“The society’s goals are to oppose superstition, obscurantism, religious influence over public life, and the abuses of state power. [Our intent] is to put an end to the machinations of the purveyors of injustice, to control them without dominating them.”
There’s been some discussion lately about whether or not I have been giving it to the Trump Republicans too hard. The criticism is fair but let me explain.
My last bit on the fall from grace of Claremont’s John Eastman provoked a reply from none other than my old friend Ryan Williams, the president of the Claremont Institute. I’ll let others discuss what I wrote there and what needs to be said as concerns Claremont’s wayward turn. I stand by this: We need more Lincolns and Coolidges and fewer Bushes and Trumps. We ought not feel good about Trump defeating the Clintons, necessary though it was.
Yes, this substack is written in a kind of code and yes, there are layers to it as if that weren’t obvious already. There’s much bellyaching about cancelation and who is up or down. I confess to finding all that somewhat boring. It seems obvious to me that woks and #metoo are used by cynical players, some foreign, some jealous, to extract a pound of flesh from their enemies. In my case I became a target for serving my country against what I perceived as the twin enemies of our day — lawlessness and foreign malefactors.
My regret is that I was too obvious, too loud, too “in my twenties.” I’ve changed my mind. I’ve listened, damnit! I’ve grown up and I’ve got a few things to say. We keep it interesting over here, don’t we?
No, every time is a time of persecution. All art must say something and if it says nothing it is nothing.
I myself am somewhat grateful for having been canceled early in my career so that I could build up the antibodies necessary to resist and to find other remunerative ways of pursuing my way in these times. One man’s cancelation is another man’s anarchy is another man’s fresh start is another introvert’s excuse. “So very sorry but I can’t do business with that gentleman or go to that party because I’m so very canceled. Haven’t you heard?” Qui n'avance pas, recule!
Like so many apostates before me I’ve been enjoying my exile and the few wayward students who come out to see their guru out on the mountainside, far from the chattering ninnies who think they know best when they know the least. That I am closer in spirit and body to the Imperial City than I have ever been seems to have eluded them. Don’t tell them, okay? My esoteric teachings are for a select few; my technological work is for the masses, can’t be hoarding progress! Best not to confuse the two projects!
Let me assure you that I intend to be equally enraging to all sides and no sides. Were this project not to be independently minded it might well close for all other business. I do the very best I can to address the claims made against me but I’m a busy man and we do as we can over here. There is a certain fuck you mindset that comes when you start to get that fuck you money. Fortunately for me I’ve had the mindset long before I had the wherewithal to execute. Blame it on my Boston upbringing where I was spoiling for a fight.
There is more to say than there is time to say it so if I seem discriminatory it is only because the news hook is before us. As the subscribers go up and this becomes a more sustaining endeavor I’ll venture further afield.
Relax, in other words.
I’ve got things coming up about our gay presidents and the era of compromat, la famille Sandberg, National Greatness as a foreign influence op, and the Christian films of Christopher Nolan. If there’s any particular order you'd like me to do them in do let me know as I’m a bit of a short order cook on these things.