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City Journal Audio

The Left’s Long March

Aug 31, 2023
Christopher F. Rufo discusses his book on the radical left's influence in America, highlighting the role of influential figures like Herbert Marcuse and Angela Davis. He also explores the flaws in left-wing strategies, including political violence, and the pushback against diversity initiatives. The podcast concludes with a discussion on the reception of Rufo's book and his effective communication methods.
27:09

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Christopher Rufo explores the intellectual origins of the radical left and the influential figures behind its ideas and tactics.
  • Rufo emphasizes the need for conservatives to challenge left-wing dominance in public universities and develop a competing vision rooted in classical liberal principles.

Deep dives

Intellectual Origins of the Radical Left

In this podcast episode, Christopher Rufo discusses his book, 'America's Cultural Revolution: How the Radical Left Conquered Everything.' He explores the intellectual origins of today's radical left, focusing on four key figures: Herbert Marcuse, Angela Davis, Paolo Freire, and Derek Bell. Rufo argues that these figures laid the foundation for the radical left's ideas and tactics that continue to shape left-wing politics today. He highlights their contributions, such as Marcuse's theory of revolution and repressive tolerance, Davis's influence on the Black Lives Matter movement, Freire's influential book 'Pedagogy of the Oppressed,' and Bell's role in professionalizing critical race theory. This exploration traces the historical development of radical left ideas from 1968 to the George Floyd protests in 2020.

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