It goes back to a chap called Antonio Gramsci (circa the 1930's).
The idea is that for capitalism to be overthrown and replaced by communism - the working classes need to be inspired to revolt.
The original approach was to try and radicalise them by teaching them how they were being 'exploited' by the capitalist system.
This approach relied on trying to teach them Marxist economics. But - the working classes seemed to be uninspired by this approach. Partly because economics is boring. And partly because it is difficult to understand.
So - instead - people like Antonio Gramsci (and the thinkers that later formed 'The Frankfurt School' - which was big in the 70's) regrouped and tried to destroy capitalism via a different route.
Instead - they wanted to teach minorites how they were being 'exploited' by the capitalist system. Since they were 'losers' under the current system they might be inspired to try and overthrow the current system of organising society and replace it with something else.
The minorities included blacks, women and gays.
So - in order to try and undermine capitalist society - Antonio Gramsci advocated a 'long march through the institutions'. The idea being that you had to take over the powers that held together capitalist society and overthrow the traditional values which underpin them.
As such - you have had the politically correct revolution which has worked through society from the middle of the 80's onwards. The PC brigade has tried to undermine the institutions underpinning traditional conservative society - by weakening the family, the church, education, the police, the courts and promoting mass immigration (in order to weaken notions of national identity).
If you look at most of the major changes in society - from the dumbing down of education, the promotion of gay rights, feminism and the weakening of harsh punishments for criminials - you will see the way that the politicians have tried to shape society. This has gone to the extreme where it is now illegal to openly question many of these changes. The problem with this project is that it teaches people to think of themselves as 'victims'. Which of course is the intention of those behind the PC revolution.
Now - whilst 'cultural marxism' was originally a long-term plan to inspire a communist revolution. It seems to me as if the idea has run away with itself so that instead of a marxist revolution - we just have a cultural malaise where everything is questioned. And nobody has any answers anymore (hello 'postmodernism'). And you can believe anything you want as long as it is not associated with the traditional conservative values which went unquestioned for hundreds of years.
Looking to the future. I think the vacuum of values will ultimately be filled by the rise of Islam. Not that I care because I am never going to have children.
For what it is worth. As a critic of capitalism - Karl Marx was a genius. His work in economics is genuinely interesting and asks many fundamental (and awkward) questions which most other economists are too embarrassed to try and address. I find more interesting and novel ideas in his work than in any other thinker I have come across. I am not particularly left-wing. I just find the fundamental questions of economics to be fascinating.
Marx has inspired many projects which have given him a bad name. Indeed - towards the end of his life - when seeing the work of various groups who called themselves 'marxists' - Karl Marx commented that he himself was 'not a marxist'.
Anyway - I am not an expert on cultural marxism. I am just interested in political economy and economics (including the work of Marx). I have never really studied the cultural revolution that Marxist thinkers have inspired over recent times. So - the above is just my take on this area. I am sure others can correct any mistakes I have made.
The idea is that for capitalism to be overthrown and replaced by communism - the working classes need to be inspired to revolt.
The original approach was to try and radicalise them by teaching them how they were being 'exploited' by the capitalist system.
This approach relied on trying to teach them Marxist economics. But - the working classes seemed to be uninspired by this approach. Partly because economics is boring. And partly because it is difficult to understand.
So - instead - people like Antonio Gramsci (and the thinkers that later formed 'The Frankfurt School' - which was big in the 70's) regrouped and tried to destroy capitalism via a different route.
Instead - they wanted to teach minorites how they were being 'exploited' by the capitalist system. Since they were 'losers' under the current system they might be inspired to try and overthrow the current system of organising society and replace it with something else.
The minorities included blacks, women and gays.
So - in order to try and undermine capitalist society - Antonio Gramsci advocated a 'long march through the institutions'. The idea being that you had to take over the powers that held together capitalist society and overthrow the traditional values which underpin them.
As such - you have had the politically correct revolution which has worked through society from the middle of the 80's onwards. The PC brigade has tried to undermine the institutions underpinning traditional conservative society - by weakening the family, the church, education, the police, the courts and promoting mass immigration (in order to weaken notions of national identity).
If you look at most of the major changes in society - from the dumbing down of education, the promotion of gay rights, feminism and the weakening of harsh punishments for criminials - you will see the way that the politicians have tried to shape society. This has gone to the extreme where it is now illegal to openly question many of these changes. The problem with this project is that it teaches people to think of themselves as 'victims'. Which of course is the intention of those behind the PC revolution.
Now - whilst 'cultural marxism' was originally a long-term plan to inspire a communist revolution. It seems to me as if the idea has run away with itself so that instead of a marxist revolution - we just have a cultural malaise where everything is questioned. And nobody has any answers anymore (hello 'postmodernism'). And you can believe anything you want as long as it is not associated with the traditional conservative values which went unquestioned for hundreds of years.
Looking to the future. I think the vacuum of values will ultimately be filled by the rise of Islam. Not that I care because I am never going to have children.
For what it is worth. As a critic of capitalism - Karl Marx was a genius. His work in economics is genuinely interesting and asks many fundamental (and awkward) questions which most other economists are too embarrassed to try and address. I find more interesting and novel ideas in his work than in any other thinker I have come across. I am not particularly left-wing. I just find the fundamental questions of economics to be fascinating.
Marx has inspired many projects which have given him a bad name. Indeed - towards the end of his life - when seeing the work of various groups who called themselves 'marxists' - Karl Marx commented that he himself was 'not a marxist'.
Anyway - I am not an expert on cultural marxism. I am just interested in political economy and economics (including the work of Marx). I have never really studied the cultural revolution that Marxist thinkers have inspired over recent times. So - the above is just my take on this area. I am sure others can correct any mistakes I have made.