The commonly expressed opinion is that we have become two separate nations living within the boundaries of one territory. And that is becoming true. More and more normal people are waking up to the fact that the nation we grew up in is being erased consciously and thoroughly. And because all the private and government institutions are aligned in doing this we have no recourse. We’ve become strangers in a strange land. And as the young adopt the new world being created the rest of us become isolated and atomized. And being isolated reinforces our dispossession and makes us feel powerless and alone. This needs to be addressed.
When I consider the idea of the Right forming a replacement for the Republican party, I think the political function of the organization might actually be a less important aspect. I believe a new organization for non-progressives might be more valuable as a meeting place for them socially. And by socially, I mean personally and for business networking and for community organizing. So this can run the gamut from looking for a date to looking for a job to looking for a new mayor. But the first two of those tasks feel more critical.
Let’s face it. In some parts of this country progressives outnumber us by orders of magnitude and identifying like-minded individuals is extremely difficult. Churches and fraternal organizations have become moribund and even deceptive. So, what better way of increasing the odds of meeting people who don’t hate you than giving them a home away from home?
Let’s take an example. If you live on one of the coasts and are a rock climber, you might join a local club and try to fit in with that group. But suppose the club is a hive of Bernie Bros. Well, you can keep quiet and just go along and try to enjoy the climbing activities but socializing with people who despise your values is a frustrating ordeal of maintaining silence in the face of continuous abuse.
But suppose instead that an organization is gathered from people who believe the same things you do. And just imagine that a bulletin board exists where these like-minded people advertise clubs and activities that you could involve yourself in. Basically, that becomes like Facebook but with the social justice warriors stripped away. It would be sort of like heaven without the clouds and annoying harp music.
Now, I’m not downplaying the importance of having a new political entity. The Republican party is an absurd joke in terms of its commitment to our values. We need someplace where non-leftists can rate the Republican office holders and decide which ones are okay and which ones need to go. And this could be done away from the Republican party that has vested interests in keeping the incumbents in office regardless of their policy positions. But above and beyond politics normal people need an organization that allows them to be themselves around people that are like them.
For people in red states all of this is less pressing. They can find local groups that share their values and fraternize with. But in the blue states you live a cryptic existence finding your friends floating almost at random in a sea of unsympathetic adversaries. But I actually like the idea of a “secret” society. There could be insignia pins and secret handshakes and initiation ceremonies where we have to drink cool-aid from a replica of a Trump golden sneaker or something. And of course, there would have to be a national event where we all gather in a sufficiently cheesy location like the Las Vegas strip and take selfies with semi-celebrities and wear funny hats.
Believe it or not I think all of that would be great. Belonging to something that proclaims your beliefs is liberating. No one has to guess if you’re “one of those.” You’re declaring it openly and you can wear it as a badge of honor. It will self-select your friends and enemies and that’s okay too.
Will it ever happen? I think it will. Maybe it will have to wait for 2025 to wake up the rest of the sleepwalkers who still think this is one country and that the Republicans represent them. Maybe it will take a Supreme Court decision restoring the right to free association. But one way or another people will begin self-selecting by what they believe in and don’t believe in. As you know I’m partial to the name, “The He-Man Woman-Haters Club.” But “The Normies” would work for me too.