Hey everyone,

I've been diving into critiques of Critical Race Theory (CRT) lately. I keep returning to earlier work of James Lindsay, before he became terrified of the inevitable organized Conservative Christian Nationalist response to the culture war which he has named "The Woke Right". It is a shame how far he has fallen as an attempt to salvage academia so he might have the respect of that cohort.

For those unfamiliar, Lindsay views CRT not as a benign academic theory but as a dangerous ideology rooted in Marxist principles, adapted to focus on race. He argues that CRT reframes the Marxist struggle through the lens of race and racial oppression, influencing academia, social programs, and legal systems.

According to Lindsay, CRT rejects individualism, meritocracy, and objective truth, instead framing society as inherently racist systems that oppress minorities while benefiting whites. He argues it promotes division, excuses individual accountability by blaming "systemic racism," and ultimately seeks to dismantle liberal democratic institutions.

One of the major accomplishments of CRT is to remove the agency and accountability of minority groups. If systemic racism is the underlying cause for crime and even the individual criminal act, it follows that the minority criminal is not responsible. This is why you get bullshit news coverage shifting the blame onto the SUV driven by the Jogger American, etc. A CRT proponent would argue that we need gun control, because we can't hold people holding the guns accountable for their actions.

One of his standout pieces on this is the 1-hour video lecture titled "How Critical Race Theory Operates" from his Resisting Critical Race Theory Workshop series. In it, Lindsay shifts from explaining what CRT is to how it works in practice—its "praxis," as he calls it. Here's a concise summary based on the key points:

Core Argument: Lindsay contends that CRT's primary (and only) real function is to create more Critical Race Theorists. It doesn't solve problems like racism; instead, it transforms society into a "programming machine" that indoctrinates people into its worldview. "Critical Race Theory is as Critical Race Theory does, and all Critical Race Theory does is take every pain to transform everything in society into a Critical Race Theorist programming machine" 1.

Mechanisms of Operation: He breaks down how CRT uses linguistic tricks (redefining words like "racism" to mean systemic power structures), social pressures (labeling dissent as "fragility" or complicity), and psychological manipulations (guilt-tripping or extorting agreement) to spread itself. This makes CRT self-reinforcing—once adopted, it interprets every event through its lens, generating more "evidence" for its claims.

Examples and Implications: Drawing from real-world applications, Lindsay illustrates how CRT infiltrates education, workplaces, and politics, turning neutral institutions into vehicles for its ideology. For instance, he critiques how CRT might frame social unrest or disparities not as complex issues needing nuanced solutions but as inevitable outcomes of oppression, potentially justifying disruptive actions while downplaying personal responsibility.

The lecture is eye-opening for anyone encountering CRT in daily life, emphasizing that understanding its operational tactics is key to resisting it. Lindsay ties this to his broader work, noting that these ideas form the basis for Chapter 3 in his book Race Marxism: The Truth About Critical Race Theory and Praxis.

CRT attributes criminality in minority groups to systemic racism, thereby shifting responsibility away from individuals and onto societal structures—or even objects like guns in policy responses. Lindsay argues this displaces genuine accountability, creating cycles of disadvantage while excusing behaviors under the guise of oppression. Here’s some supporting evidence and quotes from his other works:

In his article "Why Nobody is Systemically Racist" (July 11, 2020), Lindsay critiques CRT's broad application of systemic complicity, using analogies like "car culture" making everyone complicit in traffic deaths. He extends this to racial contexts: "Black neighborhoods start to look chaotic because of all the arrests. Even people living there are worried. So the government passes three-strikes laws and other no-tolerance policies; it begins to monitor neighborhoods more closely. More and more black people are arrested and have criminal records. They can’t find jobs after being released from jail or prison. They did commit crimes, but their children didn’t, and the children lose parents and family income..." He argues this systemic focus "does not encourage genuine responsibility; it displaces it," effectively excusing individual actions by blaming policies and structures for perpetuating crime cycles in minority communities.

In "What Is Critical Race Theory?" (January 10, 2021), Lindsay explains CRT's foundational assumption: "Critical Race Theory assumes that racism is present in everything under a doctrine known as ‘systemic racism.’ They assume racism is present in everything and look for it ‘Critically’ until they find it." This rejection of individual autonomy in favor of structural explanations can lead to policies that target "tools" of crime (e.g., gun control) rather than holding individuals accountable, as disparities in criminal justice are framed as evidence of inherent systemic bias, not personal choice.

Broader critiques in Lindsay's work, like in Race Marxism, tie this to CRT's Marxist roots, where systemic racism is the "underlying cause" of inequalities, including crime rates. This shifts blame from minority criminals to the system, potentially justifying lenient policies or bans on items like guns as "responsible" for violence, rather than addressing root behaviors. As he notes in related discussions, CRT views criminal justice systems as "wholly corrupted by systemic racism," leading to calls for dismantling rather than reforming based on individual accountability. In this context, it is easy to see how we get to "Defund The Police."

These ideas resonate with Lindsay's overall warning that CRT isn't just about recognizing racism but weaponizing it to erode personal responsibility and liberal values.