Critical Theory is key to understanding how the left thinks. They’ve applied it to race, colonialism, and feminism. James Lindsay reveals how they’re going to use it next. Get ready.
I’m going to tell you what “the next big thing” is going to be.
I’m going to tell you because I want you to be prepared for it.
I know what it is, not because I have the power to look into the future, but because I know how the left thinks. And if you know how the left thinks, it’s obvious.
Are you ready?
Critical Immigration Theory.
No, not Critical Race Theory, CRT. Critical Immigration Theory, C-I-T.
Let me explain.
After George Floyd died in May 2020, the left unleashed Critical Race Theory upon America. It had been floating around academic circles for decades, but the Floyd incident—thanks to the left-leaning media—brought it into the mainstream.
The idea behind Critical Race Theory was that virtually every aspect of American life is now, and always has been, determined by systemic racism. The true founding of America was in 1619 when the first slaves arrived, slave labor built the country, America got rich by exploiting black people, and so on.
The view on the left is you either accept this theory, or you’re a racist.
Critical Colonial Theory sees the world as a product of colonial exploitation. Europeans got rich by taking advantage of weaker countries in Africa, Asia, and South America.
You either accept this theory or, again, you’re a racist.
Critical Feminist Theory sees the world as the product of the exploitation of women.
You either accept this theory, or you’re a sexist.
Getting the hang of it?
Critical Theory applied to mass illegal immigration will follow the same formula. It will start from a human rights perspective—having compassion for the poor and oppressed people of the world.
But that’s not what it’s really about. It’s really about targeting national citizenship and national sovereignty using mass illegal immigration as a wedge.
We’re already hearing some of the language. The New York Times, Washington Post, LA Times, NPR, ABC, CBS, NBC have, over the last few years, migrated from “illegal aliens” to “illegal immigrants” to “undocumented migrants” to just “migrants.”
They won’t stop there.
“Undocumented Americans” comes next. And after that, as with “migrants,” no adjective at all.
In other words, people who enter the United States illegally are just as American as any American citizen.
By this way of thinking, national citizenship is merely a social construct (everything is a social construct to the left) that keeps migrants from accessing what is rightfully theirs—all the rights and privileges of an American citizen.
Why is it “rightfully theirs”?
First, because you as an American wouldn’t have all this wealth if you hadn’t exploited these poor people for the last hundred years. So, you owe them.
Second, it’s heartless to turn away people from other countries who are fleeing poverty, drug lords, and corrupt governments. After all, America is largely responsible for these countries being in such bad shape. They’d be doing just fine if we hadn’t screwed them up.
Traditional laws of national citizenship and traditional beliefs in national borders do not recognize these obvious “truths.” They are, therefore, regressive and unjust and must be done away with.
Do you think I’m exaggerating?
It’s already happening.
Washington, D.C.—the nation’s capital—allows non-citizens, including illegals, to vote in municipal elections.
In New York City, the government is spending millions of dollars on prepaid debit cards for “asylum seekers.” According to The New York Post, “A family of four migrants with two children under age 17 could get $15,200 a year.”
And in California, the state offers free healthcare to all low-income residents, including illegals.
All over the country public schools, hotels, and emergency rooms are filled with people who entered this country unlawfully. According to the Federation for American Immigration Reform, this is costing us $150 billion a year.
And if you point any of this out, you will be called very bad names.
If you take Critical Immigration Theory seriously, its logic doesn’t stop here.
National citizenship isn’t meant to be merely watered down. It’s meant to be done away with altogether, replaced by “global citizenship.” Migration from anywhere, to anywhere, is a human right. This will be a world where borders are just meaningless lines on a map. One world with one government is where we need to go.
Of course, this transformation will take time and be very expensive. But money is no object. Just print more.
That’s the future Critical Immigration Theory wants to take us to.
Are you looking forward to this brave new world?
If your answer is no, I have a suggestion.
Start defending the nation that has created more opportunities for more people than any nation in human history—the United States of America.
Defend it … while you still have it.
I’m James Lindsay, founder of New Discourses for Prager University.