Yesterday I said the Right has to start getting organized and eliminate divisions. Almost on cue my e-mail sends me Curtis Yarvin’s newsletter and I see a link to his appearance on Alex Jones’ show. Watching this was almost surreal. Two more dissimilar individuals existing on the same political “side” is hard to imagine.
Of course, the question could be asked whether this is a positive or negative sign. Could it be that the ravages of cancel culture have thrown these polar opposites into each other’s arms out of desperation I guess it’s possible. But if so, it seems to be happening quite a bit.
I’ve watched several conversations between Yarvin and Michael Anton. And then one between Anton and two infotainment guys called the “Good Ol Boyz.”
On the more dissident end of the spectrum paleoconservative Paul Gottfried serves as a bridge between the more hard-edged thinkers like ZMan and the more civic nationalist crowds at American Greatness and the Claremont Institute. And reading these two mainstream outlets I notice edgier material gaining on more mainstream essays. And this is happening on many mainstream publications like the Federalist and American Conservative.
Maybe my post was just resonance with a process already occurring. Either way, I see all of this as movement in a positive direction. The Left has gone so far into radicalism that it has alienated a wide swath of people from the far-right to moderate progressives. Our side can use this reaction to take back territory and prove ourselves rational and competent. And that will make it harder for the Left to demonize us when the inevitable pendulum swing heads the other way.
What it doesn’t mean is that we should “reach across the aisle” to adopt the status quo. The current state of American culture and governance is already a leftist nightmare. We must aim to reverse the current shape of things and restore the things that made the United States a healthy and sane society. Just because the voters of San Francisco recalled three of their school board officials doesn’t mean I would want to get the advice or approval of Left Coast weirdos before picking a presidential candidate.
I’ll be watching for further signs of a loosening of the gatekeeping on the right. If a lot of the Trump approved primary candidates displace the RINO’s I expect that after the Republicans take control of Congress there will be investigations and scrutiny of the more outrageous excesses of the Biden Justice Department with respect to the January 6th witch hunts. And we might see more emphasis on legislative topics that align with the agenda that goes beyond the weak priorities approved by the Republican establishment.
But even if we have to wait for 2024 to see any large changes in government actions, I am very interested in seeing Republicans of all stripes communicating with each other honestly. We’re each different. We represent a continuum of beliefs and priorities. And it will take negotiations and compromise to find a platform that a solid majority will stand behind. But if we don’t talk it will never happen.