Every now and then one encounters an illustration of what’s wrong with conservatism, inc. that’s so egregious that one feels obliged to comment. And this happened to me just the other day! On June 14 Townhall featured an essay in support of John James, the Republican senatorial candidate in Michigan. This commentary almost managed to get me to donate to James’s Democratic opponent. For those who don’t know, James is a black former army officer with a distinguished military record, a West Point graduate, and a successful businessman. The Republicans, for all I know, may have made a sound choice in deciding to run James. His standard GOP views and military prowess will probably serve him well in most regions of Michigan. At the same time, James’s racial identity might help him penetrate the powerful Democratic hold in the heavily black Southeastern corner of the state.

His advocate on Townhall, Marina Medvin, however, is determined to turn her endorsement into an attack on those who reject her “red-white-and blue” Americanism. From her recurrent grammatical mistakes and malapropisms it would seem that the author is not an English native speaker. She is in fact a Russian immigrant, who adores the US but does so in her own way. She seems to be insisting (although not very clearly) that we should all be generic Americans and not allow our ethnic or regional identities to filter our identity as a people. She then unloads her barrels on three groups whom she considers to be violating her concept of Americanness, Black Lives Matter, the LGBT lobby and those who respect the Confederate Heritage. Marina expresses concern that “these divisive groups are trending around the country” and disturbing our domestic tranquility. But these “divisive groups” are also very different; and the only principle that may unite them is that Marina happens to dislike all three equally. She may also be positioning her preferred candidate in the Michigan senatorial race as the exact opposite of three groups that she loathes. Fascism: The Career of... Paul E. Gottfried Best Price: $23.12 Buy New $27.58 (as of 04:55 UTC - Details)

There are two principal objections that I would raise against this screed. First, it denies to Americans (or at least seems to) the right to preserve regional and ancestral identities.  A friend who read Marina’s commentary asked sarcastically but also insightfully whether she would also challenge the right of American Zionists to campaign for and subsidize their own ethnic cause. Given the likely neoconservative funding as well as management of the website, run by Dennis Prager, that features her opinions, the obvious answer is “no.” Why therefore are Southern whites to be denied the right to decorate the graves of their Confederate ancestors or to keep statues of Robert E. Lee from being demolished?  Needless to say, organizations that denigrate the white race, police officers of all races or try to force upon the unwilling LGBT projects are in an entirely different league from those who labor to preserve Southern or Confederate antiquities. I would also make this judgment about New Englanders or Westerners who are involved in regional preservation activities. Nor would I alter my stand if the PC Left decided to go after New England Puritans as sexists or “slave holders.” Or if Wapo went after Plain State heroes and their celebrants as nativists and homophobes.

Encounters: My Life wi... Paul Gottfried Best Price: $5.20 Buy New $5.60 (as of 08:10 UTC - Details) Marina goes into a spiel about the kind of American diversity she approves of: “Americans are an inherently diverse group, a country comprised of immigrants. Collectively, we have every conceivable background amongst us. Every color. Every race. Every gender. Every religion. Every culture. Every language. And so on. And, many of our children are mixes of such colors and religions and cultures. We are diverse, definitively.” From this sentence it would seem that Marina thinks difference is OK but only for certain groups. She doesn’t extend her seal of approval to Southern regionalists who offend the PC-crowd with their monuments, flags and perhaps archaic drawl.

Finally it disturbs me no end to see devotees of the Confederate heritage kicked around by the faux Right trying to make common cause with the Left. Does Marina or her neoconservative sponsors really believe that the Left will leave them alone if they join in dumping on those who find value in the Confederate heritage? Up until recently lots of politician even outside the South engaged in such action and did so effusively, including Dwight Eisenhower and Bill Clinton. I’m also wondering whether our faux conservatives believe they’ll gain a single black vote in Southeastern Michigan by grouping the Confederate heritage with movements that threaten our safety and civil liberties.  I doubt any voter in Flint or Pontiac will even notice.  If the virtue-signalers however are trying to win over to their side Maxine Waters, Reverend Al, and Corey Booker, then they’re obviously wasting their time. They’re engaged in a lost cause –but not the one Confederate Heritage-types are celebrating.

The Best of Paul Gottfried