Thankfully, after decades of polite conservative posturing, times are changing.
The old roll-over-and-die conservative commentary is giving way to the Millennial Independent rhetoric.
The word ‘Independent’ there is important. Most Millennials with significant online presence are dissatisfied with both Republican and Democratic parties in the US. Here in the UK, they eschew the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrats.
I shy away from using the name alt-right to describe this group of bloggers and video makers, because I’m not happy with the negative characteristics the media apply to these people who are fed up with the Left.
The Southern Poverty Law Center says that a white nationalist, Richard Spencer, coined the term in 2008, however, it was Professor Paul Gottfried, Professor Emeritus of Humanities at Elizabethtown College, who actually invented the label ‘alternative right’.
In August 2016, he wrote a piece for Front Page Magazine on the subject. Excerpts follow, emphases mine:
Last week I was reminded by a call from Associated Press that I had invented the term “Alternative Right.” When I asked about how I had accomplished that, the woman on the other end of the phone referred to a speech I had given in November 2008 in which I urged the creation of an “Alternative Right.” The same caller said that I was considered the “godfather” of what had become Altright, something that the Democratic presidential candidate would be denouncing later in the week. Thereupon I tried to explain in what modest ways I may have inspired the movement that Hillary was about to go after (namely, in a quadrennial ritual in presidential races in which the Democratic candidate accuses her GOP rival of being the second coming of Adolf Hitler).
I pointed out that Altright authors, some of whom I knew, shared my revulsion for the neoconservatives and deplored their influence on the American Right. I also noted that Altright publicists believed that modern liberal democracies had become dangerously fixated on promoting equality; and I’ve made this observation repeatedly in my books …
The professor, rightly, states that he does not consider himself part of the alt-right. However, he says that he shares some of their views. In any event:
They are a breath of fresh air for anyone like me who occasionally forces himself to look at the centrist bilge, ostentatious beating up on Confederate symbols and the shilling for multinational corporations that I encounter on the respectable (non-right) Right. I need hardly add that next to the Never Trump crew laboring directly or indirectly to elect “crooked Hillary” as our next president, my Altright acquaintances are exemplary defenders of the American republic.
Alt-right commentators are not racist or sexist. The_Donald is the best alt-right forum and has many commenters who are Latino/Hispanic and some who are black. Gays and women participate. Everyone gets on well there and, of particular interest, are their members from other countries around the world.
Therefore, when the Southern Poverty Law Center — hardly credible because of their consistent left-wing stances — tags the alt-right with being like Richard Spencer, it’s merely an Alinsky tactic to discredit these Millennials who reject their socio-political outlook. Hardly surprising, then.
Gottfried concludes:
On a more optimistic note: the beginnings of an effective post-neoconservative Right may be taking shape in the form of the Trump movement. At least some of the neoconservative camp has split off from the center to join with the Old Right, younger West Coast Straussians, paleolibertarians and the Altright to support Trump’s candidacy. This is the most promising attempt to create a post-neoconservative Right that I have seen since being exiled from the conservative movement eons ago. I’ve no idea whether the center will hold in what is still a loose, ad hoc alliance. But I welcome its emergence in the last few months. Often in politics, it’s the enemy that unites, and in this case those whom circumstances have brought together, have chosen their adversaries well. They are facing with very limited resources, the ultimate traitors to the Right and to an America that should be spared Hillary’s picks for federal judgeships and her refusal to fight specifically Muslim terrorists.
Therefore, from that paragraph, we understand that President Donald Trump’s candidacy coalesced this group of Millennials who bring a different perspective. In Britain, Millennials who supported Brexit comprise this group.
There is another characteristic of this independent group of commentators: their willingness to speak out and use the Left’s own tactics on them, as a Return of Kings post advises:
… the long and short of it is this: embracing and amplifying leftist absurdities are an excellent tactic to counter progressives and SJWs, and three of the ways to embrace and amplify are through increasing the frequency of the embraced absurdity, shifting it slightly to something the leftist finds unacceptable, and/or reversing it on the leftist.
Now, will this tactic work on the leftists themselves? Likely not, for their worldview can only survive on incoherence and absurdity, and so they are used to it—although, in fairness, you may convince the odd leftist to change his mind. However, convincing leftists and progressives is not the point. Rather, the point is to rhetorically neuter the leftists while at the same time helping to sway the fence-sitters to be against the leftists, not for them.
And for the purposes of achieving that particular objective, embracing then amplifying leftist absurdities is a good tactic to use.
Vox Day, a Christian blogger and author writes about the effect of Gamergate (2014-2015), which showed the young Left at their worst in revealing their opponents’ identities, harassing them and sending them death threats:
One of the fascinating things about the last few years is the transition of many apolitical Game writers and sites to politically conscious Alt-Right and Alt-Lite perspectives. This is significant, because all of the writers involved are entirely accustomed to being mobbed and assailed by the mainstream media, so they’re not inclined to cuck and run like most conservatives are when faced with criticism.
