A conversation started by RMB, regarding what might happen if Trump is re-elected:
The 2 plausible choices for the Right [are] 1) secession of blue and red states from one another, leading to a peace but disunion or 2) Trump or some other leader of the Right goes dictator and snuffs out the Left’s rebellion with no mercy. A Pinochet type of character.
To which I suggested that Angelo Codevilla offered the possibility of option 2) even before Trump won the election in 2016. Citing from Codevilla:
We have stepped over the threshold of a revolution. It is difficult to imagine how we might step back, and futile to speculate where it will end. Our ruling class’s malfeasance, combined with insult, brought it about. Donald Trump did not cause it and is by no means its ultimate manifestation. Regardless of who wins in 2016, this revolution’s sentiments will grow in volume and intensity, and are sure to empower politicians likely to make Americans nostalgic for Donald Trump’s moderation.
To which I added at the time:
The Ruling Class: How ...
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For those who fear that some form of extreme fascism is coming to the United States, they need not fear Trump; the fear is in who (or what) comes next – win or lose for Trump.
I pray for RMB’s option 1, but the left won’t have it. Absent this, some version of option 2 is inevitable, as there are too many people in this country in opposition to the insanity. In any case, a tyrannical dictator promising to restore order always follows revolution.
Returning to the conversation started by RMB, ATL asks: “what is really going on?” Were they just trying to get Trump to go dictatorial and invade the cities to restore order?
Or are they just looking to use physical intimidation to get people to accept some of their newly proposed radical policies? Is this their vehicle for reparations? Green New Deal? Seems unlikely.
Maybe they just want to make Trump’s America look as bad as possible before the election, even if it means allowing hooligans to burn down their own cities on their watches. That seems like a plan likely to backfire.
A revolution has many fathers. Today’s revolution began long ago. One could make the case for the Enlightenment as the start; one could also make the case for what we now refer to as Cultural Marxism and the transformation of education – both K – 12 and university – from one that valued science and Western Civilization to one that has worked to destroy both. We see the fruits of this labor on the streets, on our television, in the press.
But this is too long a history to trace, and others have done it well. Just focusing on the last few years…the condition described as Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) has been evident for four years: Russiagate, impeachment, anything he says about the corona, etc.
But Trump is nothing other than a manifestation of the pushback by many against political centralization and universalist political and social desires. Those afflicted with TDS will do anything (and this means anything) to get rid of him and crush any hope of those who favor the individual, the local, the national.
The Character of Natio...
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Speaking of those willing to do anything…fast forward to the year 2020. When the corona lockdowns began in March (putting 40 million or more out of work), I felt (and still feel) that the primary driver was financial: the markets required liquidity, and a 2008-style bailout was not politically possible. Then, the lockdown was an obvious gift to the financial industry – and it created tremendous non-violent backlash. So, the virus was the pretext, and something like $8 or $10 trillion of liquidity has been added just via the Federal government and Federal Reserve – almost instantaneously.
What has happened since then, or in addition? Not wanting to let a crisis go to waste…the pharmaceutical industry is all in; further tracking and monitoring is inevitable; governors, mayors, and county commissioners are flexing their dictatorship; congress has an open door to spend; rioters are given free reign; churches are closed.
Add in the green new deal and reparations if you like – add in the teacher’s unions insisting that because of corona they won’t go back to work unless charter schools are closed. None of it has to make sense or even be connected to the original issue – they are revolutionaries.
The objective of Cultural Marxists – the destruction of science and Western Civilization (most importantly, Christianity) – is clearly proving successful.
All revolutionaries are happy recipients of the largess offered by revolution. They need not have identical objectives – revolutionaries never do, as they only agree on what they are against. This revolution – like the French and Russian before it – will devour its young (along with many of us). I hope to live to see that day. I know, some will say that this is not very Christ-like of me; just remember Revelation 19:
13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
Bring it on.
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Conclusion
Which comes back to Codevilla, and a podcast from LRC just a few weeks into Trump’s term, and from which I cite:
Hear me…you see the entire ruling class essentially rejecting the Constitution, the American way, rejecting the legitimacy of elections. There can be no mild response to that, and there isn’t one. Trump’s voters want certain results and they don’t particularly care how they get them. The ruling class wants its power and doesn’t particularly care how it holds on to it.
Win or lose for Trump in 2020, demands for dictatorial and even tyrannical power will rise. If Trump wins, the left will go even more berserk and the right (and I divide left and right by where one falls, knowingly or unknowingly, regarding natural law) will come to a point of demanding action – or taking it individually and in small groups. If Trump loses, the left needs no pretext for demanding dictatorial or tyrannical power. This defines the left.
Either way, there are too many people in too many towns – especially in what is known as “flyover country” but also in other parts of the country – that are well capable of taking matters into their own hands by defending their own.
The only peaceful outcome is decentralization. The right will be happy with this; the left won’t allow it.
Epilogue
The left, as represented by the Democratic Party in the United States, held office to push America into World War One (Wilson), World War Two (Roosevelt), Korea (Truman), Vietnam (Kennedy in a small way, Johnson all in), Libya, Syria, Yemen (Obama). The two major exceptions in the last hundred years: Carter started no major conflict; Bush junior started two.
Revolution – and war (for other than defense) is the ultimate expression of this – is an inherent feature of the left.
Reprinted with permission from Bionic Mosquito.
