For business! New non-fiction books: American philosopher puts human rights above minority rights

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Less than six months ago, a book about morality appeared here. Then I described how the right did not sleep: Vigilance (French for vigilance) is the name of a populist and xenophobic party in Geneva, which in 1985 emerged as the second most powerful political force in the canton. Today the left is called “woke” who look for social injustice and racism in our society.

“Links ≠ Woke” is the title of a new book by American Susan Neiman (68 years old, “Learn from the Germans”), which is causing quite a stir these days. Of all people, the avowed socialist, who has been director of the Einstein Forum in Potsdam, Germany, since 2000, wants to deny that the left thinks it is woke. Or to put it another way: anyone who is woke is not a leftist for Neumann. A bold thesis that evokes a noticeable number of articles in the features section with question marks in the headings – disbelief all around.

The award-winning philosopher and former Yale professor makes clear and believable statements. “‘Wokeness’ does not refer to a real movement,” Neumann writes. The expression “stay awake” was first used in the song “Scottsboro Boys” (1938) by American blues singer Leadbelly (1888–1949). It’s about nine black teenagers sentenced to death for a rape they never committed, and kept alive thanks to years of international protests.

“Beware of injustice, be alert to signs of discrimination—what’s wrong with that?” – asks Neumann. “But within a few years, the term ‘woke’ went from being a word of praise to being a word of insult.” And now she writes this word herself. Why? Because to them, “woke” is a right-wing term that is rooted in nationalist tribalism and ultimately contradicts the universalism emanating from the socialist international.

“The fact that the left has turned to tribalism is especially tragic because the civil rights movement and anti-colonialism in their early days strongly opposed any kind of tribalism,” Neumann said. A crime against blacks, Asians or women is first and foremost a crime against universal human rights and must be punished as such. Neumann: “If Hannah Arendt had had her way, Adolf Eichmann would have been tried for crimes against humanity, not for crimes against the Jewish people.”

Without universalism there would be no argument against racism, but just a group of individual tribes vying for power. “And if political history comes down to this,” Neumann continued, “then we will no longer be able to maintain a stable idea of ​​justice.” But without a commitment to greater justice for all, we cannot make progress.

Source: Blick