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The word ‘woke’ has become a favourite smear used by conservatives in the US and Australia alike. It’s a cheap and inaccurate tactic — and one that could very easily backfire.
How long will it be before using the term “woke” as a sledge, a smear, and more generally a pejorative descriptor comes back to bite firmly on the arse people who see themselves as conservatives?
It is a question that has arisen in part because the term “woke” has been used by Ron DeSantis, governor of Florida, as a part of a rolling campaign against anything that emphasises developing an awareness of inequality in society.
A scan of DeSantis’ activities over the past 12 months indicates he is not a fan of anything that appears to mandate education or training or anything that boosts awareness of societal disadvantage. That awareness of institutionalised racial discrimination or disadvantage is itself the definition of being “woke” — a term that was first used last century but has appeared more frequently over the past decade with the rise of movements such as Black Lives Matter.
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