Thursday, October 26, 2023

How Woke can we be? The meaning of Woke

How Woke can we be? The meaning of Woke

by Donald H. Marks, Physician and Scientist 













"Woke" and Woke-ism  may be just another hot button red meat word/slur, but one which may describe a heightened awareness of social and political issues, particularly those related to inequality and systemic oppression. To be "Woke" implies that an individual is aware of the many ways in which societal structures and systems can perpetuate inequalities, and is actively working to address these issues. But, Woke-ism can and will also be used as a slur, more so as we head into the 2024 election cycle.


A practical definition of being "Woke" might include:

  • Acknowledging and challenging one's own privilege and biases.

  • Educating oneself on social and political issues, including those affecting marginalized communities.

  • Engaging in activism or advocacy work to promote social justice.

  • Listening to and centering the voices of marginalized communities in discussions and decision-making processes.

On the other hand, since I view Woke as a hot button trigger word http://bit.ly/3TcuT4I , it can also be used as a pejorative term to categorize and label liberals or social activists as raising issues that are divisive, not as important as some people might think, and creating a wedge in our society.

My understanding is that the term "Woke" originated as an African American term meant to describe a state of awareness or vigilance, particularly around issues of social justice and racial inequality. The earliest known use of the term "Woke" seems to have been in a 1940s song by blues musician Huddie William Ledbetter (better known as Lead Belly) called "Scottsboro Boys". In the song, Ledbetter sings: "I advise everybody to be wise, to be awake. The Scottsboro Boys are innocent." So the appellation Woke is not new.

In the 1960s and 1970s, the term "Woke" became more widely used in African American communities as a way to describe a heightened awareness of social and political issues. The term gained renewed popularity in the 2010s, particularly with the rise of social media and the Black Lives Matter movement. 

The implications of being "Woke" can vary depending on the individual and the context in which the term is used. In some cases, being "Woke" can be seen as a positive trait, indicating that an individual is socially conscious and actively working to make the world a more just and equitable place. However, the term can also be used in a negative or dismissive way, suggesting that an individual is overly concerned with social justice issues or is virtue-signaling without taking meaningful action. This is why being Woke is for me practically speaking just another hot button word, not designed to promote thought but rather to trigger an emotional response.

Ultimately, the implications of being "Woke" depend on how an individual approaches the concept and how they put it into practice in their daily lives.

Suggested readings on Woke


Additional writings of Donald H. Marks, physician-scientist




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Sunday, October 8, 2023

"Undermoney," by Jay Newman. Book review by DH Marks

Review of financial political thriller, "Undermoney," by Jay Newman. 


I enjoyed reading Undermoney by Jay Newman. The book was interesting, the theme was contemporary and compelling, the characters and dialogue were good, the plot moved along well.

The genre of Undermoney is geopolitical thriller and it involves high level politics, high level finance, money laundering, hedge funds, international espionage, competition between the United States and Russia, The encroachment of NATO eastward towards the Russian border, and includes a guest appearance by Russian President Vladimir Putin. What else could you want?  Little bit of something for everybody. Meaningless violence, gratuitous sex, obscure motives, pettiness, vanity, raw political ambition, greed, avarice, misplaced sense of purpose, individuals with no sense of purpose, morals or accountability.  A  little bit of something for everyone.


There's a lot of interesting backfill, exposition, dialogue, innermost thoughts, explanatory background, all of which is deliciously interesting if you like clever multi-dimensional literature. If that's not for you, then choose one of the many popular writers who have overwritten many times their  worth, and now publish using ghost editors or secondary editors.


Other reviews of this book complain that it was too long, that it could have benefited from major editing.... I think that this criticism is only warranted if short, to the point, easily finished, not complex plot and characters are appreciated above all. Taken from my standpoint as a reader and also as an fiction  author (The Surrogate, Vera Mortina, Her Charm Was Contagious, Bloodbird, all on Amazon and Kindle under the writer's name Dimitri Markov) it is commendable that this author put in so much effort, time to detail and plot, and developed an interesting background and supportive information and backfill. It's hard to be critical of an author, unless you've done it. Otherwise, it's easy to criticize, just open season and not much else, IMO. You are all adults, put on your big person pants and just read this entertaining book. I am confident you can handle it. As an audible version, it's perfect for long walks, jogging, at the gym, air travel or cruise.


Given that many of the other  reviews centered around the book's length, one wonders whether novels such as Anna Karenina, War and Peace, The Brothers Karamazov, Exodus, Sapiens, Atlas Shrugged, Grapes of Wrath are also not acceptable because of their lengths. Let he who is innocent cast the first stone.


One last thing I will add is that I did find the ending unsatisfactory, rushed, too simplistic, a little confusing and not helpful to understanding the entire book.


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