Excellent essay and great job flipping the idea of intersectionality on its head! Instead of each aspect of identity being another way to perceive yourself as a victim and a reason to have a chip on your shoulder towards others, see it as a way to expand the common ground you share with others and to take pride in the responsibilities you have to others and to yourself. Excellent take on this theme!
It calls to mind an epic essay by Bill Whittle, in the later days of the Before Times. His was called 'Tribes' and it spoke of some of the conclusions you've made here. I subscribe to it but....there's always a 'but' it seems....Tribalism is the beginning of the death of civilization. Balkanization prevents trust, co-operation, civility.
I like your idea of 'Tonic Masculinity', that's a good formulation. A good goal to work towards.
My only real quibble is that I think we are now firmly in an Oligarchy rather than just being subject to Executive Overreach. EO is just the outward symptom of the true sickness and I expect to see more rot as more hands scrabble for the tainted baton of power.
Not a cheerful note, I know. But thank you again for writing this.
Intersectionality is a political toxin wielded with efficacy by power, it also employs and enriches millions with a talent for grifting and an aversion to work.
Divide and Rule.
It is quite deliberate, moreover given that the managerial class installed Contra Constitution has no internal administrative controls-reflected in all aspects of their governance including now the key Corporation of Finance-they can only increase their support by increasing their numbers by buying more,and increasingly routine intimidation.
What they cannot do Sir is stop or turn round. They show no sign of doing any such thing, indeed you have orders for the Russian Front already whether you know or not. I suspect I do too.
The constant ritual marching and rioting are beginning to smack of the Orangemen marches in Ireland, I notice they tend to start after the Holidays (when the government comes back to work). Its plain intimidation by a government backed paramilitary (BLM, etc) under the banner of Civil Rights instead of say, State’s Rights. Leaders and a managerial class who do such things are beyond moral appeal.
You cannot win on moral appeal to sociopaths who are trapped in their own webs.
I applaud morality, but I must ask if you think moral appeals work, Sir you chose to be a soldier , at some level you know what it really takes.
If these creatures were open to morality and the common good they wouldn’t have done what they have done, nor accelerated all their own worst tendencies.
But you can make this appeal to of course the veterans, and the decent people and perhaps the former shall show the latter as it were The Way.
Jan 28, 2023·edited Jan 28, 2023Liked by Grant Smith
Manifesting the identity’s toxic sin-pole kinda nips the bond potential in the bud 😟 Trad social behaviour filters aka good manners used to neutralise this threat to a significant extent. Even from prosaic common sense-ish self-interest—no need to delve into deep stuff—spitting out negative remarks doesn’t seem to do any good for one’s own mood, let alone the definite damage to relational fabric 🤷 What if tomorrow dawns the sunny side up, and you would rather walk back on your angry/gloomy words?
To fight the impulse for cynical discharge, mere self-interest is again enough 😏 Hear the famously reticent 30th potus ↓↓
🗨 I have noticed that nothing I never said ever did me any harm. ~~Calvin Coolidge
I will add on the subject of atrocity they have committed more than spiritual already but corporeal, and their nihilism cannot be quenched nor their rapacity satisfied.
We are flirting with nuclear war to prolong a regime that has only force without legitimacy remaining, and Bribery of course, to which thankfully we remain largely immune.
We are on inertia now, habit, customs only honored by ourselves, drifting.
Your moral compass you discuss is already within us , as are ties that cross over imaginary borders drawn by baser men, that few have any use for day to day. The people do not think or practice these charades ( even the peddlers of these poisons) but they drift more than we...
I think the time has come for the defenders to no longer defer our agency to those who have overthrown the Republic in our full view-being sworn in by soldiers dragooned falsely that had been summoned to keep the peace. Creatures who are corrupt beyond measure, faithless, false and Allegiant only to themselves. Our forerunners nobly deferred in the past honorably to men of Honor. Now we are stained with dishonor and indeed those of us unfortunate enough to have been in the Capitol in winter 2021 may be involved in disloyalty (I’m one). We did not cross the river but were tricked and dragged over, deceived. Every day brings new abuses, we are disgraced by association, the world sees us as red handed madmen. The list of corruptions, abuses and making war in every direction and now pointing weapons at our own people, tricked into forswearing or compromising our oath abrogates the agency we surrendered, no one else redeems our nation or ourselves.
