Maybe it's because I've had a long day, or maybe it's because we as a country seem to be stuck in one perpetual state of a never-ending long day, but I was just brought to tears after juxtaposing a section of 'The Road to Serfdom' Kevin and I just went through, alongside some videos I watched recounting our nation's response to 9/11.
The section we read was about Hayek's doubts regarding the effectiveness of British propaganda on the Germans during WWII. Hayek pointed out that if those in the West were in a constant state of a apologizing for their system and the prosperity it created, then there was no reason to believe that anyone outside that system would be persuaded that it was superior to their own. Hayek goes on to lament that if some Nazis did indeed conclude that the Western system of individualism and classical Liberalism was superior to the one of National Socialism, it would not be the product of Western propaganda, but rather an independently-generated thought rooted in the abject horrors of Nazism, dubbing Western Liberalism as the de facto superior alternative.
While going through that section of the book, I pondered what the contemporary example of Western propaganda is. What contemporary mainstream institutions espouse American exceptionalism, Western Enlightenment values, and an unapologetic declaration of the beauty of our system? I struggle to think of anything that even remotely qualifies as mainstream, bipartisan, or even governmental in nature that dares say such things. The answer to my ponderings came back as a deafening silence, as some like to say.
It breaks my heart to see how much our country has lost its way. The self-hatred and disillusionment is overwhelming. It's hard not to think that the collectivists have won in terms of destroying our country. Yes, there are sections of our country that will remain largely intact, and aligned with our founding principles. But we're going to lose huge, huge sections of the country as well. Correction, we have lost huge, huge sections of the country as well. America doesn't feel like America because it isn't America. Some parts are, some parts are, well, something else. Something deeply infected with cynicism and delusions of moral superiority. Something diametrically opposed to the forces that created such an amazing place. Something that is hurt, and as such, hurts others in response. Something without meaning or purpose. Something that's just... broken.
I don't know what comes next. I'm just really heartbroken over what we've lost. Not that America was without its problems in 2001, but we were still a hell of a lot better than anywhere else, and (perhaps ironically) we still are.
If we ever hope to regain what was lost, we should consider the wise words of F.A. Hayek, as he pleaded with his country to remember the greatness of their values and principles. We must do the same, and in response, unapologetically declare to the world that our values are what has made us the most beautifully amazing country this planet has ever seen.
"Nowhere is the loss of the belief in the specific values of our civilization more manifest than in the fatuous ineffectiveness of most Western propaganda.
The first prerequisite for success in propaganda directed to other people is the proud acknowledgment of the characteristic values and distinguishing traits for which the country attempting it is known to the other peoples. The main cause of the ineffectiveness of our propaganda is that those directing it seem to have lost their own belief in the peculiar values of Western civilization or to be completely ignorant of the main points on which it differs from that of other people. The Left intelligentsia, indeed, have so long worshipped foreign gods that they seem to have become almost incapable of seeing any good in the characteristic Western institutions and traditions. That the moral values on which most of them pride themselves
are largely the product of the institutions they are out to destroy,
these socialists cannot, of course, admit.
If we are to succeed in the war of ideologies and to win over
the decent elements in the enemy countries, we must first of all
regain the belief in the traditional values for which this country
stood in the past, and must have the moral courage stoutly to
defend the ideals which our enemies attack. Not by shamefaced
apologies and by assurances that we are rapidly reforming, not
by explaining that we are seeking some compromise between
the traditional Western values and the new totalitarian ideas, shall
we win confidence and support. Not the latest improvements we
may have effected in our social institutions, which count but
little compared with the basic differences of two opposed ways
of life, but our unwavering faith in those traditions which have
made this country a country of free and upright, tolerant and
independent people, is the thing that counts."
While driving yesterday, I had an idea to help facilitate more regular content creation, especially during this time when it is all but impossible to make videos outside of livestreams from my phone. The idea is that of a biweekly post that roughly takes the form of a newsletter, of which this is shall be the first volume. As an aside, evidently a synonym for biweekly is 'fortnightly,' which I'd totally use if it weren't for the association with a game of stupid dances.
