Maverick Philosopher

Footnotes to Plato from the foothills of the Superstition Mountains

Category: Nationalism

  • A Quote of Note from J. D. Vance’s RNC Speech

    Here is the part of Vance's speech Thursday night that impressed me the most.  It also impressed Cathy Young at The Bulwark, but for opposite reasons. It sounds Blut-und-Boden to her: "I think it’s fair to say that this portion of Vance’s speech had overtones of blood-and-soil nationalism." Fair? Or scurrilous? You know, one of…

  • America First!

    I explain what it means over at Substack.  I refute the fragile Kristol and articulate what the inarticulate Trump cannot. But to this man of action goes the credit of having put paid to Kristol and others of his pseudo-con ilk as well as to the Bush and Clinton dynasties. Jeb! is toast and Chelsea…

  • Is There a Problem with Conservative Nationalism?

    I have advocated an American conservatism that includes what I call enlightened nationalism.   But this morning's mail brought notice of an article that decouples conservatism from nationalism. Brion McClanahan writes: What is “American conservatism”? [. . .] But I know one thing that American conservatism is not: nationalism. That hasn’t stopped modern American “conservatives” for…

  • Which Side Are You On?

    I have criticized Rod Dreher and others for "floating above the fray," for trying to be objective and impartial in those practical situations in which immediate action is required and in which the requisite action is impeded by the otherwise laudable attempt to arrive at the objective truth of the situation.  "Can't you see that…

  • Nationalism: Ethnic and Civic

    Here: Much of today’s debate fails to distinguish between two types of nationalism: ethnic and civic. The former is based on language, blood or race. American nationalism is the latter, civic in nature, holding that the United States is a nation based on a set of beliefs — a creed — rather than race or…