Former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson warned that the ideological movement he refers to as "woke" has not been defeated but is instead in a period of temporary accommodation, posing a continued threat to institutions. He asserts that this ideology, characterized by "socialist policies and ideas," was able to spread rapidly due to the "willing and enthusiastic" partnership of corporate America.
Carson detailed how technology companies engaged in censorship, financial institutions altered their business practices, and "green" initiatives became policy. He contends that public displays of progressive orthodoxy became a requirement for participation in large sectors of the private economy. This dynamic, he argued, functioned as "totalitarian social control administered at the corporate level," where a concentrated group of tech platforms, financial institutions, and cultural gatekeepers enforced a political narrative against significant portions of their user base.
The interruption of this trend, according to Carson, was primarily due to a change in political power following the 2020 elections. He suggested that leaders within these institutions recognized a shift in the political climate and adjusted their public stances accordingly. However, he believes that "true believers remain inside these institutions" within corporate boards, human resources departments, and management structures, suggesting a potential for a "more sophisticated, more coordinated, and more confident" return of this ideology, termed "Woke 2.0."
Carson emphasized that when capitalism's mechanisms are ideologically weaponized, traditional market corrections falter. He posited that the "marketplace of the ballot box" is the ultimate check against such concentrated power. He pointed to policy changes enacted under the Trump administration, such as ending race-based preferences in federal contracting and employment and restoring the principle of equal protection, as examples of restoring balance.
He highlighted the significance of the upcoming midterm elections, stating that secure elections are the "last reliable check ordinary citizens possess against concentrated power." Carson concluded that freedom of thought and expression are fundamental to self-government and that their constraint by powerful, unaccountable private institutions can fray the fabric of society. He urged vigilance, framing the current reprieve as a pause rather than a permanent victory, and suggested that the actions taken during this period will shape the future of the country.