says we have to “follow the science.” And that science is Darwin and the survival of the fittest. Of course the intellectual structure of Darwinism has no concept of equality. The strong kill the week which is good because it strengthens the herd and because new more complex species evolve through adaption to prevent being destroyed or eaten.

So by our secular society we are told that we must stand on a foundation of no equality, but act as if all people *are* equal. Might I suggest we could reach the objective of equality and a just society if we stood on the right foundation?

Fernandinande said...

Good for Trump! This is excellent, and should've been done a long time ago.

Why didn't The Washington Post find someone better than Hart ...

That's what I thought about the guy from the "Discovery Institute", which a nutty anti-science cult organization.

Some other equally nutty anti-science people on the "other side", representing the Yale School of Medicine, are asking that people who know something about biology NOT be admitted to medical school.

From Blackface in White Space: Using Admissions to Address Racism in Medical Education ; note all the other anti-white racist propaganda being published by the "National Center for Biotechnology Information" under "Similar articles ". Your tax money working for you, ha ha.

Jaq said...

WaPo is a total joke and the New York Times is right on their heels.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Real news reported by Andy Ngo.

Keep scrolling for all the leftwing arson, leftwing rioting and leftwing violence you will not find on CNN or Drudge

https://twitter.com/MrAndyNgo?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Ken B said...

“ I'm reading WaPo this morning after taking a break from it and so far it's making me sick.”

Anaphylaxis.

Unknown said...


No mention of Sandia labs in the WaPo, but I can’t help but think this young mans voice was heard on Pennsylvania Ave

Video link on YouTube for anyone interested in what happened at SNL.

https://youtu.be/zyNW9nlFDBk

Kevin said...

Next up: Bill Barr holds a press conference showing the training materials and explaining how they violate Americans civil rights.

Ken B said...

This will be lit. Basement Biden will go after a Trump for this, and then the course materials will be printed ...

mockturtle said...

Gspence, anyone not a member of Antifa is 'right-wing'.

Jaq said...

I loved this explanation from NPR about how they should have been more careful with that “In defense of looting” interview:

"In this case a book author with a radical point of view far to the left was allowed to spread false information. Casual observers might conclude that NPR is more interested in fact-checking conservative viewpoints than liberal viewpoints. Or possibly, that bias on the part of NPR staff interferes with their judgment when spotting suspect information.”

Yes, “casual observers” might think that NPR is biased, but those fully steeped in NPR’s political environment all know for a fact that NPR plays it straight down the middle. It’s “science”!

WaPo used to have an ombudsman who made similar points about that newspaper’s coverage and it’s biases. They fired her and never replaced her.

Wince said...

...come up with a list of all contracts related to training sessions involving “white privilege” or “critical race theory,” and do everything possible within the law to cancel those contracts.

In addition to show-cause terminations, make the entire system self-enforcing.

Amend all contracts so that the contractor is on the hook for hostile workplace environment claims brought by employees subject to any race-based debasement, harassment or intimidation taking place at these "trainings," either through indemnification provisions added to the contract or direct liability.

Sebastian said...

Why didn't The Washington Post find someone better than Hart to quote about the value of training federal employees in Critical Race Theory? It's Hart's business to sell this training. That's the ultimate bias."

Because all of the CRT pushers are equally biased -- or more.

"Trump has sharply criticized social justice protesters? When did he criticize the protesters?"

When Trump criticizes rioters, the rioters are protesters. Only when Dems get worried about polls are rioters rioters.

"I'm tired of the mushy insinuations."

Is there anything, in any current prog discourse, that does not involve such insinuations?

mockturtle said...

Why would you read a paper that makes you sick? Some kind of deep-seated masochism? White guilt? There is news and there is overt propaganda. While it is increasingly hard to find the former, you can at least try to ignore the latter.

Ray - SoCal said...

I wish Trump had canceled these at the beginning of his term. My guess he was not aware this type of training happened in the government till the Tucker Carlson broadcast.

rhhardin said...

Guys don't feel betrayed by the WaPo. They just see it as the other side.

But then guys haven't been their target audience. It's women and their vote, the ones who fall for it.

rhhardin said...

Derrida agrees with the right. You ought to be able to speak anything publicly, if you're purusing the truth. The left just thinks it means them, is all.

Race theory is about silencing, first of all ridicule and refutations.

