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John Henry Holliday, DDS's avatar

Excellent analysis of what the hell is going on in the Western world.

It's hilarious to me that that Arnold and others thought high art would be a substitute for God. Cue Orwell's "some ideas are so stupid that only intellectuals believe them" quote.

We know we've won when Pollack, Twombly, and Rothko works are removed from art museums. Or at least taken from prominent positions and used to adorn corridors leading to the restrooms.

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Spaceman Spiff's avatar

The same arrogance that drove Dawkins. They cannot conceive of what the removal of religion does. They think everyone is an Oxford Don and has some handy substitutes at the ready. Now he is realizing the Christian void will be filled by Islam, not atheism.

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Frank Wright's avatar

Following the science is a hard sell these days.

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Spaceman Spiff's avatar

Indeed. Although those inside the bubble think otherwise.

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JD's avatar

Yootillitariuhns love following the science

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Spaceman Spiff's avatar

Or at least saying they do.

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John Henry Holliday, DDS's avatar

I can't wait for Dawkins' book mocking Islam. OK, I mean I can't wait to see the Muslims' reaction to Dawkins' book mocking Islam...

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JD's avatar

I wonder if they have form for that situation

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Spaceman Spiff's avatar

You'll never see such a thing. He knows the score. Although in his defence he mainly mocked religious belief. It was Hitchens who thrashed Islam.

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JD's avatar

Hillaire Belloc did it best, imo.

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Frank Wright's avatar

Friendly reminder that Dickie Dawkins’ New Atheism was so jejeune it did not merit a mention in “Seven Types of Atheism”. Rekt.gif

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Richard C. Cook's avatar

Thank you for this fine selection Frank. It should never be forgotten, of course, that CFR is code for the Money Power who early on captured fractional reserve banking as their mechanism for control and enslavement of the masses. Walter Lippmann and other "tribal" members were the ones hired as the prison guards to make sure no one got loose.

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Frank Wright's avatar

Yes indeed. Again, I rather shrink from speaking to that because I’m not you. I think it would be marvellous and very helpful if I could interview you about this and have you explain it, as anything I’d say on the matter would be relatively incomplete.

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Horace the Menace's avatar

If not Richard, are you familiar with Russ Winter? Or Paul Cudenec?

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JD's avatar

Everything is ersatz, vicarious, profaned, artificial and deviant or, as aptly put by deplorables everywhere, fake and gay. The terms that describe our past, when we were proper, are adopted by the marketeers to sell more slop; heritage, traditional, rustic, rugged. The quality and domestic production we used to take for granted (remember the donkey jackets available in every builder’s merchants, with the tag saying “made by English workers for English workers?) now a premium product for hipsters, whilst the regulars must be satisfied with plastic items fabricated in exotic locales.

Funny also that the industrial past we fondly remember itself largely destroyed our traditional society. Do it be like people are fond of the James Bond actor they grew up with but akshually, MI6 is not your friend.

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Frank Wright's avatar

Typically incisive and well informed by JD here. Well said.

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JD's avatar

Just paraphrasing you, really.

Where do the hipsters get their “disposable income “? Asking for a friend.

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Edwin's avatar

"All human conflict is ultimately theological"

Henry Edward Manning

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ALYOSHKA's avatar

Fantastic article. "Nowhere men" sums it up. On our liturgical calendar, for Vespers prior to the Sunday of the Paralytic, he is referred to as "an unburied dead man" in one of the hymns. I think this description applies as well to humanity today.

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Frank Wright's avatar

What a remarkable comment. I did not know that and now I do. Thank you for that and also for your kind words about my work.

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Hans G. Schantz's avatar

I discussed how Bernays was involved in promoting scientism in general and Einstein in particular during the 1920s, here:

https://aetherczar.substack.com/p/528-einstein-comes-to-america

https://aetherczar.substack.com/p/528-einstein-comes-to-america-e82

I didn't look into Lippmann, but clearly I should.

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Frank Wright's avatar

I did not know about these tendencies of Freud’s nephew twice over (best not to ask). But now I do. Thank you.

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Sister Clare's avatar

Glad to know where you have been! Is this why there was no "Frankly" episode this week?

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Henry Solospiritus's avatar

When the culture of desire, which really is a living incantation, is rejected life will flourish with sympathy and cooperation!

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blah's avatar

Keep ‘em coming.

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John Wright's avatar

The Creel Commission was another crucial institution - all which supports Benedict Anderson that the Inited States became a national during the time you discuss here. Thank you!

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wayne john's avatar

how much you got?

