The Rise of the Anointed: Moral Arrogance in the Age of Activism

 

In today’s culture, there’s a group of activists who behave as if their political beliefs grant them a special kind of moral authority. They don’t just see themselves as protestors or participants in civil discourse—they act as if they are society’s ethical overseers, uniquely entitled to disrupt, intervene, and impose their will on others. I call this phenomenon the Anointed Prerogative: the belief that one’s ideological purity bestows an exclusive right to bypass the rules everyone else is expected to follow.

We’ve all seen the scenario play out. An activist steps into a situation—say, an ICE operation or a corporate meeting—and demands that their cause be recognized as urgent and morally unimpeachable. Everyone else is expected to stand down, defer, and acknowledge the Anointed as the rightful moral authority in the room. It’s the social equivalent of a doctor walking into an emergency and saying, “I’m a doctor,” prompting the crowd to step aside. Only in this case, the activist doesn’t possess expert credentials—they just believe that their cause is all the legitimacy they need.

This behavior isn’t just about protest—it’s about authority. The Anointed see themselves as occupying a kind of elevated social office, one that entitles them to override norms, laws, and institutional boundaries. Whether blocking traffic, interrupting public events, or accosting public figures in restaurants, they operate as if their moral convictions give them immunity from consequences. To them, resistance to their message isn’t disagreement—it’s heresy.

It would be tempting to call this "leftist privilege," but that term doesn’t fully capture the dynamic. Privilege suggests passive advantage—something given by society. What we’re seeing here is more active and self-appointed. Prerogative is the better term. It implies a perceived right to rule, a belief that their worldview carries inherent authority and everyone else should fall in line—or be shamed, canceled, or silenced.

The Anointed believe their moral stance justifies lawbreaking and disruption. When they’re confronted, their defense is often tautological: “ICE is racist,” or “We’re fighting injustice.” These aren’t explanations of behavior—they’re declarations of moral positioning. And in their minds, that positioning is enough to override the legal or social standards that would apply to anyone else. They’re not asking permission—they’re claiming exemption.

From 2016 to around 2023, this mindset was not only tolerated but encouraged. Institutions—corporate, academic, governmental—enabled this behavior. Laws went unenforced. Vandalism was excused. Online mobs were organized to destroy reputations. HR departments bent to pressure. Protestors were valorized, no matter how disruptive their actions became. The Anointed believed this cultural deference was permanent. They were wrong.

Now, the tide is turning. Companies are firing employees who attempt to hijack workplace dynamics under the banner of activism. Police are enforcing the law more firmly. Even formerly sympathetic institutions are beginning to push back. The Anointed are discovering that their sense of impunity no longer aligns with reality. They’re learning that being loud, angry, and morally convinced doesn’t entitle you to special treatment.

This reckoning doesn’t mean we’re abandoning free speech or peaceful protest. It simply means that the rules apply to everyone—including the self-righteous. Being passionate about a cause doesn't give anyone the right to trample laws, intimidate others, or disrupt public life without consequence. Civic order depends on equal application of standards, not subjective declarations of moral urgency.

Still, many among the Anointed don’t see it that way. They’ve spent years believing that their ideology was a license to dominate public space, cancel dissent, and behave as if the public square belonged to them alone. Now, as they face real pushback—from institutions, law enforcement, and the broader public—they are reacting with confusion, outrage, and in some cases, open defiance. The tantrums may get louder before reality sets in.

The age of the Anointed Prerogative is ending. It was never legitimate to begin with, but it was tolerated long enough to give an entire activist class the illusion of unearned authority. Now, as civil society reasserts its standards, the Anointed will have to make a choice: participate like everyone else—or face the consequences of acting like they’re above the rest of us.