Richard Dolan said...

"I'm reading WaPo this morning after taking a break from it and so far it's making me sick."

Not much in it today, at least on the topics you are discussing, that's different from what WaPo has been publishing for years. It's just an article of faith that anyone who dissents from the white privilege/systemic racism has to be cancelled.

bleh said...

I’m so glad Trump has decided to ban the teaching of critical race theory in the federal bureaucracy. It’s poisonous, racist, anti-American garbage. I for damn sure don’t want to pay for it as a taxpayer.

Biden needs to be pushed to say on the record what he’d do if elected. Would he reinstate those trainings? Trump and the GOP need to use concrete examples of the trainings (slides, audio recordings, etc.) to make crystal clear to the American people what sort of filth is being spewed on the taxpayers’ dime.

Biden must denounce or else he’s complicit. Silence is violence and so on.

J Melcher said...

Wag the Dog '98
A scandal threatens the re-election of a sitting president days before the election; he distracts the press and trumps up a phony war.

REAL LIFE '20
A sitting president ends a war days before the election; the press distracts voters and trumps up phony scandals.

Ken B said...

I am agreeing so strongly with Althouse's posts on Biden and Trump that I worry I will suddenly write a post “How Trump lost me.”

Hammond X. Gritzkofe said...

Only with systemitized racial sensitivity training can we overcome systemic racism.

Every one of us must pick one of the two* races, and adopt the attitudes and behaviors appertaining thereto.

*or three, or twelve, or thirty, or fifty-seven.

Matt said...

This is a good first step. Next is getting rid of all the Privacy and Diversity Offices in the agencies that often work against the actual mission of the agency. At least, that's the story in my agency.

Similar to the hostess, I've been on a news hiatus this week enjoying the last week of summer and it has been liberating.

Also, thank you to COVID for inspiring me to pick up golf. Amazing game. *thumbs up emoji*

bleh said...

The Bar in my state has decided, in their infinite wisdom, that “implicit bias” and “diversity and inclusion” courses must be part of our CLE requirements. Because you see everyone is racist and sexist and homophobic and xenophobic, even if they aren’t. I resent the hell out of it. And honestly I question how healthy it is to be telling people over and over again that white straight males are at the top of the food chain, and that something must be done about it. I fear it actually sends the exact wrong message.

Amadeus 48 said...

WaPoo: it delivers poop that is poo every day. It is amusing and revealing that they trotted out someone who gets paid to organize and teach the classes to defend them. Maybe there was no one else.

Kai Akker said...

I would have to name every commenter above to say ditto and kudos for saying what you did. But ditto and kudos, indeed! How did we get here? Dumb question, we all know. How do we get out of here? That is the question. More Trump is the first answer but there have to be other answers, too.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Root that poisonous ideology out. It is incompatible with our constitution to teach Americans that they are inherently racist simply because they are white.

MadTownGuy said...

This needed to be done years ago:


Union: FAA’s Sensitivity Training Crossed the Line
"CHICAGO (AP) _ Doug Hartman said he told the women he didn’t want to be touched, but they did it anyway, fondling him while others encouraged them. Then they rated his sexual attributes, putting him at the bottom of their list.

It was all part of sensitivity training sponsored by his employer, the Federal Aviation Administration, he said.
"

The Guru And The FAA
"The FAA first hired Gregory May, a California psychologist, to lead the training sessions in 1984. The idea was to make FAA officials more sensitive to employees' complaints about stressful working conditions. But May's techniques allegedly went far beyond routine psychology. Employees of a private firm hired to run the FAA's management-training center in Florida said May tied them together with strips of bedsheets for 24 hours at a time. One former instructor, Helen Murphy, said she was forced to share a bed with her (male) boss; three women trainees had to shower together, and two men had to visit the toilet tied to each other. FAA personnel attending official sessions led by May were reportedly deprived of sleep and verbally abused. Yet scores of them went along quietly, fearing they would not be promoted unless they won May's approval. In all, May told Newsweek he had trained as many as 4,000 FAA officials. A source close to May says he believes he did nothing wrong."

mezzrow said...

To what degree is the WaPo a trade paper for the political elite? The rest is just peripheral at this point, perhaps. Is the focus of what they are publishing news as we understand it? Or, is it a daily explication of the narrative - provided to unify talking points and make the narrative cohesive?

