Capitalizing on the Booming Victimization Business
“There’s a sucker born every minute.”—P.T. Barnum
Whether Barnum actually uttered those famous words is a matter of speculation, but one thing is certain, the woke movement has taken them to heart.
Don’t you find it odd the so-called “champions” of the poor, downtrodden and victims of race, sex and gender discrimination usually turn out to be quite well off themselves? While deriding capitalism, these same people are always ready to exploit the next “victimization” fad to line their own pockets. Real or fabricated, wherever there is injustice, count on some enterprising woke entrepreneur to capitalize on it by making America more just, inclusive and equitable… for the right price.
The Explosion of the Woke Business Industry
It really doesn’t matter which facet of woke culture you choose, money-making opportunities abound. While most Americans would view many of these services as inflammatory and divisive, their popularity, based on what they charge to attend their events, is undeniable.
Climate Change: Saving the world from destruction at the hands of fossil fuel users is big business. It may turn out that atmospheric moisture, sun spots, tides, volcanoes and the earth’s rotation have more to do with climate change than burning natural gas or oil, so it’s important to get in on the cash grab now.
Living Future 2023 (LF23) is a conference organized by the International Living Future Institute, whose mission is to help create a society that is “socially just, culturally rich, and ecologically restorative.” The conference is advertised as a place “where advocates and thought leaders in regenerative building, climate justice, materials, health, and biophilic design will meet under the theme of Advocacy + Belonging.”
I’m getting better at interpreting woke speak, so I assume the presentations will be heavy on expensive, and likely needless, green building techniques and heavy on sanctimonious preaching about racial inequality in housing.
So, you wonder how much it costs for a ticket to the LF23 conference? $1500 large for an all-day pass. This gets you access to “shoulder events,” tours, a reception, the trade show and the Big Bang Dinner and Awards Ceremony.
The International Living Future Institute sounds like a great organization for rich liberals who want to spend a lot of money building houses and commercial buildings that make them feel like they’re helping save the planet, but I wonder how many people who work in Detroit’s Forest Park can afford to attend the conference or employ “biophilic” design techniques as they try and rebuild former crack houses in crime riddled neighborhoods?
White Privilege: The Privilege Institute “represents a diverse and multi-disciplinary network of activists, educators, youth leaders, and anyone interested in disrupting the systemic structure of white supremacy, white privilege and other forms of oppression that impact all of our lives.” To that end, the Institute offers a variety of services for a fee, including keynote speakers, consultants, travel initiatives and merchandise. They also offer training that provides participants with “practical skills, tools and strategies for addressing complex and challenging issues related to diversity, power, privilege leadership and inclusion,” through the Privilege Institute’s Diversity University & Moore.
The White Privilege Conference is “designed to examine issues of privilege beyond skin color. WPC is open to everyone and invites diverse perspectives to provide a comprehensive look at issues of privilege, including: race, gender, sexuality, class, disability, etc.” The event includes workshops, lunch, dinner, music, poetry and a closing reception. The cost of a ticket to attend the conference and the Wednesday Institute is $850.
Hmmm… At that price, it sounds like most of the people who will attend the conference have disposable income, and what could be more privileged than that?
LGBTQIA+: The LGBTQ Task Force “advances full freedom, justice and equality for LGBTQ people.” With a $16 million budget in 2020, which was nearly triple the size of the 2019 budget, this massive organization flexes its economic, political and social muscle in a variety of ways. The support it receives from a number of high-profile corporate sponsors, including Hilton, Comcast, Bacardi and others, helps keep the Task Force cash flush and provides the executive director with a cushy $253k annual salary as of 2020.
Like the other advocacy organizations, the LGBTQ Task Force likes expensive conferences. The 2023 Creating Change Conference costs a tidy $600 and includes daylong institutes, workshops, caucuses, food and a closing celebration.
Follow the Money Trail
Sadly, many of these organizations seem like they are more focused on generating cash than on providing assistance to the people they purportedly serve. Woke liberals have succeeded in creating a society full of “victims,” and when the corporate and high-net worth donors show up to virtue signal and get awards for their generosity, there are plenty of people just waiting to take their money at $600-$1500 a ticket.
Amidst the cocktails and sanctimonious high-brow discussions of nebulous terms like diversity, inclusiveness, bio-diversity, sustainability, privilege and the endless buzz words designed to achieve the exact opposite of what they pretend to want, there is a thick trail of money. As long as serious cash is involved, rest assured, none of these organizations will ever admit they have achieved their objectives and disband.
Whenever you hear a woke liberal screaming about the injustice of it all, remember P.T. Barnum and just follow the money trail…
