How woke became my favorite adjective

“I cheered when Humphrey was chosen
My faith in the system restored
I’m glad that the Commies were thrown out
Of the A.F.L. C.I.O. board
And I love Puerto Ricans and Negros
As long as they don’t move next door
So love me, love me, love me, I’m a liberal

“The people of old mississippi
Should all hang their heads in shame
I can’t understand how their minds work
What’s the matter don’t they watch les crain?
But if you ask me to bus my children
I hope the cops take down your name
So love me, love me, love me, i’m a liberal”

– Phil Ochs, Love Me I’m a Liberal

Woke seems to be my new favorite term for anything that somebody dreamed up as a progressive vision as making life better for people, even though it’s just a thought and the actual action behind it is at best neutral, if not harmful the people it applies to. Woke is about meaningless policies, while well intentioned and sometimes quite expensive don’t actually help people.

Describing something woke doesn’t mean government shouldn’t be helping people, but it does mean that government should be making sure it’s actions actually help the people it intends to help. There should be more pragmatism and policies should come out of communities that it intends to help.