It's how and where the Overton window gets its glazing provided. By now, I have to concede that Bezos has a gift of vision. He bought a point of leverage at a shockingly low price.

How will it be used?

Michael K said...

"I am so old that I remember when most racists were white." Thomas Sowell.

Martin said...

How much has M.E. Hart been paid for those hundreds of training sessions? What are his current rates?

If anything, Rufo's memo is far to kind in describing the utter destructiveness and worthlessness of "diversity training" based on critical theories.

Sam L. said...

"Trump has sharply criticized social justice protesters? When did he criticize the protesters? Is WaPo using the word "protesters" to refer to the rioters, looters, and arsonists? Here's a higher level question for WaPo: Do you understand Critical Race Theory deeply enough to know whether it would include rioters, looters, and arsonists in the category "protesters"? Please show your work. I'm tired of the mushy insinuations. I'm reading WaPo this morning after taking a break from it and so far it's making me sick." It's the WaPoo, WaPooping. I wouldn't read it. You should know better.

BUMBLE BEE said...

A little George Carlin on U_Tube will fix that in a jiffy!

Amadeus 48 said...

Here's a question for the class: is Patriot Prayer a far right-wing group? The founder says he is a libertarian conservative and a supporter of the US Constitution. That describes me, too. What is the evidence that news organizations like WaPoo are using to label a libertarian, conservative organization that supports the US Constitution as far right?

I smell a rat. At least this is lousy reporting. It is more likely ideological propaganda masked as news.

It is disgusting and should make anyone sick.

Original Mike said...

Protesters

Hey, they didn't light anything on fire.

Roy Lofquist said...

"[M.E. Hart, an attorney who has given hundreds of diversity training sessions for businesses and the federal government for more than 20 years, said] “If we are going to live up to this nation’s promise — ‘we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal’ — we have to see each other as human beings, and we have to do whatever it takes, including taking whatever classes make that possible..."

This a perverse, pernicious, evil inversion of the intent of the Constitution. The Constitution, aside from the mechanics, is a list of "Thou shalt nots" - Congress shall make no law... "All men are created equal" means that the laws apply equally to everybody.

The Constitution is not a prescription for society. It is a limitation on Government that forbids the kind of meddling that Hart advocates.

Ambrose said...

A lot of these programs are designed to help companies defend against inevitable lawsuits after they fire some incompetent. Since the feds never fire anyone, it does look like wasted effort

Dave Begley said...

Don’t get sick Ann! America needs you through Election Day.

Cruel Neutrality is needed now more than ever.

Heatshield said...

I subscribed to WaPo for years in order to understand the "elitist" perspective. But I unsubscribed this month because it was just too nauseating. There is simply no separation of the opinion section and the news section. And there is absolutely no self awareness that this is a problem. And Rob is absolutely right, the commenters are freaking nuts. When you realize that those people commenting likely include a number of our government bureaucrat/rulers....ugh. We've got a huge problem.

Joe Smith said...

"...research fellow at the right-wing Discovery Institute..."

When has the mainstream media EVER characterized a liberal group as left-wing?

So some minorities and women get sad sometimes and we're supposed to all kiss their asses? Forget about reviews. Ban this Marxist crap.

Kai Akker said...

[M.E. Hart, an attorney who has given hundreds of diversity training sessions for businesses and the federal government for more than 20 years, said] “If we are going to live up to this nation’s promise--"

Then people who do BS work like him would still be free to do so and not be put in jail for slandering the rest of the citizens. But trying to make young citizens believe those slanders should be eliminated from the educational system.

CWJ said...

"...we have to see each other as human beings, and we have to do whatever it takes,..."

By dividing them into homogenous groups categorized by color. M. E. Hart isn't even good at logically making the case for his classes. But I don't suppose there's much strick logic involved anywhere in this subject.

Big Mike said...

Critical Race Theory says that black people are inherently lazy, shiftless, and violent. The black people I worked with over the years, no matter how dark their skin, were not “truly” black, according to Critical Race Theory.

NorthOfTheOneOhOne said...

Dust Bunny Queen said...

The assumption that ONLY white people are capable of being racists, discriminatory is racist in and of itself. The idea that ALL men are misogynists is ridiculous.

