These Are Not the Time for Half Measures

From our contributor, Misha.  

2 Kings 13:18-20:  “And he [the prophet Elisha] said, Take the arrows. And he [Joash, king of Israel] took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed. And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice.”

George is right. These are not the times for half measures. America is undergoing a revolution. But it is not the revolution most people think.

The Liberal Establishment runs America. It is an oligarchy. It has done so since the days of FDR. The problem that it is facing is that it has run out of room to “progress”. You can only flirt so much with bureaucratic totalitarianism without fully imposing it.  You can only flirt so long with socialism without abolishing private property. And you can only outsource production and jobs so long and to such a degree without impoverishing the working class and creating a capitalist (globalist would be more accurate) crisis.

The Demsheviks have hit a dead end similar to the one they did under Jimmy Carter. No place to go but misery and malaise.

Trump is the revolutionary. He intends to replace the house that FDR built. It is vital to understand that what Antifa and BLM are doing is not revolutionary but simply the culmination of “progress”. That is why it is being egged on by the Liberal Establishment. “A Marxist is just a liberal in a hurry.” One may restore America but there is nothing left to preserve because this is the course that America has been on since the 1930’s – the slow march toward socialism.

This is why Trump is facing such an uphill battle from all sectors. He’s engaged in regime change. The only way it can be done, if it can be done, is for him to take over the Republican Party and turn it into a nationalist entity (which he has done) and then propel his party to control all three branches of government in their entirety, including both chambers of Congress. Only then can he really begin to root out the corrupt ideology that has infested the body politic. As it stands, often he cannot get his own executive branch officials to do his bidding even though that is their job. Kissinger, after meeting with Trump early on, remarked that his had the potential to be a transformational administration. He was referring to this dynamic.

If he is successful, the Governing Ideology of the new regime will not be the American Conservatism we are used to but a variant of it, or a reformed version. American Conservatism is too libertarian in its economics and too committed to “free trade” to actually serve the national interest. A modern state cannot abide laissez faire economics better suited to a much more self reliant, agrarian economy. Redistribution of wealth and public assistance are the foundations of modern political stability. The security of the upper classes is dependent on the satisfaction of the lower.

So Republicans will have to get used to the idea that deficit spending is normal and not to be avoided given that we own the world’s mint. They will also have to get used to the idea that free trade, as it has been practiced up until Trump’s administration, has outsourced jobs and devastated entire sectors of the economy.

These are quite serious reforms in American Conservatism which bring it much closer in line to Classical Conservatism. And make no mistake, a sizeable chunk of the Republican establishment was squarely on board with letting the middle class bleed out due to outsourcing. They were making their profits and “times change” they said to themselves.  

In doing so, they fell into the same trap internationally that business did almost 100 years ago at the national level. Capitalist excess went a long way toward sinking the American economy then. Now the dynamic has been repeated at the international level with the underpaid workers being in China or Mexico rather than in American working class neighborhoods. Full warehouses, no money for consumption. Same difference.

This is not to say that capitalism is bad. Far from it. It is the greatest engine for human material improvement ever devised. It just has its rough edges – rough edges which nationalism corrects. The thing to understand though is that we are at a revolutionary moment. America was headed for socialism. Unless the spell is broken, it will continue in that direction. Classical Conservatism/Trumpism/Christian Nationalism can break the spell, but it has to be a decisive break. Old habits die hard.

Notice I haven’t said a word about our constitutional system of governance. This is more important than that. If the Constitution were going to save us from the Liberal Establishment, it already would have done so. “Restoring” it won’t prevent the same dynamic from unfolding again. Really, for all intents and purposes, the Constitution was abrogated in 1964 in The Heart of Atlanta vs. U.S. case which upheld the Civil Rights Act of 1964. That ended freedom of association and federalism by extending Congress unlimited power under the Commerce Clause.

This got the federal government hip deep in the business of repressing “discrimination”. This opened the door to designate protected classes and even practice “reverse discrimination” in the form of “affirmative action” racial and gender quotas.

That is the current System. So when you hear people talking about Antifa and BLM as revolutionaries, you’re hearing nonsense. They are defending their System, which is already in place and gaining ground, against Trumpism. They are, in fact, counter-revolutionaries.

