It is tempting to judge a man by his enemies, especially if his enemies are the sorts of people who should be the enemy of the decent. Logic seems to dictate that if the worst people are opposed to someone or some idea, then there must be some merit to that person or idea. The worst people operate exclusively from self-interest. What is good for the worst is probably not good for the rest, so therefore what is bad for the worst must be good for the rest, if only that it diminishes the worst.
The great lesson of the George W. Bush years is that the worst people can hate someone who deserves to be hated. Every far-left crank in America was howling in agony about the Bush administration. Their complaints were every bit as insane as the people making them, so decent people just assumed Bush was a good guy. It turns out that sometimes the enemy of your enemy is just another enemy. Bush, of course, was a disaster, the worst President in American history.
That is something to keep in mind now that J. D. Vance has decided to run for office in his former home state of Ohio. Vance was always something of a curiosity, having gone from humble beginnings to the managerial elite, but seeming to maintain a connection with his roots in the lower class. His book Hillbilly Elegy was a hit among the chattering classes, always looking for some authenticity. It was also popular with normal people who found it and Vance to be genuine and thoughtful.
Now Vance is seeking to ride the wave of populist enthusiasm and white fright to a political career. At first this would seem logical, but just a few years ago he was an anti-Trump guy, like all the people he now criticizes. It made sense back then. He was enjoying publicity from the sorts of people he spent his entire life trying to copy. He had gotten rich thanks largely to the fact these people helped him along as he went from the Marines to Yale Law then to Silicon Valley.
He is singing a different tune these days. He is on the Trump train and talking quite sensibly and credibly about the issues that concern white people. In fact, he sounds far more sensible than Trump. As a result, the worst people have started to attack him for his alleged apostacy. The gargoyle of neoconservatism, Mona Charen, came out last March with an attack on Vance, calling him and white people jackals. That is an interesting bit of projection from a blood-thirsty warmonger.
Now we have this post in the Atlantic from Tom Nichols, or as he prefers the commoners to refer to him, “Five Time Jeopardy Champion” Tom Nichols. For those unaware, Tom Nichols is America’s leading expert on being wrong about everything to do with foreign policy. From his perch on Twitter, when he is not reminding us that he is a super genius and a five time Jeopardy champion, he tells us that we have all let him down and no longer deserve a man like Tom Nichols.
Writing often betrays the image the writer projects and this no truer than in the case of Tom Nichols. He tries to portray himself as an intellectual tough guy, but his writing style suggests he is a hysterical teenage girl. It is not hard to imagine that Atlantic post being submitted on tear-stained paper with some of the “I’s” being dotted with little frowny faces. The post is supposed to be about Vance, but it really about Nichols and his hurt feelings about the populist rebellion.
Tom Nichols, like David French, is the sort of person the Founders warned about when discussing democracy. They pointed out that democracy attracts the worst people who then appeal to the worst instincts of the people. Liberal democracy is the playground of narcissistic fanatics whose only interest is in flattering themselves with the applause of the mobs. Suddenly, all of the worst people are bearing their fangs at J.D. Vance, so normal people naturally feel disposed towards him.
Of course, another quality of liberal democracy is that it spawns false opposition like a shark grows teeth. Just ten years ago Conservative Inc. spawned any number of imitators to steal the energy of the Tea Party. We see the same thing happening with the different populist groups. The usual suspects are furiously trying to co-opt the Nick Fuentes thing with boy-band quality alternatives. American Moment is what old Cloud People think young Dirt People will find compelling.
With that in mind, it is wise to be cautious about anyone in the ring claiming to speak for the great dispossessed. That is one lesson of Trump. Politics is like a high-end brothel where even the most virtuous are going to tempted. If Lucifer were tasked with creating a political system to stock Hell with souls, he would head to Washington to get tips from the masters. He would probably lose his soul in the bargain. The point is, even the best of men is no match for the worst of systems.
That said, Vance is making the sort of noises familiar to dissidents. He is clearly familiar with the dissident subculture as he has used phrases like “red pill” when describing his political transformation over the last five years. He hangs out with Tucker Carlson, and he is bankrolled by Peter Theil. Neither man can be called a dissident, but they are not lobbing R-bombs at us. Vance defended Nick Fuentes, who has not been favorable to J.D. Vance, which suggests Vance is more than just hologram.
Politics for dissidents is always about advancing dissident ideas, so judging Vance is all about his utility in that cause. Like Trump, he is willing to drag taboo subjects into the public domain, which is always good for dissidents. Unlike Trump he seems to have a better feel for his potential base. Vance is also a younger man who can speak to younger people, who do not respond to flag waving. Unlike Trump, Vance is not a man lamenting the loss of the past, but the loss of the present.