But how else do you explain certain groups failure to prosper when the odds are stacked in their favor?

NCMoss said...

I'm reading WaPo this morning after taking a break from it and so far it's making me sick.

“The point of modern propaganda isn't only to misinform or push an agenda. It is to exhaust your critical thinking, to annihilate truth.” (Garry Kasparov)

Time for another road trip?

donald said...

He only gets better and better.

Birkel said...

I understand CRT to know it is more Leftist Collectivist horse shit.
It is a theory in pursuit of power.

Quaestor said...

My memory is clearing by the hour. Not only did Joe Biden sexually assault my cousin, but he was also accompanied at the time by a 700-pound silverback singing gorilla called Neville. Neville had a lovely and powerful voice -- his rendition of Nessun Dorma would raise the hackles of your head, the frissons being so profound and penetrating. In spite of Neville the Singing Gorilla's obvious talent, Joe Biden showed him no respect whatsoever, calling him "boy" and "my skivvy". If Neville should hit a sour note, Biden would threaten him with a bullwhip or swear to burn a cross on his front lawn.

Gunner said...

Why not say this 3+ years ago?

Aggie said...

[M.E. Hart, an attorney who has given hundreds of diversity training sessions for businesses and the federal government for more than 20 years, said] “If we are going to live up to this nation’s promise — ‘we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal’ — we have to see each other as human beings, and we have to do whatever it takes, including taking whatever classes make that possible..

If these truths are as self-evident as I believe them to be, and as apparently you believe them to be - then why do we need to receive instruction for them, please? Why the need to force compulsory schooling from this 'danger' using the materials you proscribe?

No Thanks - but good luck with your business model!

JAORE said...

I wish I could add substance. I've tried reading about critical race theory. But every time I find an impenetrable word salad or such obvious failure in logic that I retreat in disgust.

At least now I know there are TWO colors and one gender to be wary of, White Man and Orange Man.

PubliusFlavius said...

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/npr-regrets-elevating-pro-looting-anti-semite

Narr said...

Voluntary morning sickness. And at your age.

My alma mater/former employer (in cooperation with the public school system) has set up a George Floyd memorial scholarship, for African-American males. It's not clear to me what kind of arrest record and drug addictions will be required of successful applicants.

Another reason I'll never give them a fucking dime for anything.

Narr
Not even the library

PhilD said...

'sensitivity courses'
Such a strange name for a 'course' where whites must accept the accusation of them being 'racist' by being 'white' and are demanded to beat an unending row of mea culpas for their racist sin of being 'white'.
Clearly, according to these courses no 'white' has a right of getting treated with sensitivity. Prime material for civil rights complaints I would think.

Owen said...

Prof. A: thank you for doing the dirty job of reading the WaPo and sparing the rest of us that noisome chore. Make sure your shots are current. Here’s a real question, though, for you and the commenters: what legal impediments are there to just firing all these CRT contractors and paying them off? Contracts get broken all the time and the parties then litigate or settle with money damages. Surely the Federal government has the same right to break a deal as a party in the private sector? More generally I don’t see why large swathes of the Federal workforce could not be told to pack their things. Reagan did it, to remarkable effect. Yes, you would trigger lots of lawyering and maybe some sympathy striking, but if done well it would produce a whole new tone politically. Some of us might applaud.

Mike Sylwester said...

“It’s absolutely astonishing how critical race theory has pervaded every institution in the federal government,” Chris Rufo, research fellow at the right-wing Discovery Institute

Does The Washington Post ever describe any organizations as left-wing?

Mike Sylwester said...

Democracy Dies in Darkness!

Jupiter said...

"It would be different if "they" decided to have a seminar to just help ALL people learn how to get along and not irritate each other."

Don't you believe it. Here's how it works; over the last 50 years, the sheer bulk of government employment regulation has grown to where the role of what is now called "HR" is to protect the company from the "rights" of its employees. The most prominent and onerous of these "rights" are those relating to "discrimination". Any rational HR person (there are a few) knows that Google is never going to hire as many women as men, or Blacks as whites. So to compensate, they perform a kabuki of "programs" and initiatives", to indicate that they are striving to do the impossible things that the idiotic laws require them to do. That's the rational ones. Of course, these days, most of the people in HR are fresh out of some bullshit "Studies" program, and they are utterly insane.

Jamie said...