Nonetheless, it may be politically expedient to frame it in the way the Right has chosen. But regardless, you don’t accomplish a revolution with half-measures. If you want to overthrow the Liberal Establishment, you need to be all in – “by any means necessary”.

Forgiveness is easier to obtain than permission.

Comments

  1. This is a very good overview. It is definitely going to be really interesting to see how all of this pans out come November 3rd. Barring massive voter fraud, Trump is going to win and I believe Republicans will take the House and Senate. It just seems inevitable at this point. The Democrats have moved so far left/marxist that they by-and-large are a boutique party that caters to leftist extremists. The Democrat Party of the working man no longer exists, and has not existed for quite a while. The party of the Dixiecrats is dead and has been replaced by the Republicans. 
     
    This is evident because if even Minnesota (with its American branding of Scandinavian socialism) is in play, they I would be willing to bet that every other state is as well. 
     
    I’m going to do a plug for Dr. Steve Turley on YouTube, he has some amazing commentary not only on what is going on in the United States, but also around the world. He argues that the world is not turning more left-wing, but quite the opposite, the world is moving vastly to the right. Globalism has overplayed its hand and people have said enough is enough 
     
     
    Because the Left controls the media they want you to think that we are on the right are the minority when in fact I really believe that we are the majority. The Democrats are the boutique party of the major cities and don’t represent the average American or our beliefs. 
     
     
    the bigger question is, how is all of this actually going to play out in real-time? To sum up a quote I saw (paraphrasing): “One side has all of the ammo, while the other side can’t decide what gender it is.” 

    • George Michalopulos says

      In the UK, the Labour Party abandoned the white working class as well, concentrating on “boutique” leftist politics like LGBT, “freedom for Palestine”, open borders for Third-worlders, you name it. And the Tories shellacked them last November. Counties that hadn’t bone “blue” in a hundred years went Tory.

      • Yep! And I am thinking this is a possibility here in the U.S., I visited the U.K back in December and I got the impression (especially from things I have read) that outside of London the U.K is largely socially conservative. I also experienced this when I was in Australia (ironically also one of the most racist places I’ve ever been lol) 

    • George Michalopulos says

      Turley’s fantastic. I listen to him, Styx and Tim Poole religiously anymore.

      • Peter Papoutsis says

        The political trinity of our current age.
        Peter A. Papoutsis 

      • Rdr. Daniel Kowalcheck says

        I also tune in to those guys, all great George. I also highly suggest checking out Bill Whittle. Superb analysis of current political events and a lot from pop culture. The only thing he gets a little wonky on is Russia, but he can be forgiven because he’s a boomer with a Russian wife who is not an Orthodox Christian (as far as I can tell).
        Nevertheless, a highly recommended conservative that does about 40 shows a month.

  2. Thanks, George, for putting this up.  I know it was a rather long post . . .
    You’re on the money regarding the international situation.  It is a dicey thing for some Americans, even conservative Americans, to appreciate but Western Liberalism has spent itself and is in retreat.  It’s terrifying to many because they don’t know “what comes next?”.  It is natural to project boogey men at an unknown situation replacing a known to which one has grown accustomed.  It’s worse for liberals, to be sure.  That is why they are periodically freaking out.  There was actually a period of about a week when grammar and punctuation suffered at the national press level right after the last presidential election, it hit them so hard.  You may have noticed.  I did.
    And it is difficult for conservatives as well in that they are used to being the moon party – always the bridesmaid, never the bride.  The notion that the Republicans may end up being the single dominant party in the US is unsettling for them.  It means responsibility for whatever happens.  That’s what terrifies many “Never-Trumpers”.  They don’t want to own it, just kvetch.
    But the ship was sinking.  Something had to give.  Internationally, there seems to be a counterweight to Davos forming in Europe and now America.  People who realize, like Pat Buchanan, that Western Liberalism is suicidal and unnatural no matter how “nice” or “just” it seems to some.
    The question that has preoccupied me for the last several years, and which is even more imminently relevant now, is, “Just how powerful is the Davos Borg?”
    The fact that Trump is in office tells us much.  There are limits to their power, though it be Orwellian.  They still feel constrained by elections.  Evidently they do not have firm control of the military.  They coopted much of the Republican Party before Trump, though he seems now to have brought it to heel.  And though they try to control social media and the internet, it has contributed mightily to their undoing.  Information simply isn’t containable any more.  Every cell phone owner is a reporter/cameraman.
    I’m gaining confidence that it is getting through to independents and even some moderate libs how macabre, Orwellian corrupt the Democratic establishment is.  And I agree that the UK was a canary in the mine.  My guess is the polls are garbage and that absent some corrupt fix by the Left, Trump will win comfortably.  The evidence is just too black and white and in your face on the internet and non-legacy media for it to be ignored.
     

