How the woke transmit wealth and inequality

In that context, many elite views that are associated with wokeness would seem "correct".

For instance, defining the concepts does speak volumes about power-relations. Then there's overreach, lending too much weight to symbols and symbolic "gestures".

Similarly, you can have a modicum of "critical race theory, postcolonial theory, feminist standpoint epistemology, and queer theory". And you can have too much.

Conclusion

Here are key takeaways.

The symbolic professions (or 20%) are legitimised by fake altruism, attracting "ideological, conformist" personalities. Sure, check out Australia's Economics Society or Planning Institute.

The Awokenings are more about frustrated elite-wannabes than justice.

Selfishly, the winners prioritise symbolic "standing" over lesser people's material conditions. More woke = less equal. Rather than innovation, wealthy nations are experiencing "stagnation and declines…dysfunction and mistrust".

Though his is a US investigation, al-Gharbi points to similar analyses of other WEIRD (western, highly educated, industrialised, rich, democratic) nations.

As with Kaufmann, my regret is the scant coverage of environmental (climate) woke. "Committing" to a net zero economy is the ultimate catnip for the 20% or 1%.

How else could this impractical conceit conquer WEIRD nations and minds, so few years after its UN canonisation?

Why else would "Labor" Albanese have "Liberal" Matt Kean chairing his Climate Change Authority? Having simultaneously been NSW Treasurer and Environment Minister, the latter represents "environment repair + net zero" via endless growth. Hypocrite.

Plaudits to al-Gharbi for a notable - but readable - treatise. Not expecting its closing sentiments to sway Australia's power-elite:

"Equality is not something to be believed in but rather something to be enacted…It's something we do."