CULTURE WARS: The Tribe Vs the Cult
A conceptual framework for understanding and countering the ‘Woke mindset’ that afflicts our Western society.
NOTE: This piece was originally written in late October, 2020, during the height of the pandemic hysteria. At the time, I had no real readership, and the piece remained largely unread. It has been extensively revised for this Substack republication. I believe that my specific delineation of ‘Tribe’ and ‘Cult’ (in the context of our ongoing “cultural wars”) provides a useful framework for understanding and countering the ‘Woke mindset’ that afflicts our Western society.
A truly bizarre phenomenon is currently observable amongst Westerners. In truth, it has been apparent for some time, but it is now quite prevalent, and utterly perplexing. It is primarily witnessed on social media, although it undoubtedly exists beyond. The extraordinary concentration of users “hiving” on digital platforms has allowed for the recognition of common thought-patterns, ideological attitudes and behaviours; and detection is now relatively easy: there are anti-human humans amongst us, and they are none the wiser. This observable phenomenon, although complex in origin, can be both condensed and extrapolated from the simple idea of ‘Tribe versus Cult.’
To appreciate the real insanity underpinning and defining this cultural phenomenon, it is necessary to explore the notion of ‘Tribe’, and ‘Cult’ in the relevant context.
Tribe Versus Cult: Human versus Anti-human
Social media provides the cyber-colosseum for either the spectator or the combatant to enter the arena; remaining passive in the stadium; cheering or jeering; or artfully parrying or delivering a blow. It also provides for a more measured and meaningful exchange of knowledge and ideas (if one can avoid censorship and breaching “Community Standards.”) It is a conduit for general human connectivity and networking. In our time of COVID captivity its usage was amplified, and opinions, ideas, and attitudes were readily observed and often interactive. Social media has always provided this fundamental function, offering an alluring medium for diverse personalities to engage. We can contribute meaningfully, observe, or detract at a whim.
Amongst the vertigo of our virtual hangout, we find our Tribe, and in the ethos of Tribalism, we support our Tribe, even battle on behalf of our Tribe for the betterment and preservation of the greater Tribe. This is primal human psychology and species bonding: all, quintessentially human.
In contrast, another distinct personality type is prominent, disruptive, and always predictable. They, too, are members of a collective group. However, it is not a typical Tribal dynamic, despite sharing similar aspects. They are most aptly described as ‘a Cult.’ Amongst their own, they have the exact same perception of the Tribe. They view them as an incompatible other: as ‘a cult.’ However, the Tribe and Cult are oppositional by their intrinsic nature, and never interchangeable as a descriptor. Their distinct behavioural difference is what sets them apart. The Tribe is many and varied — with a certain consistency of ideals and ideas, but, still, there exist Tribes within Tribes. The Tribe is unlimited and diverse in expression and individualism. To the Cult, the Cult is all there is. The Cult is limited and uniform in expression.
If communication is focused amongst those equally programmed, they are pleasant and supportive, and echo the views and sentiments of their fellow Cult members. However, should a member of the Cult express an opinion that deviates from the permitted mindset, other members will deride, savage and viciously attack the individual so that they exhibit allegiance; and do not defect, or threaten the Cult. They will treat them with the same disdain and rancour that would typically be projected upon a member of the Tribe. They will not hesitate to eat their own, should it nourish, and sustain their ideology.
The Machine-Mind Of The Cult: The Master Program and The Programmed
Cult minds are characteristically configured in binary, yes or no; on or off; like an artificial machine intelligence that codes and decodes reality in 1s and 0s. Indeed, it is either this, or it is that, with no nuance in between. A Cult mind cannot be influenced or persuaded by new facts and data, and any appeal to reason will not override the dominance of their core program. They all think alike, and all are right, always. Whereas the aforementioned Tribe is inherently human in its dynamic — flexible, adaptive, expansive: the Cult, in contrast, is inherently anti-human — inflexible, maladaptive, contractive. Their shared worldview and rigid mindset is mechanical, largely humourless, and prone to histrionic outrage over triggered offence; but strangely, this shared mechanized-mind is devoid of actual logic or reason. It is incapable of real critical-thinking and lateral thought. All thinking is linear, and all Cult members hold views and thoughts that are in complete homogeneity with the dominant thought-program. They are adherents and slaves to the Master Program.
The Cult is perfectly encapsulated by the meme of the Non Player Characters (NPC).
