I agree with 90% of what you said, but must take issue with your characterization of cultural marxism. Cultural Marxism as I've encountered the term is simply what critics of Intersectional Feminism call Intersectional Feminism, and as political slurs go that seems rather reasonable. Intersectional feminism really does have a lot in common with Marxism if one replaces 'the proletariate' with underprivileged groups like sexual, ethnic, or cultural minorities.
I don't disagree the rhetoric by people who use the term is often overblown, but the basic fact of the critique - that Intersectional Feminism is similar to Marxism - not only seems fair but would probably elicit no disagreement from the people so characterized.
> Cultural Marxism as I've encountered the term is simply what critics of Intersectional Feminism call Intersectional Feminism
That's what it's often used for, but why not simply use intersectional feminism/identity politics?
That would be far more fitting and wouldn't carry the same baggage as using an idea the Nazis made up. Imho some people use this term very consciously and others simply pick it up without even realizing that there's quite a history to the idea behind it.
Instead, it gets thrown at everything people disagree with:
Education too liberal -> cultural Marxism
Third wave feminism -> cultural Marxism
Government supposedly being "leftist" -> cultural Marxism
Said government not turning away refugees -> cultural Marxism
At this point, it's pretty much become the new "The communists are behind it!", which was always a common theme for Nazis, and certain US conservative circles.
Does everybody who uses it believe in the actual conspiracy theory behind it? Doubtful, but by marginalizing and normalizing the term the Overton window shifts and suddenly the cultural Marxism version, which involves an international conspiracy, becomes that much more "debatable".
It's especially troublesome to see it being used by people who so thoughtfully identify as "Christian", just like a certain Norwegian terrorist [0] who killed 77 people.
Disclaimer: I'm not attempting to silence people for their speech, I'm just questioning the terminology used because if people keep on using terminology like that, after having been made aware of its actual connotations/history, then they really shouldn't be surprised/act outraged when others locate them in a certain political camp.
If I'd be ranting about class warfare and how the proletariat needs to free themselves, then people would also very quickly paint me with a certain brush, probably rightfully so.
Interesting - I hadn't known the history behind the term, I thought it was a neologism. I do prefer the term identity politics myself, but the tendency of right wing groups to call everyone they dislike communists doesn't appear to me any more ridiculous than the frequency with which they are called Nazis. There seems to be an effort in that camp to shift the Overton window to exclude communism with the same prejudice currently reserved for Nazism, and from that perspective 'baiting' the opposition into being too loose with either term is probably an effective strategy.
I don't disagree the rhetoric by people who use the term is often overblown, but the basic fact of the critique - that Intersectional Feminism is similar to Marxism - not only seems fair but would probably elicit no disagreement from the people so characterized.