Marxism’s triumph lies in its gradual infiltration of established systems.
The Covert Strategy of Cultural Marxism
The New Left of the early 1970s knew they couldn’t achieve a violent revolution against the government if they wanted to succeed. They needed a different approach to win hearts and minds. Instead of resorting to brick-throwing and unruly demonstrations, they turned to a covert strategy.
For now, they had to find a way to subtly introduce Marxist ideas into the minds of the people. The question was: How?
The answer came from an unlikely source – Antonio Gramsci’s Prison Notebooks. These political essays, published in 1971, provided the blueprint for infiltrating the institutions that shape Western society.
The Battle for Control
Gramsci believed that true societal change could only be achieved by gaining control of the civic structures that shape the social consciousness. Instead of violent revolution, Marxists needed to engage in a longer, covert struggle for dominance. This “war of position” required infiltrating universities, publishing houses, and other influential institutions to subtly change the way people think.
Gramsci’s ideas were embraced by Rudi Dutschke, a German student activist, who proposed “the long march through the institutions.” This vision called for Marxists to infiltrate existing structures rather than tearing them down. The movement gained momentum, reaching the United States in the 1960s.
Herbert Marcuse, a professor and former collaborator of Dutschke, saw the potential of this strategy. In a letter to Dutschke, he declared it to be the “only effective way” to bring about a left-wing revolution in the United States.
The Subtle Indoctrination
Marcuse outlined the strategy in his book, emphasizing the need for leftists to work within established institutions while subtly promoting their revolutionary ideas. Activists had to abandon violent tactics and instead integrate themselves into society, all the while preserving their own consciousness and spreading their ideology.
University professors would praise Marx while attacking revered figures from American history. Those in information technology would design systems with a liberal bias. Journalists would transform media outlets into propaganda machines for the left.
This covert strategy allowed Marxists to slowly shape the cultural narrative, indoctrinating as many people as possible along the way.
This text is an excerpt from Unwoke: How to Defeat Cultural Marxism in America.