This viral meme of ‘poorly drawn grey humanoids’ was popularised to lampoon these Cultish personalities and their tedious one-dimensional droning outrage. The NPCs are artificially intelligent characters that populate the landscape of a video-game and interact with the human-player to facilitate storyline and action. They are utterly beholden to the parameters of their behavioural programming, artificially intelligent (AIs), seemingly of identical composition in their shared polygon-textured virtual realm, but, importantly — the human avatar is guided from beyond the screen by a human. This is a perfect analogy for Tribe versus Cult: the Cult is limited to the parameters of its coding, dependent on a program, incapable of true cognition. It operates artificially in an artificial domain of its own making and requires collective Cult approval to sustain it. It is the collective, indistinguishable from the collective, inseparable from the collective — and incapable of nurturing, or supporting individuality and the individual.
The Master Program: Critical Theory, Cultural Marxism And The Modern Progressive Left
The NPCs represent the ideology and limitation of the modern Progressive Left. This does not represent the traditional ideals of Leftism that have always counterbalanced and checked those advanced by the Right. The Left and the Right are equally necessary to guide the pendulum of political discourse, policy and human affairs. However, the modern Progressive Left is essentially a postmodern nihilistic ideology that has parasitically co-opted the politics of the Left — the host mind has been compromised, morally hollowed-out, and mentally incapacitated. In truth, such warping radicalism has literally left nothing to the imagination; with nothing now left, of a now dysfunctional political Left.
The Progressive Left has been informed by the anti-human academic doctrines of Critical Theory and Cultural Marxism. Generations of University students have been subjected to a mind-moulding assembly line. Many have emerged from the thought-factory as dupes and disciples intellectually deformed; yet unwittingly weaponized for the cause.
To understand, one must consider the significance and implications of Karl Marx’s ‘The Communist Manifesto.’
Marx’s manifesto provided the theoretic framework for the Bolshevik Revolution that ultimately disfigured the soul of Russia, ruthlessly stomping the boot of Communism upon her collective throat. In Communist Russia, inequality was replaced with even greater inequality, as the former capitalist state was transformed into a one-party Socialist/Communist state; and the perceived Oppressors were merely switched, while the Oppressed remained ever downtrodden.
Cultural Marxism is the application of this same ideological template to culture: the power-dynamics of Oppressor versus Oppressed (Male versus Female: Feminism; White versus Black: Critical Race Theory; Socialism versus Capitalism: ‘The Communist Manifesto’; and all postmodern deconstructionist disciplines of Critical Theory that have guided, and corrupted Gender Studies, notions of patriarchy, psychology, philosophy, literature, visual art and culture at large). Rather than the external ‘capitalist state’ being brutally dismantled, Cultural Marxism attempts to ideologically spellbind impressionable minds with Marxist ideals. With a critical mass of minds suitably programmed, the long game of progress is to ultimately manifest a physical Communist/Socialist utopia that is compatible and embraced by the common mind. This “long march through the institutions” has been many decades in the making.
Soviet Russia was the attempt to do the same, but in reverse — a change of common physical conditions to abruptly reform the mental landscape of the people. It ultimately failed, killing 20 million in the process.
The Master Programmer: Modern Universities
Universities have been instrumental in propagating these diseased theories, and generations of academics have been infected, and have enthusiastically shared the infection. The University is The Master Programmer. The propagation of Cultural Marxism has effectively installed a divisive program across many academic disciplines. Such Marxist programming has sort to reduce all human interactions to the binary notion of Oppressed versus Oppressor. The Oppressed desires to diminish and ultimately usurp the Oppressor — to favourably recalibrate power, but truly desiring to assume dominance. Resentment is stimulated, and serves as the fulcrum to dismantle and reassemble the established order in a manner that is perceived to be “egalitarian.”
Conceptually, Cultural Marxism has the allure of correcting the imagined wrongs of our forefathers, culture, customs and traditions; but, in essence, it is the deconstruction, inversion and perversion of life itself. It is an ideological virus of cognition that selectively lobotomises, numbing the mind, while inflaming the emotions: ultimately producing anti-human humans. Those that have been infected are integrated into the Cult, function as a Cult, and respond to the core program disseminated by the Cult. This program is always binary: if you are initiated, you are always correct, if you are uninitiated, you are always wrong. It demands absolute allegiance.
The Cult, in this context, is what is known vernacularly as Woke, or Wokeism: a synthetic and cult-like “alertness to racial prejudice and discrimination” that also extends to “social justice” issues in general (and the pandemic response).
