For decades — more, probably — American politics and culture ‘evolved’ in one direction. This evolution concluded in Harvard removing portraits that were too white. In IBM punishing executives for hiring too many asians. And in the abolition of “academic merit” at the conceptual level. Proponents of such abhorrent practices assumed the future would carry on apace, as did most detractors, and so mostly no one really fought for control of the “right side of history.” Sure, there was a spicy blog post here and there. But real war? With reputations and fortunes on the line? Why bother if the conclusion was inevitable?