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AussieManDust's avatar

Humans, Humanity, touches The Divine. The Source, the Creator... whatever that is. Slavers, Banksters & their Minions, constantly attempt to turn us from this Source, attempt to emulate Creation & gain their own paltry immortality. One might recall a dreadful heresy, that the Justinian Emperors designed their own State religion? A slave religion; turn the other cheek, render unto Caesar, Rules/Regs, suicude not an option... ? Ring any bells? Or that Warlord Mohammed's "Words" are mostly written a century after his death... Hierarchies, with value chains... heh.

I posit that organised "religion" is losing believers but that people seeking Spiritual direction is rising. The State AND it's various Religious Arms is in a titanic struggle with suppressing the Rise of Humanity DESPITE their Dystopian dreams. 👏 Fuck them sideways baby 😎 AND Their Corporatocracy🖕

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Domenic C. Scarcella's avatar

All governments are religions. Always have been. People in the “enlightened” West have been fooled into thinking otherwise, especially about their own “secular” societies. But all governments are religions. Yes, even yours and mine.

https://goodneighborbadcitizen.substack.com/p/all-governments-are-religions

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Frank Wright's avatar

This is specious reasoning and your conclusion "This demonstrates that Christianity is politically anarchist/voluntarist" is false.

I would aver there is always a "state religion" - a set of beliefs promoted for the benefit of the State, but this does not mean governments *are* religions. See the Catholic Social Teaching of Leo XIII for a condemnation of nihilism, a recognition of the necessity of the State, and the basis of hierarchy in the natural order created by God.

The doctrine of equality is an error, as men are not equal in their gifts - says Leo XIII - and any polity founded on this false belief will descend into chaos.

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Horace the Menace's avatar

I think you might be disagreeing with something Dominic didn’t say…?

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Frank Wright's avatar

No, the man attaches the name of Christ to his own line of merchandise and is a charlatan who writes like a midwit. I think I was rather measured.

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Domenic C. Scarcella's avatar

Gee, I wonder what you'd think of me if I hadn't clicked Like on your article and essentially agreed with you about the current State being a religion. Does your writing often align with those you consider to be midwit-writing charlatans? 🤔 🤣

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Frank Wright's avatar

You came here to sell me your god and I’m not buying it.

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Domenic C. Scarcella's avatar

I came here because someone I've interacted with and whose thoughts I respect, restacked your article. I recognized your name from another person whose work I respect (and who interviewed me twice for a podcast he co-hosts), who had mentioned you a while back. I found your article to be generally worth the read, boosted it and commented with a "Yes, and . . ." type of reply.

As for "sell me your god," you've previously made demonstrably wrong guesses about "nihilism" and some "doctrine of equality" as it pertains to my views. So, what now do you claim is my "god"? It's not Christendom, that's for sure.

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Horace the Menace's avatar

Well I cannot comment on the scope of his writings - not having read them all, nor any of them in fact except the one linked here. But I did not understand him - at least in the article linked - to have advocated either nihilism or equality.

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Frank Wright's avatar

I suppose it might seem a bit previous but I shall not waste the time to respond in detail. It is humpty-dumptyism, in short, and that is why I was so short with it.

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Horace the Menace's avatar

I was asking because I myself have come to the conclusion that a voluntarist society is a good thing - and I had thought that it was in accordance with Christian principles. If it isn’t then I will obviously need to rethink.

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Domenic C. Scarcella's avatar

Can you find evidence from the Gospels of Jesus supporting any monopoly-violence institution, and/or supporting coercive tactics as a way to fulfill the responsibilities of discipleship? My conclusion you deemed false is based on the Gospels, not on the evil of Christendom that emerged in later centuries.

Governments have been religions since the beginnings of each, thousands of years ago. The beliefs of a population were always manifest in their social order; they were inseparable. It's only recently that supposedly "enlightened" thinkers have pretended otherwise. I recommend Rene Girard's work on the topic; 'I See Satan Fall Like Lightning' is particularly insightful and shows the history of government to be thoroughly religious (and brutally so, at that).

Political anarchism has nothing to do with nihilism. Political anarchism doesn't reject the "natural order created by God"; it rejects the unnatural order of monopoly-violence institutions and coercive civil authority created by humans acting out their worst sinfulness. Political anarchism has nothing to do with promoting "equality," as equality is a mathematical term -- humans aren't math problems to be solved as such -- and has nothing to do with natural human rights and the dignity on which those rights are based. Perhaps ironically, it is the "social teaching" promoted by Leo XIII that has descended into "equality" talk.

Every polity founded on claims of a monopoly on violence over a given territory and its inhabitants, is founded on false belief (from a Christian Gospel standpoint).

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Frank Wright's avatar

"...although the logos is common, most people live as if they had their own private understanding".

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