My current plan for the format is as follows, though obviously this is likely to change.
-Introduction, brief life updates, and maybe a thought or two I've had lately that I wanted to share with you.
-What books I have been going through, and any excerpts or takeaways I feel are worth sharing.
-Any other noteworthy podcasts or media I've consumed lately.
-What stories I'm paying attention to (if any) and why
-Any questions I might have for you guys
-?
Alright, it's called TL;DR for a reason. Let's jump in.
As I mentioned earlier, we have Covid again. I'm not going to ...
I know it's been quiet here lately. I'll eventually explain what's been going on with my personal life (most of it has been a mixture of our new baby being really, really difficult, and perpetual sickness. For example, last week three our of the four of us had to go to the hospital) but this is what has consumed virtually all free time outside of work and family time.
Please consider helping us bring justice to these bastards. Their indifference and complicity in the harm done to these kids has to stop. Please help us make that happen.
For those who missed it, here's an open letter I wrote to my community last fall after the suicide of a former student, himself a victim of this school district:
https://returntoreason.medium.com/an-open-letter-to-the-citizens-of-albany-county-ca507fa24cd8
Thank you for everything you do. You guys are awesome, and I look forward to filling you in on what's been going on in the near future. See you soon.
ps- I will be...
Salutations! I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas. Here is my list of top ten the things I learned/conclusions I reached from this past year. Some are directly related to events, others are not. Either way, I tried my best to create a list of useful ideas for you to incorporate into your view of the present moment. I hope you find this list useful, as many of the items on it are lenses I find incredibly important for understanding the world around me. As always, I welcome any feedback you might have!
In Part 2, I use Conquest's Three Laws of Politics to expand on my specific critiques of Peterson's Manifesto, and flush out some of my own axioms that I failed to explain in Part 1. This is where I get into the nuts and bolts of how institutions deviate from their original purpose and begin to generate and pursue their own interests.
What began as a singular episode critiquing one of my intellectual heroes has turned into a multi-part series going after some foundational axioms of mainstream Conservatism.
In this introductions, I discuss Permanent Washington and the concept of accountability, and sew the seeds for what's to come in either trusting or rejecting many mainstream Western institutions.
It's worth mentioning that this recording, along with every other part in this series, has taken almost (in some cases more than) a day to upload. I have no idea why my internet is failing me as hard as it is, but here we are. Hopefully you find these recordings in time to assist you in your vote tomorrow 🤙
I've been wanting to do this for a while. It might have taken me two days to figure out how to get this from my phone to my computer, but I finally got it to work.
On Saturday, I used the voice recorder app on my phone to record a podcast covering Karl Schmitt, his discussions of power, and how we can map this onto our contemporary situation with The Regime that runs our country, and the Bureaucratic State which does its ideological bidding.
After listening to it, I realize there is some more context I need to add to the ending, so I might record another one tomorrow or Wednesday. Either way, it feels good to be recording stuff again. As always, I welcome your thoughts and feedback!
"We don't know where this thing isn't."
-Bret Weinstein
@JamesDerian suggested I pin and regularly update a thread of sources I'm compiling to illustrate the total societal takeover of Far-Left Orthodoxy, including their explicit targeting of our kids for indoctrination. Here is that thread.
Compromised entities:
Nickelodeon
Cartoon Network
Kellogg's Cereal
Mattel Toys
Lego
Sesame Street (SESAME STREET 🤦♂️)
PBS
CNN
The New York Times
The Washington Post
NPR
NBC News
Gender/Sexuality
Cartoon Network celebrating transgender children:
https://twitter.com/stage13network/status/1377332951659151360?s=20
More Cartoon Network trans stuff:
https://twitter.com/cartoonnetwork/status/1377259794294259717?s=20
Cartoon Network on "normalizing gender pronouns"
https://twitter.com/cartoonnetwork/status/1338539346530537475?s=20
Lego released "rainbow set" for Pride Month:
https://www.lego.com/en-us/aboutus/news/2021/may/everyone-is-awesome/
"Queer up your morning routine" with Kellogg's new cereal featuring edible glitter, ...
