DONALD TRUMP AND THE RETURN OF LIBERALISM

by Keith Preston

"Let me give you a definition of the word 'liberal.'…Franklin D. Roosevelt once said…It is a wonderful definition, and I agree with him. 'A liberal is a man who wants to build bridges over the chasms that separate humanity from a better life." – Richard Nixon

"Richard Nixon was our last liberal president." – Noam Chomsky

"Imagine a president who expands affirmative action, actively promotes school desegregation, enacts important new laws in social welfare, environmental protection, occupational health and safety, and consumer protection, supports comprehensive health insurance and a system of guaranteed income for all citizens, and whose Justice Department opposes the RICO Act on the grounds that it gives the government powers that are much too broad and sweeping for prosecuting criminals. In 2011, such a president would be considered far to left of Barack Obama and far to the left of almost everyone in Congress. Forty years ago, such a president was called Richard Nixon."-Matthew Lyons ("Right-Wing Movements 101")

Now that Donald Trump has won an upset electoral victory and will be assuming the office of the presidency in a couple of months, I am going to offer the unconventional and, certainly to many people, counter-intuitive opinion that it was Donald Trump rather than Hillary Clinton that was the most left-wing of the two major party candidates.

THE PARALLEL GROWTH OF “BIG GOVERNMENT” AND “MOVEMENT CONSERVATISM”

A slightly modified version of this article originally appeared in The Great Purge: The Deformation of the Conservative Movement, edited by Paul Gottfried and Richard Spencer, and issued by Washington Summit Publishers in 2015.

by Keith Preston

Among the few successes the “conservative movement” can reasonably claim is having established the descriptive epithet of “big government” as a term of opprobrium in American political discourse. Indeed, a review of the literature, websites, and broadcast media associated with American conservatism reveals “big government” to be an ongoing and consistent target of rhetorical invective. For example, an August 15, 2014 piece of commentary appearing on the Townhall.Com website bears the title, “Dismantling Big Government One Step at a Time.”[1] Two days earlier, a post with the curious title of “How to Transcend Obamacare” appeared on National Review Online, and discussed the widely held conservative view that Obamacare “represents our best opportunity to roll back Big Government” largely because of the “less entrenched” nature of this “newest entitlement.”[2] Even the most casual conversation with rank and file conservative movement activists, dutiful Republican voters, fans of “conservative” talk radio, and loyal viewers of the FOX news network will reveal a mentality that regards “big government” as a primordial evil approximating that of original sin. It is therefore fascinating to compare the striking difference between the movement’s rhetoric and stated ambitions, and the reality of what the conservative movement has actually produced when it has had access to power in the political realm.

THE GOLD STANDARD: FRIEND OF THE MIDDLE CLASS

by Antonius Aquinas

It has been theoretically demonstrated and seen in general practice that a monetary system of 100% metallic money devoid of central banking checks monetary inflation, prevents a general rise in the price level, and eliminates the dreaded business cycle, while making all sorts of monetary mischief nearly impossible. A gold standard is not only economically superior to any paper money scheme, but is morally just, which is why it is hated by the politically well-connected, academics, politicians, and the rest of the Establishment.

Often not discussed, however, even by its proponents is the beneficial effect that “hard money” has for the middle class.

RENDER UNTO CESAR: LESSONS FROM "CESAR CHAVEZ"

A strong belief in borders.

by Bay Area Guy

I recently saw the film Cesar Chavez. As expected, the hagiographic film about the legendary Latino labor activist who organized exploited farm workers and promoted the boycott of grapes depicted Chavez as a borderline saint. Aside from his strained relationship with his son, Chavez’s actions were purely heroic.

Despite enduring countless attacks and abuse from racist and greedy growers, Chavez remained committed to non-violence. When his fellow Latino activists began to grow angry and resort to violence on account of the abusive tactics of the growers, Chavez fasted for about a month on behalf of non-violence. Continuing to persevere, the strike and grape boycott eventually brought the growers to their knees and forced them to negotiate with Chavez and the United Farm Workers (UFW) union.

The film ended with Chavez delivering a triumphant speech and writing an impassioned letter to his estranged son. Words on the screen then educated the audience about how Chavez’s efforts allowed farm workers to secure bargaining rights.

AS SOCIAL TRUST WANES, WE WEAKEN

by Henry Dampier

The West is in a crisis surrounding a general collapse in social trust. Rather than focusing too much on the macro political situation, I would rather explore the consequences of this at the personal level.

Unlike when my grandfathers were working, or when my father worked, it is common for employees to distrust their bosses and their co-workers. There is no sense that the company exists for the long term benefits of its stake-holders. At a far lower level of technology and gross profitability, employees even at the lower level could expect to advance their careers within the same corporation for their entire lives. My grandfather was not an executive — he was a simple accountant at General Electric — but his retirement package ultimately made him a multimillionaire. He lived modestly for most of his life, did not work long hours, and raised two children.