How a ‘woke’ creation myth fuels calls to dismantle American institutions

The column contends that a pervasive ‘woke’ narrative portrays America as fundamentally oppressive and urges its abolition, citing classroom incidents and emerging activist alliances.

A former teacher recounts a pivotal moment when a student’s biology paper blaming Christianity for snake fear received a flawless grade, illustrating what he calls a ‘woke’ creation myth that casts the West as an original sin. He claims that educators routinely inject themes of race, colonialism and privilege into unrelated lessons, while students are conditioned to view the United States as illegitimate through practices like privilege walks and land acknowledgments.

This narrative, he says, is amplified by movies, sports branding and corporate advertising, creating a generation that sees political engagement as futile and calls for revolutionary change. The author notes the rise of cross-ideological alliances, such as Queers for Palestine, and cites the circulation of Osama bin Laden’s “Letter to America” on TikTok as evidence of growing radicalization. He points to high-profile figures like Hasan Piker and Megan Romer, who have publicly endorsed abolishing the Senate, the presidency and other pillars of the system, suggesting the movement is moving from campus fringe to mainstream politics.