In 1966 I was 9 years old. My father was moved from his company in NJ to Florence, SC. I had no idea as a 9 year old what I was headed into. I moved to a developing neighborhood with new homes going up in the sand soil, the pine cones and needles, and the heat and humidity of the south. It didn't take long, just a few walks, excursions into the neighborhood before the kids around my age started referring to me as damn yankee. At my age, all kind of questions made their way into my brain. What, why were they calling me that? As I would age, I realized the old south never ended, neither did the civil war, neither did the categories that separated peoples. It was astonishing how even at a young age we were propagandized, touring places like Fort Sumter from a decidedly confederate slant. As I entered junior high I experienced the integration of the schools and the tension and violence around that, not nearly so much with the kids as with the adults. The so called southern hospitality was nothing more than a cover. All the sweet, slow talk couldn't hide the underbelly, the rot that was there. My father would come home and in his own vernacular would refer to the rebsh** he had run across. Make no mistake my father was a bigot himself, so I think he recognized the same in the populace around him. What was weird about that was that somewhere in that journey my father would say to us, none of us has a choice as to whether we enter this world white or black, so there was no room for us kids to be racist bigots. I still wonder about that moment. But in 1966 it was clear, as you note, fascism was alive and well in my experience as a kid growing up in the south.
A must read for people who believe in liberty and justice for all. Yarvin, Thiel, Vance, etc. all believe the exact same theory as the slave holders of the US and the facists of the 1920's.
"Carlyle’s view of slavery as a natural human relationship, like marriage deserves to be understood on its own terms, and that Carlyle’s argument that the innate character and intelligence of some is more suited to mastery than slavery is a serious position that contemporary thinkers should engage rather than dismiss."
Masculine supremacy - the ancient, foolish fascism of the patriarchy.
Wow: that was a epicly correct essay of fascism! Much appreciated.
Eons ago in a sumer quarter at Hayward, Calif State college- my American History professor showed on a rough graph the correlation between the Southern Planters mentally & creed which created the KKK to Fascism in Europe. The Professor really upset a lot of students with his lecture. He said the south had never let go of that KKK mind set, it just was in hibernation.
“Nixon’s Southern Strategy in 1968 was the first opening.” I suspect Goldwater’s repudiation of civil rights and his nomination in 1964 deserves that recognition. Goldwater provided the door and opened it a crack. Nixon pushed it all the way open and strode right through it, flashing his double victory ✌️ sign.
I've been waiting for you to write this essay for some time. I knew it was coming eventually, but didn't expect it to be tied so beautifully with your previous essays. well done.
Wow! Mike! this is some of the most awesome recapitulation of history I may have ever read! I thank you for your incredible work and contribution to trying to save the republic. We are definitely in the “if you can keep it“ phase.! 🙏🏼❤️🙏🏼
I'd recommend a couple of books which may complicate your arguments (though not necessarily away from the same overall conclusion).
Beeman's "Plain, Honest Men" contextualizes (inter alia) the political function of racism within the 1787 convention, and may give alternative insights as to how the compromises were derived.
Riley's "The Civic Foundations of Fascism in Europe" carefully distinguishes between three types of fascism - traditionalist, party, and statist - only one of which arguably could be expanded to the accommodate Germany's racialism. Atm I'm also considering Stephenson's fascism in Australia, which prima facie eschewed racism altogether in a way that today might even be criticized as "woke". ;)
Also, you may have missed a trick by leaving out what I would argue are two additional "foundings", one of which may be relevant: the 1930s New Deal "socialism" and accompanying fascist coup plans, as referenced in Dodd's "Ambassador Dodd's Diary" and (more explicitly and amusingly) by Smedley Butler when he blew the whistle to Congress. The names of the families behind these efforts are iconic and illuminating: the decisive factor in determining the identity of the master race, then as now, seems to be contingent and temporary dynastic possession of money shortly before the dynasty collapses. ;) This was and is the "aristocracy of money" so feared by the 1787 landed folk, only one of whom needed (ironically) actually to work for a living.
Further, the US constitution was, and is, an absolute mess of (originally) a four-page document. Jefferson may have helped compile the compromise, but he didn't actually agree with it (even putting aside the slaveholder issue); while Vice President Adams later admitted it's a monarchy in all but name. The delegates flipped back and forth during the convention, and many kept flipping afterwards.
Unless I missed it, you dropped "Pogue" early on into your disquisition without any reference(s) or hyperlinks...could you please expand upon "Pogue' for the untutored amongst us?
Thank you for once again making clear what should be obvious but is not. My hope is that this becomes part of the ether so that more people understand this moment in time. I do think more people are ‘feeling’ it even if they can’t name it. I long for the day where kids get taught this history.