    • George Michalopulos says

      Misha, as I wrote two weeks ago about Turkey (the original Deep State operation), my trip there started me to go on the road of questioning government-by-principle instead of government-by-identity. I was put off by the answer to my question: “what if the Turkish people vote for an Islamist/ethno-nationalist government?” The answer I received was “it’ll never happen because the army [reasons]”.

      As Ernest Hemingway wrote in The Sun Also Rises, when one of the protagonists was asked “how did you go broke?”. His answer: “at first gradually, then all at once”.

      Still, old habits died hard. My last illusions about democratic liberalism/universalism crashed in the sands of Iraq.

  3. If 2016 was: “The First Blast of the Trump
    against the Monstrous Regiment of Hillary”,
    2020 promises an even bigger blast…!!!

  4. The demochems, and the Retoxiccan  will both do nothing about the health destroying weather warfare jet planes that have been poisoning US citizens for decades. A man gives you some money you need, but also breaks you knee cap. These people are not your friends like a heartfelt harmless friend is. Here in Portland Ore, antifa and thugs have joined themselves with people rightfully concerned by the brutal and trigger happy police. They have a almost shot me twice during my decades here. I just walked out of my HUD  housing apartment into the hallway barefoot, another time is was just sitting in my sleeping bag. They had their guns out before I even saw them. Pro life activists really took a beating while sitting in front of an abortion clinic door.They call the homeless here campers. I expect 10 to 30 million poor people to join me this winter. All my equipment is arctic weather gear. I guard it at at all time. Desperate people do desperate thing. At least they got 4 or  5 months, I only got a week.

  5. Greetings everyone,
    I have been following this blog for awhile now, but have never posted before. This was a very good article, and sums things up pretty well, though there are certainly foreign actors in play, and have been for some time. I wanted to share this link and see what others here think. While not Orthodox, some of you may be familiar with this gentleman. He typically speaks on entrepreneurship, but these are certainly not typical times. His take however, I think may be of benefit for all. If links are not allowed here, forgive me and make any necessary changes to my post if need be.
    God bless
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfjZgdQsr6s

    • George Michalopulos says

      Thank you for linking this!

    • Michael Bauman says

      A lot to think about, especially the short term thinking of “democracies” vs autocracies.  
      But I would rather be under Russia than China.
      Our dedication to indvidualb”rights” aka the passions will sink us and perhaps it should.  We might be more inclined to repentance.
       

  6. Michael Bauman says

    We always have the choice: the world or to be not of this world.  Usually, I seem to want to try to have a little bit of both. Indeed half measures.   But that is not the Gospel. We cannot serve two masters.   Worldly “solutions” always yield worldly results–death, destruction and blood.  Especially “morality” without God.  Whether it is the morality of social justice or the market or any ideological lie. 
    No half measures means immersing oneself in prayer, worship, fasting, repentance and almsgiving.  Not as a “solution” for that is doing the right deed for the wrong reason but simply for the love of God allowing Him to give the increase.  But I am lazy and lax a man dedicated more to sin than holiness.
     
    May our Good Lord who is everywhere present and fills all things with His providential mercy forgive us.
     

  7. George Michalopulos says

    See, things aren’t just going to “bounce back”: 
    https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/jim-treacher/2020/08/31/riot-ravaged-minneapolis-businesses-cant-rebuild-because-the-insurance-wont-cover-it-n867003o 
    The Oligarchy has to make a decision.  So far, they have not chosen wisely.
     

