Zeitgeist
“And the sign said ‘long haired creepy people, need not apply’
So, I tucked my hair up under my hat and I went in to ask him why.
He said ‘You look like a fine, upstanding young man, I think you will do’
So, I took off my hat and said ‘Imagine that. Me, working for you’
Oh oh oh.
Sign, sign, everywhere a sign.
Blocking out the scenery, breaking my mind.
Do this don’t do that. Can’t you read the sign?
And the sign said ‘Everybody welcome. Come in. Kneel down and pray.’
But when they passed around the plate at the end of it all,
I didn’t have a penny to pay.
So, I got me a pen and a paper. And I made up my own little sign.
It said ‘Thank you Lord for thinking about me. I’m alive and doing fine!”
My 1995 Webster’s dictionary (the new ones are too woke) defines Zeitgeist as “the general intellectual, moral and cultural state of an era.” Grok, the AI engine on the X platform, further describes it as “Spirit of the Times” and “reflecting the general thoughts, beliefs and feelings prevalent among people at that time.”
Regular readers of theses missives know that I have long pointed out that culture is upstream from politics. If you win the culture, you will likely win the politics as well. If you lose the culture, you most likely lose politics and policy as well.
The Neo-Marxist left (Democrats) have been slowly winning the culture for decades. But since November, there has been a remarkable and noticeable change in the Zeitgeist in America. Let’s take a look at some examples.
Over the last decade, it is hard to identify three more woke and leftist companies than Alphabet (Google), Meta (Facebook and Instagram) and Apple. Google’s AI engine delivered photos of George Washington and others as black since it was taught that America was founded and created by black slaves. Facebook was quick to kick anyone off the platform who suggested that the Hunter Biden laptop was real or that Covid started in a lab in China. Mark Zuckerberg spent millions trying to elect Democrats in 2020 and 2022. People who work at Apple have told me that meetings in Cupertino begin with 30 minutes ripping on Trump and all Republicans as evil fascists before they ever start talking about business. I could make a book out of more examples of how left these companies have been.
Then, on January 20th. The three CEOs of these companies were seated together in the Capitol Rotunda to cheer on the inauguration of the man they have hated for eight years, Donald Trump. Furthermore, Google is changing its maps to show the Gulf of America and Mount McKinley. Facebook has disbanded its censorship team. Apple is moving away from DEI.
What happened? When it comes to these CEOs, there are really only two plausible explanations. One is that they never were very ideological and they were merely going with whatever political trend was leading because that would be best for their stock price. The other is that they have been and are still committed leftists but they are snuggling up to Trump so he doesn’t break up their companies or otherwise hurt them.
I have no idea which explanation is correct. But either way, the zeitgeist is moving.
These are the three most notable examples. But there are hundreds more. Coca-Cola (Woke-a-Cola) came out with a Trump themed drink. DEI departments are being dismantled almost everywhere. That said, I have not noticed any changes yet in America’s corporate woke leader – Disney.
Admitting you voted for Trump is no longer an embarrassment or a reason to be fearful and hide. It is now OK to say that almost anywhere except Hollywood and the legacy media outlets. NFL players do the Trump dance in the end zone without fear of being punished. Two years ago a NASCAR driver was fired for liking a post making fun of the criminal George Floyd. That driver is back in NASCAR now.
These may seem like small things. But they are not. The Neo-Marxist Left has been pushing a “permission culture” (their phrase not mine), wherein elites (university professors, media and Hollywood) determine for we, the minions, what we have permission to say, do and think and what we don’t. I am not making this up. This is their stated objective. They enforce this “permission culture” with fear of cancellation, losing your job, having Bank Of America refuse to bank you or being ostracized from many aspects of society.
That is turning. And it is turning fast. It’s too soon to know just how deep, far and long this new zeitgeist will go. But it is happening at a level I did not think possible. The hard Neo-Marxists in political office, media, universities and Hollywood are pushing back hard. They are scared because more and more people are realizing that what they are selling isn’t good for anyone except those controlling elitists. Did you see the movie that got the most academy award nominations? It’s a movie called Emilia Perez. Haven’t seen it? I can’t imagine why not. It’s about a transgender Mexican Cartel leader. I can’t make that up. It will be on the most woke platform out there - Netflix. This is Hollywood saying we are not giving in to the new Zeitgeist. Fine. While Republicans tackle the border, crime, foreign wars, political prosecutions and waste in government, you lefties go ahead and keep beating the drum for the most important issue for almost everyone – transgender preferences, mutilation of minors and men in women’s sports.
But there is a lot more to the Zeitgeist change than just political expression. Competence is a word that had almost been eliminated from the English language in recent years. It is having a resurgence as people see from Los Angeles to Washington, DC that regardless of ideology, it is important to have people who perform tasks capably. There is energy now. I don’t mean carbon based fuel energy, although we’re getting more of that too. I mean human energy. Trump is a whirlwind that makes more news in a day than Joe Biden did in four years. That energy is infectious and you can see America pick up speed.
We can pray in public again without fear that the FBI will arrest us for that (which the Biden FBI did do). This country has increasingly turned its back on our creator of late. We will fail if that continues. Being a church or synagogue attending person of faith is no longer something to snicker at. But something to be admired.
Richard Nixon (I will have much to say about similarities between RMN and DJT in future missives) won in 1968 in part by appealing to the “silent majority.” The silent majority didn’t protest or march in the streets or burn down buildings. They went to work, paid their taxes and raised their kids. They wanted the same thing that Mr. Trump is selling now, which is common sense government. It makes no sense to lower everyone’s standard of living to make a carbon emissions difference that China will erase in two days. It makes no sense to deprive people of water to save a fish which is actually an invasive species and arguably should be eradicated.
America First not America Last. Back to an ambitious America that wants to grow and be secure in the manner of manifest destiny. There’s so much in the new zeitgeist.
All of us can be a part of growing and maintaining this new Zeitgeist. Reject wokism wherever you see it. Demand competence, not diversity. Don’t patronize companies that stay in the woke, leftist lane. Get your news from new media (I get almost all mine from X now) and never from CNN or CBS News. Wear that cross around your neck. Proudly stand up for American exceptionalism and common sense. And not that you would, but don’t watch the Oscars or go see Emelia Perez.
I chose one of my favorite songs this week, Signs, because we used to see the signs of the left around us telling us “do this, don’t do that.” But now, the signs are changing. Welcome, kneel before the Cross. Stand for the flag.
It’s cold here in Scottsdale as I write this. I wonder if it would be warmer on some beach along the Gulf of America?
Damn, I like the sound of that.
Follow me on X @lookthruchaos
Listen to me on the Nationally Syndicated Hugh Hewitt Show Wednesdays at 1:20 PM Pacific (3:20 Central) www.hughhewitt.com.
I remain respectfully,
Congressman John Campbell
Drive Fast & Live Free