You never know what is in a man’s heart, so Vance’s sincerity remains a question, but he will be useful. Even if Vance is a dissident at heart and sweeps to a landslide victory, nothing changes for us politically. The same parasites will be calling white people jackals and pushing cultural genocide. There is no voting your way out of the defects of democracy, but democracy can be a bus dissidents ride to the next stop. As is always the case, the Vance phenomenon is an opportunity.
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” It is not hard to imagine that Atlantic post being submitted on tear-stained paper with some of the “I’s” being dotted with little frowny faces.”
Quality, lad. Quality.
It’s nice to have a chuckle, since over here in Angle-Land I have just popped to lunch after having to deal with Indian contractors. A good laugh before beginning round two of the blame game with Mr Rajasthan.
3
I agree 😄
“He tries to portray himself as an intellectual tough guy, but his writing style suggests he is a hysterical teenage girl.”
This perfectly describes 90% of the Leftist “journalism”
4
There was a time I could muster some enthusiasm but no more. As you say often we are not going to settle any of this at the ballot box.
For now I am watching that shit show in South Africa and taking notes.
9
If the U.S. involves itself and takes the side of the blecks, I don’t know what I’ll do.
5
Well then get ready to be disappointed.
2
The Government will respond to it as a humanitarian crisis once starvation kicks in and throw gibs upon gibs, thereby just making things worse.
Whites will probably start fleeing to the countryside and consolidating the farmland and try to be as autonomous as possible. The media will portray them as hoarding food while the country starves, and the SA military will go in. The West will not come in militarily unless the SA Whites successful defeat the SA army. Then things will get very interesting.
Will white U.S. special forces be willing to slaughter their fellow whites? The answer, of course, is yes.
4
Gotta get this in early.
But the internet is now crawling with people and writers ragging on David French. He has become everyone’s favorite whipping boy
You got the ball rolling, Zman. Very prescient.
7
What, no love for Sloppy?
I’ll preface this by saying I don’t know this guy or have done my due diligence and fact checking – but I will!
Point of order, though. 3 years ago I stood with Israel. I regarded any criticisms of Jews to be antisemitism. I thought Lefty meant well, and that when we quarelled, it was because I wasn’t presenting my facts right. I wasn’t ready to give up on black people either.
Perhaps I am being naive, but can people change? Especially these days, where the mask has slipped, and a guy can’t even watch a game of football without having his nose rubbed in the moral superiority of black baboons and shitlibs?
The enemy of my enemy may be my enemy… but can we at least use this one against our other enemies and take him out when his usefulness is over? In the days ahead, the useful fool as a weapon is a concept we need to master.
6
“Unlike Trump, Vance is not a man lamenting the loss of the past, but the loss of the present.”
This is something that seems so simple, yet is such a profound insight. Its hard to lament the past when you are currently living in filth and utter chaos. Trump never really campaigned with a message or a vision concerned with the issues of the present day. To “Make America Great AGAIN” is simply to reach into the past and transport it into the present.
Conservatism always has an eye to the past, while the Progressive stares with cocaine intensity into an unlikely future. Both seem blind to the present.
Vance’s message should be clear of the past. No “Make America Great Again”; no “returning” to the ideals of the past; no talk of rectification, reestablishment blah blah blah. Rather, describe the dystopian present. Vaguely present an alternative. Keep it simple stupid.
7
Good point. We should describe the present catastrophe and point a way out. The left with its looming climate destruction and the right with its looming social destruction are eschatologies that are only compelling to people with the right world views. Anybody can see, otoh, that the disaster we’re living through is real and only the crazies are willing to pretend this is fine.
2
“We should describe the present catastrophe and point a way out.”
Exactly. Its what the opposition should always do. If you are competing with a firm that makes widgets, and their widgets are being recalled for all sorts of reasons, you don’t need to talk about how much better your widgets are, you simply need to point out all the defects of the competitors widgets. Your stock will increase as a result.
The Left always identifies itself as the opposition, like an angsty teenager, so it always campaigns like this, and its base is primed for it. The Right had been out of practice of late, until Trump dipped his toe back into the pool.
If anyone had the nuts to simply stand up on stage and describe the defects of our current society (to REALLY challenge the PC establishment narrative) they would get instant attention and a passionate backing. Trump barely even broached the topic and basically won on that message alone.
Of course none of this will happen.
1
All good points. I think Vance is scum. Also, the proper response to pro-White concessions is to demand more concessions. Learn from our enemies: Never be happy with what is offered. Always raise the bar and demand more.
8
The main problem with Vance is he doesn’t have the rhetorical instincts of Trump, nor the ability to light a fire in the beaten down working classes. Trump was so successful not only because of his policy views, but because he could spark an energy in his supporters that could rip through the current system.
If his core ideals were more in line with being an any means necessary to stop the collapse instead of his mind being trapped with boomer platitudes from his youth, there’s no doubt in my mind he could have transformed the sclerotic government into a weapon we could yield for white interests.