Enter the Cult Leader: The Leftist Government Of Victoria (And Leftism in General) during the “COVID-19 Pandemic”
The COVID-era revealed the true anti-human proclivities of the modern Progressive Left and their political representatives.
The Leftist Government of Victoria, overseen by the would-be-dictator Dan Andrews, acted with contempt and assumed impunity during the COVID-19 pandemic. With every incremental diktat of oppression, the Tribe recoiled in disapproval; however, the Cult remained entranced, and was utterly incapable of discerning the anti-human policies being implemented. What was explicitly apparent to the Tribe could not be seen by the Cult. In fact, the opposite was true — the Cult saw much that was not apparent to the Tribe, a fantasy of facts neither apparent, nor manifest in objective reality. Their leader, perceived as infallible, but truly incompetent and mendacious, could do no wrong.
Andrews represented the “human” embodiment of their Progressive Left ideology, and allegiance was total. Functioning as their localised Cult-figurehead (Canada had Justin Trudeau; New Zealand, Jacinta Ardern; and America, Joe Biden and the disastrous Governors of New York and California) he was elevated and assigned all manner of superlatives that had no bearing on his performance, excusing and diverting from any objective truth that might expose his monumental failings. Since allegiance to the Cult is absolute, and their relation to the Cult-leader is vicarious, their intellectual identity and collective mind is also synonymous with “Dan Andrews.” His potential failings are their failings, so he does not fail, and cannot fail. All evidence to the contrary is denied, falsified, and selectively edited to prevent any inkling of their individual failure, and the failure of all those in the Progressive Left Cult.
The same is true for all localised Cult-figureheads (almost invariably of the Left) that ruthlessly advanced the implementation of a global Biomedical Police State under the guise of “public health measures.”
The Illogical Logic Of The Progressive Left
Those of the Progressive Left typically espouse views that seem to imply compassion, empathy, and a regard for addressing perceived social inequalities and injustices. However, this is merely apparent, and is certainly not true in any objective sense. It is all merely the flashy politics of resentment; underscored by a true desire to exact revenge due to a sense of impotence and insignificance. This attitude has been instilled by an allegiance to the Cult, and its corruptive ideology. The prevailing social program guides both their irrationalism, and their rotating outrage cycles.
The ‘Black Lives Matter’ (BLM) movement was one recent cycle. On the surface, it was easy to manipulate and gather enthusiastic supporters, for the cause appeared noble, and all opposition seemed morally indefensible. Therein, lay the seductive lie.
In essence, this movement was not about ‘Black lives’ and addressing systemic racism — it was yet another contrived Cultural Marxist ‘Oppressed versus Oppressor’ narrative, serving neither the Black Community, nor humanity with its accusations of ubiquitous racism instituted by Whites. Ironically, BLM is inherently a racist program, immensely divisive, and yet another engine for exaggerated victimhood and actual racism.
The Progressive Left capitalised upon the tragic Floyd episode to trigger heightened emotion, and diminish discernment. Keeping with the computer analogy, they effectively buffered (through their Leftist channels of mainstream media persuasion, and The Master Programmers) the necessary Social Justice Program comprised of Cultural Marxist Critical Race Theory, and then activated their legions of Cult devotees to execute the predictable “outrage” program with machine-minded efficiency. Analogous to an installed Central Operating System, a core program that determines the performance of the hardware, defines the system, and governs both function and purpose, those coded in binary Cultural Marxism are neither acting like humans, nor truly acting for the betterment of humans. They are anti-human.
The Cult is hypocritical and contradictory in its selective “outrage.” How does one reconcile claims of empathy and compassion, but only for some, and only for those consistent with the approved Marxist-program? Indeed, those outside the definitions of the current “outrage” program are denied empathy and compassion. They are considered external to the momentary obsessions of the Cult. So external in fact, that a perceived disconnect often results in malice, and support for unreserved violence against them. This is an extraordinary vacillation of attitude, morality and empathy, all of which changes in accord with the prevailing program.
It can be witnessed in the following example of two (binary) programs for the same situation:
(1) If the program permits (binary 1: internalisation): violence toward women is abhorrent, men are at fault (rapists, abusers, misogynists), and the Patriarchy is the ultimate Oppressor. Police are abusers and Oppressors and ‘must be defunded.’
