Woke & Proud (eBook)

The Charlatans' Inconvenience

J. Marcelo Baqueroalvarez (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2023 | 1. Auflage
136 Seiten
Bookbaby (Verlag)
979-8-9893753-3-2 (ISBN)

Infos

'Woke' is one of the most misunderstood words in the modern English vernacular. The character assassination to this term can easily be linked to propagandistic attempts by an authoritarian, and authoritarians wanna-be. The term 'woke' seem to be hijacked by opportunists and defined in ways that defy coherence. In this book we get to define the term, understand its historical use, and how this faux controversy contributes to propagandists and other unsavory charlatans' narratives. Many will find this short read full of mind-blowing facts. Regardless of how you currently feel about 'woke' - everybody should be able to appreciate the clarification process. We are just speaking demonstrable facts in these pages. In the end you will get to define 'woke' for what really it is. And most importantly you will be able to know the answer to the question: Is the reader of this book actually 'woke?' Find out, the answer might surprise you.

J. Marcelo Baqueroalvarez was born in San Francisco de Quito, Republic of Ecuador. After moving to the United States in 1995, he enrolled and graduated Fort Lauderdale High School and subsequently college at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale with Magna Cum Laude in 1999. Simultaneously, he worked in video production and multimedia with his family until 2003 when he enlisted in the United States Navy. During his tenure in uniform, he traveled the world and was stationed at several commands, including USS SEATTLE (AOE-3), USS LAKE ERIE (CG-70), USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN (CVN-72), USS COLE (DDG-67) and additional commands on shore and overseas. He rose to the rank of Senior Chief Petty Officer. During his time in the Navy, he met his wife, Alicia, and they welcomed to the world their daughter, Samantha. Marcelo is an avid lover of the arts, particularly in music, graphic art, photography, videography, and writing. He uses his unique leadership style to nurture his peers, subordinates, and seniors, hoping to inspire and bring team cohesion. In 2013, he founded BeeZee Vision, LLC? as an opportunity to expand his artistic acumen. He also started the Half Life Crisis? project where he shares his unique points of view for posterity, doing what he loves the most which is stating facts.

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"e;Woke"e; - I remember when I first heard this word, and I must admit that I was not sure what they meant by that. Surely enough, I was not alone - and it seems that the term has been demonized and has morphed in context no matter who cites it. I was curious so I looked into it in a manner to educate myself. Afterall, people from all walks of life seemed to be at odds when it came to "e;woke"e; - and unsurprisingly the term became more and more contentious. As I educated myself in the term, I realized it that it has become a catalyst to propagandistic efforts, and as a ride-on-wagon to a lot of opportunists. Pundits, politicians, influencers, every-day people both in the United States of America and abroad seemed to give it a politically-charged meaning. Often missing the majority of the actual context. In this book I decided to search for actual definitions. I understood that opening a dictionary and look for the term was not enough, so I went a step further and looked at the context. Hereby the historically charged level attributed to this word finally became clear. And I must say it is fascinatingly grim. History is filled with great moments, but there is no shortage of terrible deeds against humanity. And further, some of those deeds were perpetrated by misinformed individuals who in-their-minds thought they were vindicated to commit all sorts of atrocities. It is unsurprising that a lot of people who seem to have an open mind and compassion for others tend to agree with what "e;Woke"e; is supposed to represent. And it is worth mentioning that people both in the right or left side of the political spectrum could be "e;woke"e; based on their circumstances, regardless of how the label it. What do I mean by that? Well, have you ever defended your stance from being disenfranchised in a system that is unfairly rigged against you? There you go, same thing... Change is inevitable, there are some who give have misappropriated what "e;woke"e; was supposed to be and turn it into a satirical version of itself. I mentioned before, propagandists and opportunists will find a way to exploit a situation. I wrote this book because I want to create introspection, it is supposed to be a short read. The situation is emergent because there are policies, political platforms, discrimination, and other catalysts that derive from this important topic. It is called "e;woke"e; in this situation - but in reality, it is supposed to be a fight against misinformation. And that is definitely inconvenient to whomever wants to control a narrative. This outrage is profitable and can lead to all kinds of potential atrocities if not properly contextualized. This book gives context and provide a solid baseline to continue opening our minds with critical thinking and intellectual honestly.

Textauszug

FOREWORD

A few years ago when you heard the term “WOKE” was almost a compliment. Fast forward to when I am typing this manuscript, and this term has been transformed akin to a derogatory epithet. Or is it? The short answer is: “It depends.” The long answer? This entire book. The term has been hijacked by many figures on particular platforms which find “woke” people inconvenient.

And this term, or the concept behind is nothing relatively new. However, it has lately taken a lot more political baggage because of the evolving geo-political situation around the world. I also wrote a book which deals with authoritarianism and propaganda; and people who might be falling under this “woke” category could very well be considered archnemeses to propagandists. However, there are also those who are just confused and yelling platitudes to the world. And startling enough, many confused people do get a cult following regardless if their assertions are spot on, or are indeed platitudes.

Every time I keep hearing politicians or media talking-heads demonizing the term “woke,” it seems that their definition keeps morphing. Unsurprisingly, this morphing also seems to occur from those defending “woke” in today’s society. In the United States of America, there have even been politicians who set-forth bills and possibly getting legislation passed to combat what some call “wokism” when referring to the “woke” people in this country.

The topic for this book has been tumbling in my head for several weeks now, even though I have been familiar with the term for several years. Finally today, Friday, March 17, 2023 just a couple of hours before midnight I finally get a chance to start this manuscript. As with other books I’ve written, I am typing this in my bunk at the end of the work-day onboard the world-famous USS COLE DDG-67. We are underway, we have been underway for a while, and we have a lot more time left out to sea. That gives me a chance to use any down-time I can afford for a better use… as I put my thoughts into words.

