Khan says corporations first used ESG/woke branding to legitimate dominance, and are now using anti‑woke rhetoric to the same end while lobbying to loosen antitrust. She points to DOJ’s settlement in the HPE–Juniper merger and a broader return to 'greenlighting' deals as evidence of capture behind the culture‑war fog. The frame treats left‑ and right‑coded moral talk as interchangeable tools to distract from concentration and regulatory rollback.
— If culture‑war narratives systematically mask consolidation, analysts and voters should judge administrations by competition outcomes and lobbyist influence, not rhetoric.
eugyppius
2025.09.30
68% relevant
The article argues elites weaponize moral frames (e.g., labeling rivals 'fascist' and, by its title, 'climatism') to entrench control, echoing the idea that culture‑war narratives—ESG/woke or anti‑woke—serve to legitimate and protect incumbent power rather than inform neutral policy.
Tyler Cowen
2025.09.14
60% relevant
The model’s claim that firms earn higher profits by catering to extreme worker preferences—and that sustainable investing amplifies polarization—aligns with the notion that companies leverage culture‑war positioning (including ESG) to enhance market power and profits under a moral banner.
Ella Dorn
2025.09.11
72% relevant
Gap’s viral denim ad fronts Katseye’s multicultural image as 'cultural takeover' while the article argues the group is a corporate construction of HYBE/Geffen built on exploitative K‑pop practices—an instance of DEI/representation rhetoric legitimizing corporate dominance and deflecting scrutiny.
Sohrab Ahmari
2025.08.29
100% relevant
Khan’s quote that 'woke' and now 'anti‑woke' tropes are deployed to legitimate market power, alongside her allegation of lobbyist‑driven antitrust decisions under Trump (e.g., HPE–Juniper).