Summary: America has entered an age of revolutions. This year the counter-revolution by the Right began. It is as ugly as the Left’s revolution; perhaps worse. Unless we act soon, the struggle between our mad extremes will decide America’s fate.
“Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and in actions.”
— Attributed to Harold Geneen (CEO of ITT).
A leader of the alt-Right in action, confronting the Left.
Read this post to see the moment when he became famous and a leader of the alt-right.
One of the emerging leaders of the alt-right is Nathan Damigo. He founded the California-based white nationalist group Identity Evropa. Motto: “We are the future.” He was prominent at the Charlottesville riot. He was, as others have been, further radicalized in prison — where he read David Duke’s racist screed My Awakening: A Path to Racial Understanding
What brought him to public notice and a leadership in the alt-Right?
“Fortune sides with he who dares.”
— Attributed to Virgil.
Leaders are sometimes made by being the first to break rules that are no longer respected. That makes them outlaws and leaders. On 1 December 1955 Rosa Parks refused a bus driver’s order to surrender her seat to a white passenger and move to the back of the bus. The next phase of the Civil Rights revolution had begun.
A generation of young men watched women hitting men in films and on TV — sometimes in anger, in pique, or to demonstrate righteous indignation Women hit men, hurling them across the room. Guys can only accept these displays of grrl-power, since hitting back would be wrong. See examples here.
Hollywood has acted as the national teacher of morality for over 50 years, instructing the peons about the new morality. But the lessons learned were not always what they intended. Showing chivalry as the behavior of fools and sexists changed some fundamentals in relations between men and women. Young men were ready for someone to lead them into a new era of gender equality with a transformative act.
At a Berkeley riot on 15 April 2017 Nathan Damigo boldly crossed a line and made himself famous by his attack on Louise Rosealma. Note she is holding a bottle by the neck, ready for throwing.
He then hit her again (the sequence is unclear) in this video by Luke Rudkowski, founder of WeAreChange. Start at 30 seconds to see him running up to and hitting Louise Rosealma. Why was he not prosecuted for this?
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It is not a conventionally inspiring moment. But all systems must be sustainable, both ecological and social. Girls being esteemed for hitting guys white guys are unable to hit back is an unstable equilibrium. Someone was eventually going to refuse to stay in the back of the gender bus. Avalanches restore equilibrium, but have no morality.
Update: a look at the neo-Nazis on the alt-Right.
See this VICE video about the horrific neo-Nazi alt-Right at Charlottesville. Of course VICEs gives no parallel look at the Antifa thugs. This is a similarity of recent US riots and Weimar — political violence on the streets, with Left and Right each cheering their side. Very Weimerica.
Our age of revolutions.
America has entered a time of revolutions. Like all such, they follow an “S” curve, slow at first — slowly accelerating, than a rise to a climax, then return to a new normal.
The first rounds were fired by the Left at the dawn of the 21st century. Acceptance of gays, then transgendered, then a war on the concept of gender (probably with horrific results for the young children used as guinea pigs for the Left’s experiments). The war on the (fake) rape culture (details here, here). The often violent war on free political speech at colleges (e.g., Edgewood College, Middlebury College, the Berkeley riot, Evergreen College). Their enthusiasm about their use of political violence (e.g., “punching Nazis“). The restructuring of America’s schools in ways that substantially reduced boys ability to thriven in them (e.g., abolishing recess play time, enrichment programs for girls that exclude boys).
Every revolution gets a counter-revolution. Sometimes noble, like Britain’s Glorious Revolution of 1688. Sometimes ugly, like the South’s counter-revolution after Reconstruction, reimposing oppression of Blacks for a century. The Right appears to be choosing to follow the latter path, marching under a flag of white nationalism. See this AP story about its arrival at America’s colleges, using the mob tactics the Left has so long enjoyed.
Sometimes the revolutions begun by extremists determine the fate of nations, if the middle majority allows it. By ancient law and the harsh workings of nature, silence means assent — with America’s future determined by the clash of extremists. That was the way of the Weimar Republic, as its passivity gave a choice between Stalin (communists) and Hitler. This did not end well for Germany.
Our passivity might give us an equally ugly choice between a mad Left and mad Right. That would not end well for us. But we can strike our own path. The political machinery bequeathed to us by the Founders remains idle without us to power it, but still decisive when engaged.
See Reforming America: Steps to New Politics for three score ideas about ways to a better future. Or imagine and execute your own ideas.
For More Information.
If you found this post of use, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Also see all posts about the far-right, about the far-left, about political violence, and especially these…
- Violence, the inevitable consequence of political extremism.
- The Right began the current cycle of political violence in America.
- What are the odds of violence from the Right in America?
- Fear the rise of political violence in America. We can still stop it.
- 2016 revealed the true nature of America’s left & right. It’s bad news.
- Our Right & Left have lost their way. Saul Alinsky points to a better politics.
Our history can help us understand what we can do.
John Adams
American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House
