Indoctrinate Yourself

Some things become more notable in their absence. To wit: the phrase "check your privilege."

It was not that long ago that "check your privilege" was the de mode mic-drop dismissal used by progressives to dismiss anyone who disputed their narratives. It sorta worked for a little while, until the people at whom it was aimed processed its true meaning (i.e. "you don't get to have an opinion, so stop and shut up") and de-fanged it via mockery.

Since those who are apt to use it have become conditioned to the devolved form of "debate" that's characterized by sound-bite and Twitter-length exchanges, the expiration of "check your privilege" (CYP) left a vacuum that, abhorrent as such is to Nature, had to be filled by something.

Behold, "educate yourself."

Its essence is exactly the same as CYP, i.e. "you don't get to have an opinion, so shut up," but it's a bit more inclusive. CYP required the recipient be of a "privileged" identity group, aka cishet yt men (for those not up with the cool kids' lingo, that's cisgender, heterosexual, white men. As in persons of pallor with XY chromosomes who are attracted to persons with XX chromosomes).

"Educate yourself," on the other hand, can be used against anyone with a heterodox opinion. In this iteration, it's most certainly not literal, i.e. a beseeching to seek out information and scholarship on the issue at hand. It really is "you are wrong, I'm not going to explain why, go figure it out, and embrace your shame while you do" dismissal.

This came to the fore of my sensorium the other day, when I witnessed for the first time the term "Latiné." I wrote just a few months ago about the increasing farcicality of woke-speak, and covered the word "Latinx" (which, in my preferred pronunciation, rhymes with "stinks"). So, I was surprised when someone pointed out (in a context I shall explain) that Latiné was supplanting Latinx.

Ya learn something new every day.

Of course, that context was the aforementioned mockery that is the best rebuttal to the woke-scolds that devote their lives to telling the rest of us how wrong we are about everything. A good friend has for years referred to these ninnies as the "fun police," the self-appointed suppressors of all mirth.

Behold, the "Cinco De Mayo" fun police:

There it is.

"Educate Yourself."

It pretends to be about learning in the first sentence, but the second sentence is the telltale. The message is "if you want to go have some fun, don't, and instead sit in a corner reading some history while you feel bad about yourself for desiring margaritas and molé sauce.”

Just a bit further down, there is "Latinx." The term is widely rejected by the communities to which it is indiscriminately and collectively applied, so perhaps the meme's creator should “educate himself” (or herself, or [neopronoun]-self).

Latiné is, apparently, part of an effort to make the Spanish language more "gender-inclusive." Seriously - a fundamental aspect of Spanish and many other languages is the assigning of male or female gender to nouns - is "problematic."

Allow me to go retro for a moment, and retort with "check your privilege."

Latinx was coined by English speakers just a few years back. These folks, whether they recognize it or no evince countless forms of paternalism to the many cultures they agglomerate under terms like Latinx or AAPI or BIPOC, and indeed the -x neologism is not only rejected by the Royal Spanish Academy, it's also rejected by the VAST majority of the people it was created for.

Rather than accept this rejection, the aggressive culture-alterers in our midst coughed up the new hairball back in 2019, near as I can tell.

In doing so, they've given those whose only joy in life is fun-policing others another thing to scold us over. While Latiné has not yet supplanted Latinx, I figure it may follow the same arc as "Educate Yourself" replacing CYP - a quiet transition in response to mockery, followed by "you don't already say this?" derision.

The reality, of course, is that the "Educate Yourself" ovinators (I know, that's not a word, but it should be) are following Orwell's instruction manual. They're actually telling us "Indoctrinate Yourself," but don't have the guts to be that direct about it.

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A footnote.

"No homogenizing Latinx communities" is quite ironic, given that "Latinx" is definitionally homogenizing.

Cinco De Mayo is a Mexican celebration. A proper admonition would be not to conflate the Mexican celebration with other Central or South American cultures. Or are we not allowed to say "Mexican" any more?

Which reminds me of an old Steve Martin skit:

"So this couple comes up to me and asks. 'Are you bi?' and well, I mean I speak a little Spanish, but I say 'Yeah I'm bi.' 'Well, great then, we're having some S&M people over to the house later if you want to join us.' So, I'm all excited now, Spaniards and Mexicans! It's going to be great to just hang out with a few folks, speak some Spanish, and just have fun."

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Yours in liberty,

Peter.