“It’s only ‘democracy’ if your side is winning,” the managing editor of this publication is prone to muttering. She is referring, of course, to the hypocrisy of our managerial elites. They bleat loudly about the ‘dangers to democracy’ posed by right-wing populist movements—but silence anyone in the public square with whom they disagree. In the name of ‘protecting’ democracy, our elites operate anti-democratically—like dockside bullies.
They do this by blocking accounts, cancelling contracts, disinviting people, shutting down servers—or through vandalism and violence. With these tactics, progressives have achieved a near-total stranglehold on communications, entertainment, media—and, thus, on our culture and even our very minds. Additionally, manipulative campaigns and a constant flow of media disinformation have created a ‘false consciousness’ among the unwitting public. This leads them to believe that conservatives really are ‘fascists,’ that abortion somehow does preserve women’s dignity, and that the ubiquity of rainbows is a sure sign of our moral emancipation.
Naturally, the surveillance state is employed to track and monitor any dangerous idea that contradicts this state of affairs. Anyone who resists or violates the ever-shifting ‘community guidelines’ is punished. The rest of us learn to do what they tell us. We learn to obey.
Sadly, this narrow mindset is not limited to the progressives, sexual revolutionaries, and neo-Marxists who darken our world. Even among the dazzling variety of traditions on the Right, a certain amount of ‘cognitive miserliness’ can be found: conservatives who have grown too enamoured of comfort to rock the ship of our global regime. Often those who most cherish the Anglo-American model—and who therefore should be the most averse to the suppression of dissent—take quick mental shortcuts and condemn those who may threaten our overlords.
This journal routinely resists such narrowness of thought on the Right. We hold that there are important discussions to be had (perhaps about controversial topics) from which all of us—even the most cynical—can learn. Being intellectually promiscuous, perhaps even rebellious, is a sure way to fend off total servility to a dominant group.
The establishment powers behind today’s mainstream parties—including conservative ones that have the most to lose from new, dissident, right-wing parties—actively take steps to block newcomers. This is short-sighted, for whether they are ‘populist’ or ‘nationalist,’ the new parties resonate deeply with the ‘regular guy’: John Doe. People like him are unashamedly patriotic, protective of their families and communities, and willing to disrupt the ineffective and outdated ‘Conservatism, Inc.’
This is why some of the newer, more exciting right-wing parties—those who dare to shake things up—are regularly decried in the foulest ways by mainstream conservatives. They are subjected to bullying, censorship, and even emotional blackmail from fellow conservatives—many of whom have one eye on their own careers. Yet, it is often the newcomers who best speak for the people.
One of the conservatisms we champion—though we are not wedded to it alone—is what might be called ‘John Doe conservatism.’ Inspired by Frank Capra’s 1941 American film classic, Meet John Doe, the concept refers to a political philosophy of simplicity, quotidian human decency, and humdrum heroism. Here is John Doe (played by Gary Cooper) explaining what one of his kind looks like:
We are the meek who … are supposed to inherit the earth. You’ll find us everywhere. We raise the crops; we dig the mines; work the factories; keep the books; fly the planes; and drive the busses. … We have existed since time began. We built the pyramids. We saw Christ crucified, pulled the oars for Roman emperors, sailed the boats for Columbus, retreated from Moscow with Napoleon, and froze with Washington at Valley Forge. … In our struggle for freedom, we’ve hit the canvas many a time, but we’ve always bounced back! Because we’re the people—and we’re tough.
We’d like to see more of John Doe’s accomplishments acknowledged in today’s conservative discourse. It is our conviction that if the democratic age was meant to achieve anything, it was meant to give John Doe a voice.
Giving ‘John Doe’ a Voice
“It’s only ‘democracy’ if your side is winning,” the managing editor of this publication is prone to muttering. She is referring, of course, to the hypocrisy of our managerial elites. They bleat loudly about the ‘dangers to democracy’ posed by right-wing populist movements—but silence anyone in the public square with whom they disagree. In the name of ‘protecting’ democracy, our elites operate anti-democratically—like dockside bullies.
They do this by blocking accounts, cancelling contracts, disinviting people, shutting down servers—or through vandalism and violence. With these tactics, progressives have achieved a near-total stranglehold on communications, entertainment, media—and, thus, on our culture and even our very minds. Additionally, manipulative campaigns and a constant flow of media disinformation have created a ‘false consciousness’ among the unwitting public. This leads them to believe that conservatives really are ‘fascists,’ that abortion somehow does preserve women’s dignity, and that the ubiquity of rainbows is a sure sign of our moral emancipation.
Naturally, the surveillance state is employed to track and monitor any dangerous idea that contradicts this state of affairs. Anyone who resists or violates the ever-shifting ‘community guidelines’ is punished. The rest of us learn to do what they tell us. We learn to obey.
Sadly, this narrow mindset is not limited to the progressives, sexual revolutionaries, and neo-Marxists who darken our world. Even among the dazzling variety of traditions on the Right, a certain amount of ‘cognitive miserliness’ can be found: conservatives who have grown too enamoured of comfort to rock the ship of our global regime. Often those who most cherish the Anglo-American model—and who therefore should be the most averse to the suppression of dissent—take quick mental shortcuts and condemn those who may threaten our overlords.
This journal routinely resists such narrowness of thought on the Right. We hold that there are important discussions to be had (perhaps about controversial topics) from which all of us—even the most cynical—can learn. Being intellectually promiscuous, perhaps even rebellious, is a sure way to fend off total servility to a dominant group.
The establishment powers behind today’s mainstream parties—including conservative ones that have the most to lose from new, dissident, right-wing parties—actively take steps to block newcomers. This is short-sighted, for whether they are ‘populist’ or ‘nationalist,’ the new parties resonate deeply with the ‘regular guy’: John Doe. People like him are unashamedly patriotic, protective of their families and communities, and willing to disrupt the ineffective and outdated ‘Conservatism, Inc.’
This is why some of the newer, more exciting right-wing parties—those who dare to shake things up—are regularly decried in the foulest ways by mainstream conservatives. They are subjected to bullying, censorship, and even emotional blackmail from fellow conservatives—many of whom have one eye on their own careers. Yet, it is often the newcomers who best speak for the people.
One of the conservatisms we champion—though we are not wedded to it alone—is what might be called ‘John Doe conservatism.’ Inspired by Frank Capra’s 1941 American film classic, Meet John Doe, the concept refers to a political philosophy of simplicity, quotidian human decency, and humdrum heroism. Here is John Doe (played by Gary Cooper) explaining what one of his kind looks like:
We’d like to see more of John Doe’s accomplishments acknowledged in today’s conservative discourse. It is our conviction that if the democratic age was meant to achieve anything, it was meant to give John Doe a voice.
This editorial appears in the Summer 2023 edition of The European Conservative, Number 27:5.
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