Who are the real 'culture warriors'?

Those resisting the excesses of the woke fanatics are wrongly depicted as belligerents

In politics and the media today, we hear constant talk of the ‘culture wars’. Usually, any reference to these wars is laced with an implicit rebuke to anyone deemed responsible for prosecuting them. Such people are taken to include, well, pretty much anyone who challenges the precepts of radical progressivism: for example, those who speak out against mass immigration, state-sponsored multiculturalism, Black Lives Matter, the rush to Net Zero, the trans cult or any of the regular excesses of wokery, as well as anyone who, say, champions Brexit or espouses traditional values of any kind.

In other words, the argument is presented as though one side – comprised of narrow-minded nationalistic bigots, of course – is intent on doing all the fighting while the other – enlightened internationalist liberals, naturally – never wanted any conflict to begin with and is desperate for hostilities to end. Like the nation was going along quite merrily – all at ease with itself, and everything – until, one day, the reactionary hordes woke up and decided to sow discord where there was once harmony. 

It is, of course, an inversion of the truth. Far from starting any wars, those accused of being ‘culture warriors’ are invariably reacting to profound – sometimes revolutionary – cultural changes being imposed around them. Such changes usually come about not because they command any sort of mass appeal, but because they enjoy the support of a cohort of radically-minded individuals who just happen to wield significant influence in public life.    

One story that has generated comment in the media in recent days captured this phenomenon perfectly. It was, in fact, a stark example of how the progressive elites will happily ram through far-reaching and contentious cultural changes on our institutions and wider society and then seek to depict anyone who objects as some kind of rabble-rousing provocateur.