July 2017 – Thor's Hammer Radio

So often we hear about “nationalism” and “populism” against the “globalists”. Those have become the new cheap buzz words that lots of people are slinging around. And often without much regard for the deeper implications.

What exactly is the battle here?

Is it for populism? Well, if two-thirds of a nation votes to destroy their healthcare by instituting single-payer healthcare (i.e. government-run monopoly on healthcare); by definition that’s the populist position. It’s not the smart or humane position for a nation to take, as single-payer systems lead to a lower quality of healthcare, higher taxes and a rationing of care (see: the recent Charlie Gard nightmare that unfolded in the United Kingdom). So “populist” is a skin-deep position, because it really doesn’t define any core values.

Is it for nationalism? Again, there are many nationalist positions, and they’re not necessarily the platforms that most rational people would want to follow. The Soviet Union was nationalist; their identity was distinctly Russian. Communist China is nationalist; their identity is distinctly Chinese. Castro’s Cuba is nationalist; their identity is distinctly Cuban. In fact, most of the worst Communist, Fascist, and other totalitarian regimes were all “nationalist”. The idea of nationalism by itself does not lend to any one of these ideologies; it’s just that nationalism can be broadly applied to a whole number of different ideologies. So it’s not a very tenable “core” value to stand upon.

The true battle here is the battle of Americanism vs. Progressivism; or, the battle of individual, natural rights pitted against the forces of collectivism and iron-fisted central government.

It’s important to define what Progressive “values” are: they are derived directly from the Communist Manifesto. Progressives believe in what Marx taught, and Hagel before him; that the past pushes up constantly against the present, and the traditional values of old must be done away with since they are the “outdated” values of the bourgeois (Marx’s definition for the ‘rich’). Progressives believe that individuals acting in self-interest are greedy, and must give themselves up to the state. They believe that salvation can only come through collective action. Progressives believe that education was a tool used by the rich and powerful to indoctrinate the youth to promote them (outlined by Marx in his manifesto); and so, the Progressives have sought to use education for those same purposes and instead to indoctrinate the youth to promote Progressive ideology. Progressives believe that rights come from government, and that the government must provide “for the people”.

Americanism is the opposite of all that. Americanism values the traditions and history of where we came from. Americanism values the individual, and that no one can strip another of his rights. Americanism understands that rights come from the divine, a realm that can never be set foot upon by mortal man. Because ‘rights’ that come from government are not really rights at all; they are privileges. For a government that can give you something is a government that can take it away, and generally does. Americanism understands the concept of unalienable rights, for they are eternal and final, and stand directly in the face of tyranny. Americanism is about the government staying small, contained, and out-of-the-way of the individual; a government that is enough to stop foreign adversaries and yet small enough to be virtually unnoticed while the American individual builds their life how they see fit.

It’s important to state clearly: Progressive values are NOT American values. There is nothing American about sacrificing individual liberty for the collective, or “greater good” of the state. There is nothing American about an all-powerful central government that doles out edicts and commandments from on high. There is nothing American about rights that are in fact privileges granted by government, which can be stripped away should an elected official or un-elected bureaucrat will it. There is nothing American about dividing people into groups or sub-groups, and/or creating a hierarchy of people (class/caste system); this flies directly in the face of the American value of the individual above all else and to judge one by the content of their character.

Progressivism is an imported ideology from Europe; Americanism was founded in the very nation it took root.

It’s important to discuss too, that when we talk about Western values, we are really talking about American values.

The French philosopher, Charles De Montesquieu, from whom America’s founders derived most of their ideas for separation of powers, had trouble getting his ideas to take root in his home country. In fact, the French rejected De Montesquieu in favor of Rousseau, and the result was a collectivist French Revolution that was a bloodbath.

The English philosopher, John Locke, from whom America’s founders derived much of their ideas for individual, natural rights, had no luck giving birth to his ideas in Great Britain. In fact, during his day, several skeptics asked Locke where in the world his ideas could ever be realized. Locke replied “in America”; Locke understood that the Old World was too steeped in a history of authoritarianism, where as the New World offered a clean state to start from.

The Western world became more inundated with the concept of natural rights and separation of powers because of the United States and our American values, not in lieu of it. Individuals saw the greatness of America and our values were exported to the rest of the Western world. The early French author, Alexis De Tocqueville, who wrote Democracy In America, noted how different America was from Europe; the value of the individual and culture of self-reliance and ingenuity would propel America to surpass their European cousins.

And Europe resisted this. The problem is so many Europeans do not understand the teachings of John Locke, Charles De Montesquieu, Cicero, and many others. Too many Europeans believe that rights come from government, or written ink on a parchment, and do not understand that rights truly come from the divine. Nor do they understand that rights from the divine mean that no matter what your belief system, all individuals benefit from this due to the check on governmental overreach. Europeans, too often, also do not understand how separation of powers truly works. Simply having multiples branches of government is not enough: there must be viable checks from each branch upon the other in order to deadlock them, and prevent one branch from becoming too powerful. Nor do many Europeans understand the true power of the U.S. Constitution: it’s not there to tell people what they can do; it’s there to instruct government as to what it cannot do.

So to sum up the overall point, those who sling the buzzwords of “nationalism” and “populism” are missing the point entirely. This is a battle between core American values (individual, natural rights and separation of powers) and the foreign Progressive values (collectivism and iron-fisted central government control). In order to combat the assault on our American values, we must correctly identify it. We must get our language right in order to correctly address the Progressive attack.