Essays in Idleness

Deafening hype is coming from both sides (there are only two) of American politics at the moment. I find it hard to think of any other topic, even though I long for quietude and inner peace. Given my preference for peace over war, freedom over slavery, and strength over ignorance (some subtleties are being concealed here) — and, more generally, for good over evil — the reader will understand that I have associated with the “Far Right” of the current political spectrum. I take a reactionary and controversial position.

There is considerable confusion, however, of just the sort that the Party was trying to bestow upon the public in Nineteen Eighty-Four. I realize this at every demonstration of what we call “Trump Derangement Sydrome,” and now “Musk Derangement” and many related syndromes. Our (mildly) right-wing parties tend to argue vaguely for free-tradism, are sensitive to minor points of liberty, and recall supposed religious traditions. Almost all are mediocrities. For these reasons, they are frequently smeared as “fascists” by their opponents. They share nothing with the actual fascists, however.

These fascists, and national socialists, and communists, have and had approximately interchangeable policies, along with a propensity to savagery, violence, murderous rage, and oppression. They are (and were) idealists, in other words, obeying charismatics (i.e. crazy fanatics).

Mao, Stalin, and Hitler slaughtered millions, in that statistical order. Each was hero-worshipped by the left, in his season, and Mao Tse-Tung is still on the PRC banknotes. Queen Elizabeth II is still on Canadian banknotes, yet wasn’t charismatic in that kind.