And at no time, it seems, does any "journalist" present the critiques of CRT in the same light that it presents the assertions of CRT - with wide-eyed naive credulity, that is.

Of course, I would rather that journalists present both the assertions and the critiques with either cruel neutrality (to borrow a phrase) or with skepticism. But I doubt that they're taught how to do either any more. They all write as if they're writing a required persuasive 5-paragraph essay for junior English - all heavy-handed advocacy, no critical thinking. It's one of very few things that makes me glad none of my kids inherited my love of the written and spoken word: if any of them were headed to J-school, I would apparently have to mourn the loss of their critical faculties from the time of their first intro course.

eddie willers said...

The assumption that ONLY white people are capable of being racists, discriminatory is racist in and of itself.

That remark got me thinking. And what I came up with is that they also believe only white people are smart enough to self access and be capable of change.

You know...the soft bigotry of low expectations.

Mike of Snoqualmie said...

Chris Rufo was a candidate for Seattle City Council. He dropped out after receiving death threats to him and his family. The oh-so-tolerant left couldn't stand that a rational person might run for City Council instead of someone like Kshama Sawant.

The City Council is full of Kshama Sawant progressives. The people of Seattle are getting what they truly deserve for electing these fascist bastards. May they get if good and hard.

Yesterday, BLM blocked traffic on I-5 in a "demonstration." The Washington State Patrol arrested all 9 drivers for blocking traffic. They drivers were astonished to learn that their actions have consequences.

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...

“we have to see each other as human beings, and we have to do whatever it takes, including taking whatever classes make that possible...”

Well, hustler gotta hustle...

n.n said...

Diversity dogma (i.e. color judgments) breeds adversity.

n.n said...

Diversity denies individual dignity, individual conscience, and normalizes affirmative discrimination, including: color blocs, color quotas. Affirmative discrimination is confirmation that affirmative action has failed. People should be wary to exercise liberal license to indulge diversity. That said, social justice (i.e. relativistic, selective, opportunistic) anywhere is injustice everywhere.

Mark said...

Why didn't The Washington Post find someone better than Hart to quote about the value of training federal employees in Critical Race Theory?

Why didn't the Post put up an honest headline?

stlcdr said...

How many people actively read this articles, versus those that passively read them?

404 Page Not Found said...

Trump has sharply criticized social justice protesters? When did he criticize the protesters? Is WaPo using the word "protesters" to refer to the rioters, looters, and arsonists? Here's a higher level question for WaPo: Do you understand Critical Race Theory deeply enough to know whether it would include rioters, looters, and arsonists in the category "protesters"? Please show your work. I'm tired of the mushy insinuations. I'm reading WaPo this morning after taking a break from it and so far it's making me sick.

Sounds like Ann just took the red pill. There's no going back.

DeepRunner said...

Ann Althouse queried:
"Why didn't The Washington Post find someone better than Hart to quote about the value of training federal employees in Critical Race Theory? It's Hart's business to sell this training. That's the ultimate bias."

It used to be that only columnists would shop for supporting opinions. Nowadays, it seems Fifth-Column "journalists" only need to find "statements" which support one side of the story. Sad, really. I grew up reading The Post and really enjoyed its reporting and especially the opinion pages, as they at least TRIED to present a veneer of fairness in news and variance in editorial comment and columnists. Yeah it was still left of center, and the Grahams weren't on any GOP Christmas Card lists, I don't think. Not surprised about the "reporter's" grab-and-go approach to getting a quote, though. It's emblematic of all media. One side of the story sells, and that's the end of the story. Fox or CNN/MSNBC, it's all the same. And I say this as someone who earned a Masters in Journalism from one of the top J-Schools in the country. One of the best professions has long since turned into the world's oldest profession.

hstad said...


Blogger Original Mike said...goal orientation, punctuality, hard work, etc. are "white attributes" that must be denounced. Vile, destructive stuff...."9/5/20, 7:47 AM

Yep, instead of teaching everyone these "attributes" [how to get ahead] they drag everyone down to the worst common denominator. Excellence to the Left is viewed as danger to their goal of everyone being equal. Tell that to the greatest people in History who have brought more to lift up mankind then anyone else.

Big Mike said...

Is WaPo using the word "protesters" to refer to the rioters, looters, and arsonists?

Yes. Next question.