Because of the volatility of this topic, I will not be taking any sides for or against “woke” – but rather try to bridge the gap. Also, the conceptualization for this term will be my interpretation based on historical trends, and an understanding of what being “woke” could mean to different segments of the population. Especially to groups in a position of power or expanded influence. I am not asking any readers to agree or disagree with my analysis. But I do hope my words will resonate with you because I write this with outmost objectivity. And yes, that might not make a few people happy. But facts are impervious to emotions. I will stick to the facts, and add my analysis based upon those facts.

Yes, we will explore facts. There will be zero emotional baggage coming from me. To be honest, I personally do not care one way or the other if somebody would designate me as “woke” or “non-woke” – I am who I am regardless. But I will be drawing parallels to the baggage associated with this term. Also, I will differentiate this concept from those who highjack the term for their own benefit, either for or against “woke” people. Normally I would have not really even cared too much about the general discord on this term, but in the last several months laws and other restrictions are being built around this paradigm. That I find concerning, because it could skew the general public’s perception of reality.

Being “woke” against somebody put in charge could be inconvenient for that person in power. Is this bad or good? Think about it for a moment. What side of the equation are you for or against? Of course the very first chapter will address this question in detail. Later, in the book we will also talk about projection. In other words, are we guilty of the same flaws we fault others, when in reality we are displaying these very faults ourselves? How “woke” is too “woke?” Is there even such a thing, or is it a misconception based on a propagandistic means to an end?

I worry about these types of questions because I am an avid historian. And I’ve seen how parroting some terms and banalities could galvanize confused people to turn a dangerous rhetoric into action. As the geopolitical climate in the world becomes more and more volatile, I (as a functioning adult) owe it to the next generation to articulate in the best way possible what I see as an indicator for potential manipulation. Yes, in an effort to mitigate the next generation from being manipulated.

This book is intended to be relatively short. And there is a reason for it. Because I want this information to be available to you as soon as possible, and serve as a basis to enact critical thinking and intellectual honesty. If you are familiar with any of my other books and my writing, I am very big on that – critical thinking & intellectual honesty. Why? Because the more we understand our surroundings, the better this world will become for all of us.

We’ll realize that we are a lot more similar than dissimilar. But that reality is not convenient for those who want to divide us. Those who want to divide us need those artificial barriers in order to exercise their power over all of us. This is nothing new, but when you are aware of the situation, then your chances of being manipulated decrease dramatically. That knowledge you’ll gain is not convenient for those who want to manipulate you. You’ll hear a lot about that in this book. There is a reason why I emphasize it repeatedly.

Turning a blind eye is tacit consent for somebody else to control your life. Now that is something I do care about, a lot actually. Why? Because it affects the perception from other people in our society and it could turn a dystopian rhetoric into violent action. I am not even exaggerating. This is historically accurate. People who buy into a false narrative tend to exude violent outburst with perceived impunity. Especially if the rhetoric is giving them credence and “authorizing” them to act in a manner that could harm others.

For example, did you know that most of the authoritarians were able to galvanize their power because they lied to their followers? Yes, furthermore if they would have told them the [actual] truth, most people would have preferred not to follow them. In fact, many times when the followers realized they were bamboozled, they turned against the very dear leader they would have otherwise given their very lives for… just moments beforehand finding out that their dear leader actually betrayed them.

I wrote an entire book about that topic regarding authoritarians and their tactics. It is titled Authoritarianism & Propaganda | The Puppet Master Tools. In that book I talk in-depth about what I am speaking about in the previous paragraphs. And yes, these topics correlate because they are one of the many tools utilized by authoritarian propagandists. That is why I wrote this book to go along with that one.

We have to understand that many segments in our lives are linked directly or indirectly. The world functions in an abstract realm. Those who try to see it in a 100% concrete manner will always be vulnerable to exploitation. It is unfortunate, but it is true. And the fact is that these techniques have been exploited for centuries if not millennia. They work, and it is part of our human rationality.

The rationality can be highjacked based on our environment. What it is or it is not acceptable is a very subjective matter. Quick example, is it socially acceptable to be walking around with a loin cloth in a touristic-beach resort? Is it acceptable to wear a G-string thong in a similar situation? They both serve essentially the same function. The “design” might differ, but they essentially conceal just as much from one design to the other. Yes, I chose that example on purpose because I am sure that will get the imagination rolling.

This book will have a lot of examples about that. Not necessarily about loin cloths, but rather about what is and it is not acceptable in a particular society based on certain artificially mandated parameters. And guess what? Throughout history these levels of acceptability have morphed and changed. Want another example? Sure, why not?

The palace of Versailles, in France. Before the French Revolution, monarchs and people from the court’s high society resided in this palace full of exuberant beauty and art. But there were no reliable bathrooms, and many nobles would just leave their human excrement and urine all over the place. And although disgusting, it was something pretty much normalized circa that time. Do that human excrement dropping today in the palace of Versailles and see how well it goes for you. (Author’s note – Please do not leave human excrement or urine outside the actual restrooms. And by that, I mean, instead leave all these human-fluids and potatoes inside the actual receptacles specifically designed to handle that type of waste – sorry, got to say that). And the fact that I have to caveat this situation is another reason why I am writing this book.

Woke and unreasonable are two different things. People can be vulnerable or go to extremes. There are those who in their mind think they are so woke that they end up advocating or pushing for agendas that are...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 6.12.2023
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Sozialwissenschaften ► Pädagogik
• ISBN-13: 979-8-9893753-3-2 / 9798989375332