The old cultural imperialism was supposedly greedy corporatism like Disneyland, McDonald’s, and Starbucks sprouting up worldwide to supplant local competitors. But these businesses spread because they appealed to free-will consumer demand abroad. They were not imposed top down. …Yet, in our skedaddle [from Afghanistan], the LGBTQ flag still flew high from our new Kabul embassy. A George Floyd mural was prominent on city streets. And gender studies programs—to the tune of $787 million in American subsidies—were showcased at Kabul University, in one of the most conservative Islamic countries in the world. Rainbow flags and Black Lives Matter banners have hung from our embassy in South Korea. Such partisan cultural activism is a diplomatic first. The woke Left has now weaponized the country’s diplomatic missions abroad to advance highly partisan and controversial agendas that can offend their hosts, and do not represent the majority of American voters at home….