Achilles said...

Critical Race Theory is Divisive and Un-American.

By definition.

That is the whole point.

JML said...

One of the reasons I retired early from the Forest Service. Hostile work environment complaints were weaponized and this type of training, transgendered rights, etc. were far more important than actual work. It was very depressing and a moral crusher.

AllenS said...

Gunner said...
Why not say this 3+ years ago?

Did you know about this 3+ years ago, Gunner? I didn't.

I do know that there is systematic racism in this country, and it's called affirmative action.

KellyM said...

As much as this move by the President makes me happy, the statement was released at 3pm ET on a Friday afternoon, and on a long holiday weekend, no less. Traditionally, that's the time when info is sure to die a swift death, never to be heard from again. I know I should wait 48 hours before squawking, as the President has a way of setting these bombs on a timer to explode when the left isn't paying attention. Still...

Professional lady said...

This is sort of on topic. I read this morning that a group of Black pastors in Detroit wrote a letter condemning BLM. My husband and I were driving down a main street in Detroit to get to the freeway. We were stopped at a red light. Our windows were down. I told my husband about the pastors. Suddenly, I heard a shout from the truck next to us - I kind of caught the word "pastors." I think the man heard me and was shouting his support for the pastors. The truck was driven by a Black male (from what I could tell in his prime) and was hauling a big grill or BBQ probably to Belle Isle (an island park on the Detroit River). The truck had one of those American flag decals with the blue line indicating support for the police on it. Wouldn't be surprised if he was a cop. I think the tide is starting to turn.

Professional lady said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Michael K said...

This could be one of the most important things he could do to turn around the culture war. Now, do the schools.

Michael K said...

JML said...
One of the reasons I retired early from the Forest Service. Hostile work environment complaints were weaponized and this type of training, transgendered rights, etc. were far more important than actual work.


JML, why do you think Navy ships are crashing into each other ?

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Nothing says-- I care about the death of George Floyd than looting and burning.

Larvell said...

How is Obama’s birthplace a question of race? He’s the same race whether he’s born in Hawaii or Kenya or Malaysia or Canada. And that’s the first example the reporter gives of Trump’s supposed racism, in a straight news article?

Jeff Brokaw said...

The training itself, and the legal requirements for it, are annoying and insulting enough, but what is almost worse is the implicit assumption that absent this training we are all a bunch of hate-filled assholes who desperately need correcting by nanny state do-gooders.

Gee, thanks, what would we ever do without ya.

Rockport Conservative said...

Classes to train people to check their bigotry would be good. It is bigotry to think only whites can be racist. Bigotry comes in all colors and especially in all classes. The systemic bigotry of the elite classes is just as bad as the bigotry of the worst redneck bigot or black bigot. See what I did there? I used the term redneck, a form of bigotry if there ever was one.

Down here in S Texas the greatest bigotry is against Mexicans, a word used by most of those people whose ancestors were from Mexico or when Texas was also a part of Mexico. I don't believe I've heard them use the term Hispanic or Latino (except on TV news) and I don't use it myself, my grandfather was from Mexico.
about
Bigotry also includes the terme "poor white trash." Many are accused of being meth users, some actually are, but you do not have to be poor to be a meth user. To be called trash though, there is usually quite a bit of it to be seen around their property.

Another bigoted phrase which has come into being since Walmart is of course, Walmart people. That has been used occasionally by the political class. A class I am bigoted against.

Rockport Conservative said...

Classes to train people to check their bigotry would be good. It is bigotry to think only whites can be racist. Bigotry comes in all colors and especially in all classes. The systemic bigotry of the elite classes is just as bad as the bigotry of the worst redneck bigot or black bigot. See what I did there? I used the term redneck, a form of bigotry if there ever was one.

Down here in S Texas the greatest bigotry is against Mexicans, a word used by most of those people whose ancestors were from Mexico or when Texas was also a part of Mexico. I don't believe I've heard them use the term Hispanic or Latino (except on TV news) and I don't use it myself, my grandfather was from Mexico.
Bigotry is also bad about the "poor white trash." Many are accused of being meth users, some actually are, but you do not have to be poor to be a meth user. To be called trash though, there is usually quite a bit of it to be seen around their property.

Another bigoted phrase which has come into being since Walmart is of course, Walmart people. That has been used occasionally by the political class. A class I am bigoted against.

