Commentary

Conservatives Need Protection from Both Woke Business and Woke Labor

Some on the right view unions as a bulwark against ‘woke capital,’ but labor is even more compromised. Employee freedom is the answer.


With the rise of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) activist investing and the increasing liberal tilt of the commanding heights of major corporations, many conservatives have begun rethinking their and the Republican Party’s relationship to big business. A handful, most prominently U.S. senators Marco Rubio (Fla.) and Josh Hawley (Mo.), have even proposed taking the side of labor unions, long a pillar of the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, in response to “woke capitalism” and changes in political coalitions. That would be a mistake.

Labor unions use their power over the workplace to impose ideological conformity, fund full-spectrum socially liberal movements, and deny small entrepreneurs their first step on the ladder of ownership of the means of production—which deprives social conservatives of important coalition allies.

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Read the full article on NationalReview.com.

 

This article originally appeared on NationalReview.com on January 28, 2023.

Michael Watson

Michael is Research Director for Capital Research Center and serves as the managing editor for InfluenceWatch. A graduate of the College of William and Mary, he previously worked for a…
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