The truly sad aspect is that it is important to understand Critical Race Theory, and almost no one does despite nearly everyone having an opinion about it. Even General Milley admits that he doesn’t know what Critical Race Theory is starting at about 28 seconds into the clip in the tweet.
Then at around 1:20 into the clip, General Milley says that he’s read Mao Zedong and Karl Marx. Everyone seems to be missing how correct it is to lump Mao, Marx, and CRT together. They are the same, and I’m not being hyperbolic.
It seems that every time someone wants to debate CRT, they immediately go to supporting or attacking DEI (Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion) education. They aren’t synonymous. CRT is a type of DEI, but not all DEI is CRT. Critical Race Theory is Marxism. That is why it is called CRITICAL race THEORY!
Marxism comes in many flavors. Maoism is different that Stalinism which was different from Leninism. A group of Marxist intellectuals came together in the 1920’s in the Frankfurt School to propose what Marxism they should implement in Germany. What they came up with they termed “Critical Theory”. The German public rejected Critical Theory and chose the less scary option of the Nationalist-Socialist Workers Party. The intellectual proponents of Critical Theory then fled to the United States.
In the 1970’s someone came up with the idea of substituting all the references to class with references to race and Critical Race Theory was born. CRT isn’t about racists but rather systems of power and oppression. It is Marxism. When the leaders of BLM said they were Marxists, this is the Marxism they were talking about.
If schools want to teach the ugliest parts of American History, then there is a value to that. It is admirable if schools want programs to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion. That said, CRT should only be in schools if it is paired with the history of what always happens to societies that organize around Marxist principles. Think Soviet Marxism was great? -> Holodomor dead bodies. Think Maoist Marxism was great? -> Great Leap Forward dead bodies. Think French-inspired Khmer Rouge Marxism was great? -> Killing Fields dead bodies. Think CRT Marxism is great? -> Well class, where does history suggest that train is going to go?