Critical theory has in recent years become a major bone of contention in American culture. The term has taken on a life of its own, such that it functions as a kind of shibboleth for both conservatives and progressives. Are you for it or against it? That is the blunt either-or test of loyal membership on both sides of the political divide, typically played out at levels of sophistication dictated by the character limits for a tweet.
In particular, critical race theory has become a focal point for Americans eager to litigate the country’s racial divides and the long shadow of slavery and segregation. Rather like those other buzzwords or phrases — cultural Marxism, white privilege, heteronormativity — the vocabulary has taken on a life of its own. It is often wielded with utter conviction in the battles that take place online among those on both sides who have mastered the moralizing rhetoric without ever having reflected upon the theoretical background from which it emerged.
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