The left was right to fear a man like Trump. All you need is a charismatic and ruthless man with a good core of 10% fanatical supporters to blow the house of cards down. Trump was charismatic but not nearly ruthless enough in his time in D.C. Vance is neither charismatic nor ruthless enough, even if he had his Damascus moment with regards to policy. He may be useful, but that’s about it.
When Vance starts talking and acting more this this we can talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hphgHi6FD8k
3
I was born there in ohio. Our grandmother’s neighborhoods are warzones where people are murdered every week. Our grandfather’s jobs have moved to asia. Even the farmland areas are seeing more “diversity” as government housing continues to forge ahead like a weapon against white culture.
3
We need to continually mock Conservative Inc and Civnat types and make them look idiotic and uncool. I like the treatment Bill Mitchell gets on Gab, for example or what the Groypers did to Kirk and Crenshaw. They need to be seen as cringe.
7
If there is no voting our way out of this, then what is the answer? And what is the proper course of action for the typical person?
1
I am not nearly as politically astute as Z, it’s not and has never been my bag, but I think he may be onto to something. Right now it may be simply about raising the consciousness of whites to think about our own collective and self interest. Thus if Vance can play a role in that, even if he ends up finking on everyone, then we stand to benefit because it gets the ball rolling toward what ultimately needs to happen, which is whites not only thinking but more importantly acting in our own self and collective interest. Both here and abroad.
My own small minded take is that Vance is a pudgy fuck. But I don’t want my small mindedness, or anyone who thinks like me on this, to get in the way of the big picture. I have to learn to think more strategically and politically. Not easy.
3
Stay out of a falling tree’s way and hope it’s good for making lumber.
My sense of things is that a confluence of events is pushing back against blackness
The South Africa thing, the black fatigue overall and being more widely discussed, the Richard Sherman thing, the idiots missing their penalty kicks, and now God throwing lightening to destroy the George Floyd memorial
The political mood, as they say, is building up into a big wave that will come crashing down on the blacks. And $5 Europe is next. I bet we see a mass uprising there against the African.
All the stupid whites who bought a ticket for the big black party of 2021 thinking it was the future, they will soon be regretting it. Bigly
6
What is the cost of upholding ones dissident principles? If there is little cost in terms of hits to cloud status, ones legitimacy to our causes should be highly suspect.
I’ve said many times before a man who strives to acquire and maintain status according to cloud values will always be serving the cloud.
Until he is willing to risk and subsequently forfeit that status to elevate the causes of his people he is merely an opportunist or populist or preserving his self-interest.
Thats fine unless he is selling himself as a dirt man worthy of our investment.
We allowed dirt status hierarchy to be destroyed so we shouldn’t be surprised that our boys go off to Yale.
Losing the culture war meant that for young men there was only one hierarchy to strive toward. And the “right” with their economic and market fetishes continue to reinforce this.
What is vance doing to restore dirt values and this dirt status hierarchy insulated from the prog cloud socially and economically?
Men like vance have ‘tells’. One is running for office. The other is book deals. Yet another is media circuitry. How often do these guys rationalize self-promotion because they have a platform? i.e. “I am using my fame for the cause”
There are a million ways to help our guys but somehow it always ends up with a guy promoting himself.
I don’t know much about vance but my story arc is similar. I know the cost of rejecting the cloud. I don’t recommend it. But I know that to do so is so often at odds with populism and self-promotion in so many eays that threading that needle is a unicorn story.
5
There are those who have done a calculation, have decided that all is lost, to get while the getting’s good, and to dine on that rotting carcass before all that’s left is bone. Try, and try again, and try again…and then quit. don’t be a dang fool about it.
Know when to hold’m, when to fold’m. Know when to walk away, and when to run.
1
It sounds like Vance is better than the establishment choice, Josh Mandel, who previously lost a race in 2012. I don’t trust him at all, but it is one Senate seat and given the quality of Republicans in the Senate, if Vance only finked on us 50% of the time, he would end up in the top 5.
4
Assume tptb won’t allow the 2022 elections to take place. If Republicans want to stay at the trough, they shouldn’t repeat Trump’s blunder and they should fight for it as if their lives depend on it. As for myself, I’ll vote if I think there’s a chance to make a difference (old habits, etc.), but I’m pretty much over this democracy thing.
1
The “cult of personality” cannot triumph over the System arrayed against whites nowadays. One of the many pitfalls for the DR is placing hope in flawed vessels – Trump being the prime example. The countermeasure against a System is another, better system, not some eloquent redneck upon whom everyone can project hopes and dreams.
Vance, if he wins, will just be swallowed up by the beast. One man isn’t going to change our reality. One man building a system of resistance might.