In 1966 I was 9 years old. My father was moved from his company in NJ to Florence, SC. I had no idea as a 9 year old what I was headed into. I moved to a developing neighborhood with new homes going up in the sand soil, the pine cones and needles, and the heat and humidity of the south. It didn't take long, just a few walks, excursions into the neighborhood before the kids around my age started referring to me as damn yankee. At my age, all kind of questions made their way into my brain. What, why were they calling me that? As I would age, I realized the old south never ended, neither did the civil war, neither did the categories that separated peoples. It was astonishing how even at a young age we were propagandized, touring places like Fort Sumter from a decidedly confederate slant. As I entered junior high I experienced the integration of the schools and the tension and violence around that, not nearly so much with the kids as with the adults. The so called southern hospitality was nothing more than a cover. All the sweet, slow talk couldn't hide the underbelly, the rot that was there. My father would come home and in his own vernacular would refer to the rebsh** he had run across. Make no mistake my father was a bigot himself, so I think he recognized the same in the populace around him. What was weird about that was that somewhere in that journey my father would say to us, none of us has a choice as to whether we enter this world white or black, so there was no room for us kids to be racist bigots. I still wonder about that moment. But in 1966 it was clear, as you note, fascism was alive and well in my experience as a kid growing up in the south.
A must read for people who believe in liberty and justice for all. Yarvin, Thiel, Vance, etc. all believe the exact same theory as the slave holders of the US and the facists of the 1920's.
"Carlyle’s view of slavery as a natural human relationship, like marriage deserves to be understood on its own terms, and that Carlyle’s argument that the innate character and intelligence of some is more suited to mastery than slavery is a serious position that contemporary thinkers should engage rather than dismiss."
Masculine supremacy - the ancient, foolish fascism of the patriarchy.
Wow: that was a epicly correct essay of fascism! Much appreciated.
Eons ago in a sumer quarter at Hayward, Calif State college- my American History professor showed on a rough graph the correlation between the Southern Planters mentally & creed which created the KKK to Fascism in Europe. The Professor really upset a lot of students with his lecture. He said the south had never let go of that KKK mind set, it just was in hibernation.
“Nixon’s Southern Strategy in 1968 was the first opening.” I suspect Goldwater’s repudiation of civil rights and his nomination in 1964 deserves that recognition. Goldwater provided the door and opened it a crack. Nixon pushed it all the way open and strode right through it, flashing his double victory ✌️ sign.
I've been waiting for you to write this essay for some time. I knew it was coming eventually, but didn't expect it to be tied so beautifully with your previous essays. well done.
Wow! Mike! this is some of the most awesome recapitulation of history I may have ever read! I thank you for your incredible work and contribution to trying to save the republic. We are definitely in the “if you can keep it“ phase.! 🙏🏼❤️🙏🏼
Everyone who believes in equality needs to read and restock!
I'd recommend a couple of books which may complicate your arguments (though not necessarily away from the same overall conclusion).
Beeman's "Plain, Honest Men" contextualizes (inter alia) the political function of racism within the 1787 convention, and may give alternative insights as to how the compromises were derived.
Riley's "The Civic Foundations of Fascism in Europe" carefully distinguishes between three types of fascism - traditionalist, party, and statist - only one of which arguably could be expanded to the accommodate Germany's racialism. Atm I'm also considering Stephenson's fascism in Australia, which prima facie eschewed racism altogether in a way that today might even be criticized as "woke". ;)
Also, you may have missed a trick by leaving out what I would argue are two additional "foundings", one of which may be relevant: the 1930s New Deal "socialism" and accompanying fascist coup plans, as referenced in Dodd's "Ambassador Dodd's Diary" and (more explicitly and amusingly) by Smedley Butler when he blew the whistle to Congress. The names of the families behind these efforts are iconic and illuminating: the decisive factor in determining the identity of the master race, then as now, seems to be contingent and temporary dynastic possession of money shortly before the dynasty collapses. ;) This was and is the "aristocracy of money" so feared by the 1787 landed folk, only one of whom needed (ironically) actually to work for a living.
Further, the US constitution was, and is, an absolute mess of (originally) a four-page document. Jefferson may have helped compile the compromise, but he didn't actually agree with it (even putting aside the slaveholder issue); while Vice President Adams later admitted it's a monarchy in all but name. The delegates flipped back and forth during the convention, and many kept flipping afterwards.
Take care.
Unless I missed it, you dropped "Pogue" early on into your disquisition without any reference(s) or hyperlinks...could you please expand upon "Pogue' for the untutored amongst us?
Cheers
Great Essay! Right on target!
Thank you for once again making clear what should be obvious but is not. My hope is that this becomes part of the ether so that more people understand this moment in time. I do think more people are ‘feeling’ it even if they can’t name it. I long for the day where kids get taught this history.