Doesn't always striving towards to the convergent pole lead to radical collectivism around certain identities though? The same issues we're witnessing with woke/covidianism? Although us dissidents are probably more towards the divergent poles on our identity spectrums shouldn't a balance between the two be the end goal aspired to instead?
🗨 Qualities or virtues tell us something, but ultimately manhood is a role. It concerns one’s past, present, and future, as well as one’s relation to others. It’s about the situation in which one is placed and which one strives to create for oneself. That is to say, manhood is not about essence but existence.
🗨 “manhood ideals force men to overcome their inherent inertia and fearfulness and to ‘work,’ both in the sense of expending energy and in the sense of being efficient or ‘serviceable’ in doing so.”
I admit I have had serious misgivings about "intersectionality" since I first heard of the concept. It seemed to me another product of post-modern thinking, materialist scientific leveling of what is mysterious and enchanting about being human, a kind of industrial treatment of interpersonal relations. It seemed to encourage people to silo, to retreat into identities separate from the majority, dividing us to infinitude. Call me simple but I prefer, I am a man, I am human, I am an American. I would prefer we all hold to such simple concepts, while celebrating the multiplicity.
I've been thinking a lot lately too about individuality and the needs of community. It seems we divide ourselves further by those who prefer to focus on individuality while others seem to want to subsume themselves in the collective. I would like to think of America as being a place where we are all individuals entirely unique (with our own genius for something) part of some community and communities greater than ourselves.
Navy Divers fingered for Nordstream Bombing, address of school in 1st paragraph. That’s who’s taking the fall, it means we’re about to make a deal with the Russians. See Breaker Morant, Abu Gharib, Haditha et al. They’re taking the fall.
Excellent essay and great job flipping the idea of intersectionality on its head! Instead of each aspect of identity being another way to perceive yourself as a victim and a reason to have a chip on your shoulder towards others, see it as a way to expand the common ground you share with others and to take pride in the responsibilities you have to others and to yourself. Excellent take on this theme!
Grant ,
This might be the most superb judo flip I've ever seen. Thank you.
Well written, coherent, comprehensive, and rational. What more can I say?
Good essay, thank you for writing it.
It calls to mind an epic essay by Bill Whittle, in the later days of the Before Times. His was called 'Tribes' and it spoke of some of the conclusions you've made here. I subscribe to it but....there's always a 'but' it seems....Tribalism is the beginning of the death of civilization. Balkanization prevents trust, co-operation, civility.
I like your idea of 'Tonic Masculinity', that's a good formulation. A good goal to work towards.
My only real quibble is that I think we are now firmly in an Oligarchy rather than just being subject to Executive Overreach. EO is just the outward symptom of the true sickness and I expect to see more rot as more hands scrabble for the tainted baton of power.
Not a cheerful note, I know. But thank you again for writing this.
Intersectionality is a political toxin wielded with efficacy by power, it also employs and enriches millions with a talent for grifting and an aversion to work.
Divide and Rule.
It is quite deliberate, moreover given that the managerial class installed Contra Constitution has no internal administrative controls-reflected in all aspects of their governance including now the key Corporation of Finance-they can only increase their support by increasing their numbers by buying more,and increasingly routine intimidation.
What they cannot do Sir is stop or turn round. They show no sign of doing any such thing, indeed you have orders for the Russian Front already whether you know or not. I suspect I do too.
The constant ritual marching and rioting are beginning to smack of the Orangemen marches in Ireland, I notice they tend to start after the Holidays (when the government comes back to work). Its plain intimidation by a government backed paramilitary (BLM, etc) under the banner of Civil Rights instead of say, State’s Rights. Leaders and a managerial class who do such things are beyond moral appeal.
You cannot win on moral appeal to sociopaths who are trapped in their own webs.
I applaud morality, but I must ask if you think moral appeals work, Sir you chose to be a soldier , at some level you know what it really takes.
If these creatures were open to morality and the common good they wouldn’t have done what they have done, nor accelerated all their own worst tendencies.
But you can make this appeal to of course the veterans, and the decent people and perhaps the former shall show the latter as it were The Way.
Good luck
Manifesting the identity’s toxic sin-pole kinda nips the bond potential in the bud 😟 Trad social behaviour filters aka good manners used to neutralise this threat to a significant extent. Even from prosaic common sense-ish self-interest—no need to delve into deep stuff—spitting out negative remarks doesn’t seem to do any good for one’s own mood, let alone the definite damage to relational fabric 🤷 What if tomorrow dawns the sunny side up, and you would rather walk back on your angry/gloomy words?