(2) If the program does not permit (binary 0: externalisation): violence towards women is justified, men (police) are expected to punish, and the Patriarchy is applauded for punishing. The police are justified in violent arrests, as the Oppressors are now the women defying the diktats of their Progressive Left Leader. Their Cult leader is threatened, so the Cult is threatened, so violence toward women by police is justifiable and necessary.
Ostensibly, the same situation, yet the response is dictated by the desired Master Program. The Master Program protects the integrity of the Cult. To think otherwise, to acknowledge the inhumanity and cruelty, to think like the Tribe, is unacceptable. Such thinking is dismissed and imagined as ‘white privilege,’ ‘white supremacy,’ ‘fascism,’ ‘Far Right, ‘conspiracy theorising’ and other bizarre rationalisations that are undergirded by irrationality. None of these concepts or descriptors have any bearing on the actual reality they are attempting to describe. They simply do not exist as identifiers of actual behaviour, or even remotely capture the true motives and mindsets of what the Cult believes they are witnessing. It is merely their current mind-program with its current buzzwords.
All this would be outrageously comical if it were not so prevalent, contagious and indicative of a profound distortion of thinking that literally enabled our recent pandemic oppression. Ultimately, the Cult provided the excuse and support for an inhuman Police State; and enthroned glorified Leftist tyrants worldwide. Interestingly, they are stil incapable of seeing objective reality and remain none the wiser.
The COVID era: The Pandemic Of The Death Cult
Many were initially fearful, even members of the Tribe, but the Cult collectively cowered over an inconsequential novel coronavirus that allegedly resulted in the premature death of approximately 0.0001% of 6.6 million Victorians. It was known from the very onset that it was a mild virus (not truly a pandemic), but they denied the facts, censored and dismissed the truthful Professors, and chose hysteria and hyperbole. The “pandemic” gave them purpose. They supported the Victorian Governmental overreach (as long as it was Leftist) and desired unending lockdowns and dehumanising restrictions (as long as they were implemented by a Leftist Government). They were proponents of mass-vaccination with an experimental and rushed gene-editing product, and championed Big Pharma — with many wishing ill-health, social ostracisation, and even death upon those refusing vaccine mandates.
The Cult was truly willing to sacrifice everything in an endeavour to preserve all that had been endorsed, and advanced by the Progressive Left Cult. They sincerely believed they were saving lives (according to their Master Program) — and even now, in hindsight, as the ‘vaccine marketing scam’ is deconstructed and revealed, (and as their friends, family, and even themselves experience vaccine injuries and even death) they maintain their unwavering “rightness.”
The Cult had emotionally invested in, and dutifully parroted the Official Lies, and they truly relished the narcissistic opportunity to signal their virtuousness at ‘protecting the vulnerable.’ They were the “empathic” ones, after all. However, this empathy was truly feigned compassion; for their actions, mindset and worldview revealed a true contempt for actual human life, and for those who truly defended it.
They collectively despised the Tribe, and they disdained everything that the Tribe represented — liberty and Life itself.
They are the Perpetually Resentful Ones (the Woke, but asleep) — desiring to frantically snatch threads and pull apart the woven fabric of Western Society as they themselves lack the will, or ability, to weave their own unique thread into the rich tapestry. Their allegiance to the Cult forbids it. They are compelled to tear apart and to tear down, with nothing meaningful to contribute to the ensuing chaos, other than Chaos itself.
The mind of the Cult represents a true fracturing from objective reality. Such sustained thinking has created a dangerous fantasy of pathological subjectivity. The Tribe, by virtue of co-inhabiting and partaking in a shared society, must counteract, and endeavour to enlighten all to the destructive nature of pursuing such fantasy. The Tribe must pursue objectivity and restore humanity, and oppose the mindless pursuit of inhumanity. The Tribe are loathed for this essential function — the necessary counterbalancing of the actions, and inactions, of the Cult. However, the Tribe is well equipped, mentally and morally formidable, and is free to act. The Cult cannot be free. The Tribe is well aware of its adversary. Whether it be the Authoritarians, the Progressive Left, or the Cultural Marxists: they are all of the one overarching Death Cult. The Tribe is the Light of Life itself: human. This Light will blind some; others may turn away, yet the Darkness loses immeasurably whenever this Light lingers long.
May the Tribes come together, may the Tribes prevail.
Well defined. I am pleased you decided the re-issue the story many of us would not have seen. The cult versus the Tribe is beautifully defined.
Brilliant. A complex discourse, well presented. I will be sharing it widely. Thank you Stephen for freely sharing your "gifts" !