Michael Knowles, author of the bestselling humor book Reasons to Vote for Democrats: A Comprehensive Guide and podcast host at the Daily Wire is advising students to win the culture through humor and to combat ideas of socialism by thinking philosophically.
Speaking with me before taking the stage at Turning Point USA’s Student Action Summit Leadership Ball last month, Knowles argued that “owning the libs” through quick-witted humor can be an effective way to persuade your audience.
“For so long, the Right ceded the culture to the Left because we couldn’t use humor. The Left were the ‘funny guys’. The Left were the ‘cool guys’. We were the stodgy, old, dour people who couldn’t possibly smile. And I think now, especially in the Trump era, we’ve elected President Covfefe, the master of reality television. And it’s injected with a bit of exuberance. And we should embrace that,” said Knowles.
Knowles’ argument highlights the message of Daily Wire’s iconic “Leftist Tears” tumblr, which mocks the absurdity of some intersectional leftism that fails to hold up to criticism. However, certain figures who possess some of these ideologies, such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., have become increasingly popular among millennials. Knowles believes that some of Ocasio-Cortez’s appeal is partially because of the failure of public education systems to inform students about the dangers of socialism.
“Right now the stage has been set because the education system has failed millennials. One third of American millennials think that George Bush killed more people than Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. The majority of American millennials identify as socialist. Socialism has a much more favorable rating among millennials than capitalism does. And this is because of ignorance. It’s because the Berlin Wall fell down before most millennials were born or at least conscious,” said Knowles.
“You’ve got people like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez trying to pass off these same stale, awful, anti-human ideas, and they’re gaining some traction … We could look up one day and terrifyingly enough see the 100 year-younger version of Bernie Sanders running for president.”
But Knowles has a solution for students who are fearful of socialism’s rise: Think critically and philosophically about conservative ideologies to counter banal leftist thinking. Andrew Breitbart, whom Knowles describes as the “patron saint of Hollywood conservatives,” articulated the idea that a culture’s values often define their politics. Knowles notes that Russell Kirk, the late conservative thinker, expounded on this idea, saying “culture derives from what the cult worships,” as both words are etymologically related.
“What a culture worships will define that culture. So if a culture worships money it’s going to be more materialistic. If a culture worships sex, it’s going to be more licentious. If a culture worships God, it’s going to be godlier … Right now, so many millennials have been raised without religion. However, the grounding for our ideas is in, first principles, and it’s in eternal questions,” said Knowles.
“That is what we need to get better at talking about,” Knowles said. “Because once you speak in those terms, everything else clicks into place.”
Anthony Leonardi is a contributor to Red Alert Politics. He’s a third-year student at the University of Florida, where he runs thinkoutsidepolitics.com.