To fight the impulse for cynical discharge, mere self-interest is again enough 😏 Hear the famously reticent 30th potus ↓↓
🗨 I have noticed that nothing I never said ever did me any harm. ~~Calvin Coolidge
--
PS 7th footnote cuts like Damascus steel 🔥
I will add on the subject of atrocity they have committed more than spiritual already but corporeal, and their nihilism cannot be quenched nor their rapacity satisfied.
We are flirting with nuclear war to prolong a regime that has only force without legitimacy remaining, and Bribery of course, to which thankfully we remain largely immune.
We are on inertia now, habit, customs only honored by ourselves, drifting.
Your moral compass you discuss is already within us , as are ties that cross over imaginary borders drawn by baser men, that few have any use for day to day. The people do not think or practice these charades ( even the peddlers of these poisons) but they drift more than we...
Perhaps we’ve all had enough.
I know I have.
Cheers
I will speak for myself only.
I think the time has come for the defenders to no longer defer our agency to those who have overthrown the Republic in our full view-being sworn in by soldiers dragooned falsely that had been summoned to keep the peace. Creatures who are corrupt beyond measure, faithless, false and Allegiant only to themselves. Our forerunners nobly deferred in the past honorably to men of Honor. Now we are stained with dishonor and indeed those of us unfortunate enough to have been in the Capitol in winter 2021 may be involved in disloyalty (I’m one). We did not cross the river but were tricked and dragged over, deceived. Every day brings new abuses, we are disgraced by association, the world sees us as red handed madmen. The list of corruptions, abuses and making war in every direction and now pointing weapons at our own people, tricked into forswearing or compromising our oath abrogates the agency we surrendered, no one else redeems our nation or ourselves.
I speak only for myself.
Doesn't always striving towards to the convergent pole lead to radical collectivism around certain identities though? The same issues we're witnessing with woke/covidianism? Although us dissidents are probably more towards the divergent poles on our identity spectrums shouldn't a balance between the two be the end goal aspired to instead?
🗨 Qualities or virtues tell us something, but ultimately manhood is a role. It concerns one’s past, present, and future, as well as one’s relation to others. It’s about the situation in which one is placed and which one strives to create for oneself. That is to say, manhood is not about essence but existence.
https://newcriterion.com/issues/2023/2/man-among-men
🗨 “manhood ideals force men to overcome their inherent inertia and fearfulness and to ‘work,’ both in the sense of expending energy and in the sense of being efficient or ‘serviceable’ in doing so.”
Thanks for the shout out!
I admit I have had serious misgivings about "intersectionality" since I first heard of the concept. It seemed to me another product of post-modern thinking, materialist scientific leveling of what is mysterious and enchanting about being human, a kind of industrial treatment of interpersonal relations. It seemed to encourage people to silo, to retreat into identities separate from the majority, dividing us to infinitude. Call me simple but I prefer, I am a man, I am human, I am an American. I would prefer we all hold to such simple concepts, while celebrating the multiplicity.
I've been thinking a lot lately too about individuality and the needs of community. It seems we divide ourselves further by those who prefer to focus on individuality while others seem to want to subsume themselves in the collective. I would like to think of America as being a place where we are all individuals entirely unique (with our own genius for something) part of some community and communities greater than ourselves.
An impressively fertile concept, this tonic whatever keeps on proving to be! 🤸
Here’s real world Intersectionality;
Navy Divers fingered for Nordstream Bombing, address of school in 1st paragraph. That’s who’s taking the fall, it means we’re about to make a deal with the Russians. See Breaker Morant, Abu Gharib, Haditha et al. They’re taking the fall.
https://seymourhersh.substack.com/p/how-america-took-out-the-nord-stream
Under the Rule of Law, the Law is sovereign- and decides who takes the fall.
The Navy Diver is not a Fighting Man, says DeNiro.
He’d better be a lawyering up man, welcome to real war.
GET LAWYERS SAY NOTHING.
They’ll punish you, but it’s far worse if you talk, especially if you say you were following orders.
Months become years or decades. Ask Corey Claggart.
It’s disloyal to name your superiors, it’s not disloyalty to betray subordinates < this is the actual real world code. RHIP.
Congress wasn’t informed, it’s in the article to humiliate Congress, so Congress must demand a victim.
See who and what you serve.
Look at them, so you know.
You don’t want to find out the way The Divers are finding out.