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Well wokeness itself, emerged from basically a coalition of those who were outsiders to the right (or at least to a particular ascendant variety of the right). Do we need to recap over gay people hiding in the closet et al? Women being denied work opportunities? Redlining and Jim Crow? 1950's gender roles?
You're not going back far enough if you are asking about Iraq. The seeds of wokeness were sown decades before that. The 90's and early 2000's were roughly where both sides were in balance, shifting from one cultural hegemon to another if you will. The right did not quickly lose control (to the extent they have, see below), it was a slow decades long process.
But if it helps, even today in my small Red rural town, I do not admit to being an atheist. It was only 10 years ago that:
"Atheists are one of the most disliked groups in America. Only 45 percent of Americans say they would vote for a qualified atheist presidential candidate, and atheists are rated as the least desirable group for a potential son-in-law or daughter-in-law to belong to."
And in many places that still holds. As I said a week or two ago, don't confuse the national media dominance of the blue tribe to think that red tribe conservative values are not dominant in many local places.
Meh, that hasn't really been my experience. I live in a pretty red part of the country and work in a gun store. I'm an open atheist and nobody gives a shit (at least not out loud). I've clocked a few shady looks about my discussion of religion and politics, but a Purple Heart covers all sins on the right. As with race, sexuality etc. I don't think it's atheism at all that people object to, it's the politics they assume goes along with it. Prove you're not the outgroup, and the atheism doesn't matter. The right thinks the left hates America. I can prove I don't, so they're fine with it.
This is a bit tougher with the left. There's no straightforward path to legitimacy for heretics.
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To be fair there is a big difference between not voting for an atheist and banning the atheist from free speech.
I don’t have any belief that a person like myself could become the Presidential nomination for the Democratic Party but I think in 1995 I could hire you as my investment banker. I am not sure that I could openly be myself at Goldman Sachs or google today. Theirs a huge hosts of elite employers today where I’m unemployable today even if I had impeccable qualifications.
I am sure job limitations happened significantly in the past but now it’s like 40% of the population is excluded.
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