The Godfather said...

The headline refers to "racial sensitivity trainings", but what the Trump Administration is trying to stop is racism training. Critical race theory is the theory that our society is inherently racist, that you, if you're white, are inherently racist, and if you're Black, you are inherently a victim of racism. That has nothing to do with sensitivity. Under our First Amendment, Mr. Hart has the right to proselytize for his racist opinions, but the Federal Government has no business forcing its employees to be subjected to that propoganda.

Banjo said...

Every study says diversity training scoldings serve to make the workplace atmosphere MORE toxic and antagonistic. You can lead a horse to water but you can't push in its muzzle to eye level.

Michael K said...

Suddenly, I heard a shout from the truck next to us - I kind of caught the word "pastors." I think the man heard me and was shouting his support for the pastors. The truck was driven by a Black male (from what I could tell in his prime) and was hauling a big grill or BBQ probably to Belle Isle (an island park on the Detroit River). The truck had one of those American flag decals with the blue line indicating support for the police on it. Wouldn't be surprised if he was a cop. I think the tide is starting to turn.

This is why it is so amusing that Inga has no idea that 35% of suburban residents are black. The left has no idea how racist its assumptions are,

ken in tx said...

One presidential order isn't going to stop this. They have been at it for decades. There needs to be counter-training to deprogram all those who have been brainwashed into this cult. I got a strong dose of it in Air Force Social Actions training. Everyone had to go through it every year. AFAIK still do. That's where I learned that Blacks couldn't be racists, theoretically because they didn't have power over whites. Never mind that we had Black senior officers and NCOs throughout the Air Force. A single Social Actions complaint could ruin any white officers career, so nobody objected to the obvious unfairness and falseness of the training. This was in the 1980s. It's probably worse now.

To repeat, deprogramming is needed.

Retail Lawyer said...

Why didn't The Washington Post find someone better than Hart to quote about the value of training federal employees in Critical Race Theory? It's Hart's business to sell this training. That's the ultimate bias."

Who else would possibly have anything good to say about this brainwashing?

FIDO said...

Well, they will be donating to Democrat coffers to get back on the gravy train, but then, they always did their donations anyway.

Having 10,000 of these SJW grifters suddenly being unemployed really brings a warm feeling in my black heart.

Everyone who goes to these classes, save the most propagandized, loathes them! By bringing up this subject, everyone who hates these classes will be cheered up and draconically forcing them back is a very bad look for Democrats.

Trump won by a few tens of thousands of votes in a few states last time. This move probably gained him about 5,000 votes per state.

Greg The Class Traitor said...

Why didn't The Washington Post find someone better than Hart to quote about the value of training federal employees in Critical Race Theory? It's Hart's business to sell this training.

Pretty much tells you that it's a grift, that the only people they can find to defend it are people in on the grift

Crazy World said...

That crazy Trump, great day in America.

RichAndSceptical said...

What I can't wrap my brain around is why we need to remedy things that happened in the past that have already been addressed.

Way back in the 70's I interviewed for a job with federal government. I had scored 100 on the government employment exam, yet I was told it was unlikely I would be hired because 1st they hired any veteran that had passed the test, then blacks, then women, and then white males. So even though I had scored 100, any veteran, black, or woman who had simply passed the exam had preference over me.

That was over 40 years ago. At some point you would think it would be accepted no one gets preferential treatment. We are all supposedly equal under the law, so enough of this crap. Enough of this critical race theory. We are all equal under the law and that should be enough.

MadisonMan said...

Any kind of Training mandated at work, such as Racial Sensitivity Training, is a hoop to jump through. Employees take it because it is required, not because they learn something, or even want to learn something.
Higher-ups like the training, though, because it allows them to tick a box. "See? Look at what we've accomplished!!"

Sam L. said...

Forget it, Ann. It's just the WaPoo, WaPooping.

rb said...

CRT and anti-white ideology as overtaken even the Smithsonian Institution, which has gone full woke.
They were forced by public outcry to take down the most egregious "Whiteness" BS chart, but they still have this divisive racist "Whiteness" screed still on-line:

https://nmaahc.si.edu/learn/talking-about-race/topics/whiteness

The SI Secretary's (Lonnie Bunch) email is SmithsonianSecretary@si.edu