Symbolic Capital(ism)

Daniel Bell and Me

The sociologist and journalist is a big influence on my thinking – through his work, yes, but also his example

Jan 6 • Musa al-Gharbi

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December 2025

2025 In Review

It was one hell of a year. It's over now. 2026 should be... interesting.

Dec 27, 2025 • Musa al-Gharbi

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November 2025

A Graveyard of Bad NYC Mayoral Election Narratives

The electoral outcome and its drivers were far more banal than most seem willing to recognize.

Nov 11, 2025 • Musa al-Gharbi

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October 2025

We Have Never Been Woke: Now Available in Paperback

With a new preface from the author and a lower price point, now is the perfect time to see what all the fuss is about.

Oct 7, 2025 • Musa al-Gharbi

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September 2025

Inserting “Culture” Into the Culture Wars

Ideology and formal rules are less consequential than most seem to think. This matters for institutional reform.

Sep 29, 2025 • Musa al-Gharbi

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Censorship is Primarily a Problem of Institutional Selection

College plays a big role in shaping the culture of the symbolic professions... but not for the reasons most think.

Sep 8, 2025 • Musa al-Gharbi

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June 2025

Book Announcement: Those People

My second book is now officially under contract with Princeton University Press

Jun 16, 2025 • Musa al-Gharbi

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The Cultural Contradictions of the Anti-Woke

Trumpworld could be hastening the next Great Awokening

Jun 4, 2025 • Musa al-Gharbi

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May 2025

The Limitations of Partisan Politics

It'd be great if we could just vote our way out of social problems, but that's not the world we live in.

May 9, 2025 • Musa al-Gharbi

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March 2025

You Ask, I Answer: We Have Never Been Woke FAQ

My responses to reader and audience questions about the book and its themes

Mar 2, 2025 • Musa al-Gharbi

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January 2025

Trump Changes Nothing

Some argue I should either self-censor more or grow nakedly political during the Trump II regime. I strenuously disagree.

Jan 7, 2025 • Musa al-Gharbi

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December 2024

Smart People Are Especially Prone to Tribalism, Dogmatism and Virtue Signaling

The symbolic professions aggressively select for those who are highly educated and cognitively sophisticated. This is a key source of their dysfunction.

Dec 3, 2024 • Musa al-Gharbi

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