  8. LSV Serious Callers Only says

    At long last! Homestretch of the interminable American election season. The conventions are over, primaries are now more or less over, and we’re down to the final two months.

    Looking at the latest Morning Consult data, there are a couple striking things worthy of note. The shape of the election is quite a bit different than 2016. And the differences are generally not in Trump’s favor. Post-convention undecideds are a third of what they were in 2016. And Biden is +8 compared to Clinton’s +3. If you recall, Trump had an advantage in late undecideds breaking for him, which was likely decisive in his narrow electoral college win.

    This time around, there are fewer undecideds, and a bigger general margin for Biden. Biden also has much higher favorability and lower negatives than Clinton did.

    So here’s the straight scoop. Forget fantasies of Biden losing everything but California and Delaware. The battlegrounds remain Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina and Arizona. These states will be hard fought over the next several weeks, but it’s not inconceivable that Biden could sweep them all.

    Frankly, given how bumpy the ride of a close election could be, a +8 level Biden landslide would probably be the best thing for the country. We have Trump declaring that the only legitimate outcome of the election is a victory by him. And we have a Election Night media circus that wants to be able to call a victor. But we have unprecedented absentee ballots to count this year, and many states won’t be able to tally them ahead of Election Night. This is a volatile situation in a close race, because come midnight on Election Night, Trump could have a small lead in battleground states which goes away in the coming days as all the votes are tallied.

    Still too early to make a EC map guess. I’ll probably do that at Halloween.

  9. “So Republicans will have to get used to the idea that deficit spending is normal and not to be avoided given that we own the world’s mint.”

    Unwise to make plans that assume the continuation of the unsustainable.  Over the event horizon, there is no petrodollar with world reserve currency status, maybe no America(ns), much less Republic(ans).

    “In doing so, they fell into the same trap internationally that business did almost 100 years ago at the national level. Capitalist excess went a long way toward sinking the American economy then.”

    The 1920s, and the Great Depression weren’t the result of capitalist excess, but rather socialism and the Ponzi scheme set up by WW I peace treaties.  For those conspiracy minded, the creation of the Federal Reserve under Pres. Wilson in 1913 was the last piece needed before arranging for WW I.

    “Redistribution of wealth and public assistance are the foundations of modern political stability.”

    So have always said the bankers, who control the creation of fiat money, and have always demanded redistribution of wealth through income taxes, which is really a tool for keeping down the middle and working class, because those with real wealth don’t need earned income and thus often don’t have any to tax to begin with.
     

    • During the period of conflict between Tip O’Neil and Reagan in the 1980’s, the rhetoric regarding libertarian economics was all in fashion.  At that time, the argument, in fact, was between increasing federal spending across the board at 3-4% (Republican),  which Sen. Kennedy and Speaker Tip characterized as “slashing” spending, or 7% (Democrat).  
      Libertarian economics make for great one liners and sound bites.  There may even be some theoretical and logical validity to it.  However, it is politically impossible to function in such an idealistic manner.  The degree of responsibility to be assumed by the lower and middle classes in such a dynamic is simply unrealistic.
      The one trump card the Democrats and Left have always had against the Right, to the detriment of social issues (abortion, feminism, law and order) and international issues (the fight against communism) was that the Republicans were easily depictable as stingy.  
      The trick is to keep the spigot open while avoiding inflation and lowering the national credit rating.  But the days of legendary self reliance have long passed in terms of actual implementable policy and the rhetoric needs to adjust as well to rob the other side of a wedge issue.  We can act as a practical point of gravity for fiscal restraint without advertising it to our detriment.  There is no evidence that we will be less successful doing it that way than we have already using empty rhetoric.

  10. George Michalopulos says

    Another example of autophagy (i.e. the Revolution eating its own):

    https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/08/31/vandalism-of-mayors-homes-takes-protests-to-a-new-level/

    Apropos of nothing at all, I despise LBJ but he did say something right:  “You know what the difference is between cannibals and liberals?  Cannibals only eat their enemies.”

  11. George Michalopulos says
    • George Michalopulos says

      This was to be the October Surprise.  The fact that they had to pull the trigger this early shows me how desperate the Dems are.