That is the principal characteristic of this group, never seen before in such numbers until 2016. They understand how the game is played and they engage time and time again.
These people are not white supremacists or white nationalists. On the contrary, they welcome everyone to participate in dialogue promoting and defending traditional values of informed patriotism, family life and personal integrity.
They will not cave and, as this revolution of words unfolds, they will remain in the front line.
13 comments
March 17, 2017 at 11:03 pm
OIKOS™-Redaktion
Reblogged this on Die Erste Eslarner Zeitung – Aus und über Eslarn, sowie die bayerisch-tschechische Region!.
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March 18, 2017 at 2:55 am
dfordoom
A minor quibble. Vox Day was born in 1968 so he definitely isn’t a Millennial.
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March 18, 2017 at 11:03 am
churchmouse
Indeed. He’s older than Tucker Carlson.
Took out ‘Millennial’. Meant to do that in a previous edit.
Thank you for taking the time to point that out.
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March 18, 2017 at 3:55 am
James Higham
Give or take the Millennial quibble for Vox – he considers himself Gen X – this still is the defining piece on alt-right. Shall incorporate the link on the topics page.
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March 18, 2017 at 11:04 am
churchmouse
Thank you, James — greatly appreciated.
Have amended text for Vox.
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March 18, 2017 at 11:44 am
dfordoom
What worries me about the Millennial conservatives that I’ve encountered is that they’re not conservative in any meaningful or coherent way. In fact they have no comprehension of what being conservative actually entails. They’re right-wing, but it’s not the same thing.
They remind me of the sorts of people who think Margaret Thatcher was conservative.
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March 18, 2017 at 12:13 pm
churchmouse
They seem to be traditionalists, which is great.
For too long, conservatives have failed to embrace centrists or allies on the fringe. This generation is doing that, and if The_Donald is any indicator, it’s working.
They have a great grasp of the news, politics and law, thanks to the drama of the presidential campaign. They’re feisty and won’t roll over. They’re creative, clever and witty. Conservatives desperately need this generation.
BTW, I’m a centrist. It’s time someone spoke to and for people like me. Now it’s finally happening. This is why I gravitated towards Trump a year ago at this time. He’s not a conservative, either.
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March 18, 2017 at 12:41 pm
dfordoom
I’m somewhat left-leaning on economic issues, but very socially conservative. And I’m a monarchist. It’s a lonely position to occupy!
From my point of view I worry that Millennial conservatives are too inclined to compromise on social issues.
I liked Trump because he was a lot more left-wing on economic issues than Clinton, but marginally more socially conservative. I’d have voted for him.
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March 18, 2017 at 12:51 pm
churchmouse
So, you may be a centrist, too. Have you taken this test?
The Millennials at The_Donald aren’t keen on feminism. They are the sort who want to settle down and raise a family. The problem for some of them, they say, is that nice girls are difficult to find.
I’m interested in knowing how Millennial conservatives would be inclined to compromise on social issues, because you might have access to some information that I haven’t yet seen.
Agree with you on Trump.
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March 18, 2017 at 1:05 pm
dfordoom
So, you may be a centrist, too. Have you taken this test?
I just took it. I’m a left authoritarian. Apparently I’m Literally Stalin! Which is good since we have so many people these days who are Literally Hitler – we need a few who are Literally Stalin to balance things out.
I’m interested in knowing how Millennial conservatives would be inclined to compromise on social issues,
They seem to be very pro-homosexual and mostly pro-abortion.
The problem for some of them, they say, is that nice girls are difficult to find.
I imagine that it’s almost impossible given our society’s worship of promiscuity. Like I said, I’m very socially conservative.
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March 18, 2017 at 1:17 pm
churchmouse
‘Apparently I’m Literally Stalin!’ Thanks for letting me know — much appreciated! 😮
Re ‘our society’s worship of promiscuity’, there is that. But, then, there is also the way people look at things. I could be obsessed with atheism and figuratively banging my head against a wall about it, but I don’t. I try to take a more positive direction. You must know nice ladies? I would put them in the forefront of my mind. Unsolicited advice, I know.
Thanks for your perspective on Millennials and social issues. They grew up in a different time, so all this stuff was thrown at them at school. I think some of them will change their minds on abortion as they get older. Trump did when Barron was born.
Re gays, they’re people, too. I want them to be part of the movement and to red pill all their friends.
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March 18, 2017 at 2:03 pm
dfordoom
I could be obsessed with atheism and figuratively banging my head against a wall about it, but I don’t. I try to take a more positive direction.
That’s definitely the best way to deal with it. If politics or pushing any kind of ideology becomes your whole life then you’re in trouble. I try to make sure that it’s not my whole life.
It’s sad that for so many people politics is their whole life.
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March 18, 2017 at 2:04 pm
churchmouse
The same goes for feminism or any social issue, too! 😉
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