MULTICULTURALISM, PROGRESSIVISM, AND RACISM

Multiculturalism is a highly problematic philosophy. It maintains that there are no objective moral principles by which we can judge other cultures. Therefore, all moral judgments are relative and culturally constructed. Consequently, to judge – and this would be done through our own skewed cultural lens – might just be a form of racism or cultural elitism. Therefore:

·       Members of Clemson University's faculty are being told in a training program they might be racist if they expect employees or students to show up on time for work or class.

·       The training is being offered by Clemson as part of the school's diversity training to create a "more welcoming and inclusive environment" – an ambitious plan committed to a year ago by the university's president, Jim Clements. Among specific steps in that plan was to "create diversity and inclusion training for faculty and staff." 

It doesn’t seem to matter that progressive ideas about racism are, therefore, also relative and culturally constructed. Clemson seems to show no hesitation about imposing them on everyone else. But why not take this thinking to its logical end and ban grades and allow cheating and all forms of disruptive behavior because these Western standards also might be racist?

This demonstrates that it is impossible to coherently function in a purely relativistic world. Consequently, we behave in ways that show that we do believe that there are higher and objective values, but what are they?

Nadra Enzi of Project 21 (The National Leadership Network of Black Conservatives) argues this new intervention against “racism” will ultimately hurt those Clemson claims to want to help:

·       "Being on time is one of the many ways that one makes oneself marketable," he asserts. "So if you're trying to tell people that it's all right and it's a cultural passport not to be marketable, then you're contributing to their diminution and ultimate disenfranchisement – period."

This should be obvious. Why then does Clemson and progressivism want to implement a program that will ultimately hold back minorities? Enzi reasons:

·       "Undermine traditional values, undermine little things that make individuals," he lists. "And then the only recourse they have is to turn to the state – and in this instance, a socialist state.”

Enzi suggests that progressives think that in order to build a better world, they must first destroy the existing world. It is the old communist vision of worldwide revolution repackaged with bright ribbons. But this repackaged product remains a tornado, and when a tornado goes through a town, it destroys.

Despite the new and attractive veneer of caring about racism and the needs of the marginalized, the costs will, once again, be incalculable.