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“Unprecedented,” a Profound and Disturbing Essay by Michael Anton
In the campaign season of 2016, an essay appeared out of the blue titled “The Flight 93 Election” exploring, in considerable depth, the very real dangers for our Nation should Hillary Clinton be elected President. Word of this epochal essay spread like wildfire and it became — not the cliché but the real thing — an overnight sensation. It was introduced to the wider world when Rush Limbaugh read every word of it on his radio show. How much impact it had on the eventual outcome of the election we will never know, but I would speculate that it almost certainly had a measurable effect. Like many in those pivotal days – we had no idea just how pivotal they were at the time — I devoured the article which simply corroborated my conviction that the style of the title was not at all overdone but described the importance of that decision precisely. The author was identified at the time of its release as Publius Decius Mus, the essay may be accessed here. His real identity was Michael Anton.
This very same scholar and highly accomplished analyst has now published another masterful essay in which he reviews the increasingly disturbing, chilling, and, in some cases, frightening developments wrenching our society these days, defined broadly as the last five to six years since approximately — and this is my marker, not the author’s — the most famous escalator ride in history. The theme is the large catalog of savage attacks on, to use Victor Davis Hanson’s phrase, the very pillars of Western Civilization.
I will try to couch my feelings about both the excellence of this piece of scholarship and the severity of its alarms for our future in somewhat muted tones, but, to put it as mildly as I know how to use the King’s English, every single American citizen with a sentient mind should read this essay, at least once but, more beneficially, twice, as I did. It may be accessed here; as noted, the publishers have most graciously granted me permission to provide this link and it is my hope that it will be spread far and wide so many will have the benefit of the depth of analysis it offers of the problems we face. They are so much more serious than the usual jokes and memes about the blithering fools who occupy our highest two offices presently and I hope to briefly review the major areas of Anton’s concerns — issues which are unprecedented in American history and, in some cases, all recorded history.
The author opens his discussion with these pithy observations on the current state of the “Republic” (about which more later) and its seemingly inevitable decline:
When I have thought about this, I have been in some part inclined to the opinion that present arrangements are unstable and may be approaching their end. Yet in thinking it through further, I am forced to admit that our times are marked by so many unprecedented trends and events that making predictions seems foolhardy.
He then turns to a familiar theme:
Are We Rome?
Noting that there seem to be many similarities between the fall of Rome and our present rapidly deteriorating situation, and examining the two examples extensively, he indicates that America, because of the confluence of so many unprecedented developments, is almost certainly headed for at least a slow, steady decline, if not imminent fall. One conclusion which jumped off the page to me was this one, which we seem to hear more and more often of late:
Yet in all important respects, our country is no longer a republic, much less a democracy, but rather a kind of hybrid corporate-administrative oligarchy.
There follows an analysis of the “cycle of regimes” theory which holds that “[j]ust as Rome was born, grew, matured, peaked, declined and eventually fell, so will — and must — America.” Under this theory, every regime — monarchy, autocracy, or democracy — falls when it becomes “overbearing and odious.” This phrase really hit home with me because our present system has clearly become overbearing and to call many of those in national “leadership” positions just “odious” would be to commit an act of kindness.
Unprecedented Immigration Policy Never Seen Before In World History.
We — that is, those of us of a certain level of “maturity” — were raised to regard the “Melting Pot” as one of those bedrock foundational principles which make the USA exceptional and to believe that E Pluribus Unum was not just some slogan on the currency. However, the author reminds us that Aristotle cautioned, in his Politics, that “dissimilation of stock is conducive to factional conflict,” and notes that we pride ourselves on our “exceptional track record of assimilating peoples from all over the world.” After reviewing the changes wrought by the devastating 1965 Immigration Act and the denunciation of the very idea of assimilation by our Ruling Elite as “racist” (is there a single thing left in our society that is not racist?) we have seen another development unprecedented in world history:
Be that as it may, no nation in recorded history has ever willingly opened its doors to millions of immigrants only to insist that they must never adapt to the traditional ways of their new country…
Other examples follow, such as the size of the tidal wave of humanity coming to America now estimated to be in the range of 100,000,000 — one hundred million! — since 1965. As he notes, no native-born population of any country has ever cheered its own dispossession. Ever.
Unsayable: The “Great Replacement” is Happening.
Not only is it happening- it is accelerating under the “Biden” administration. We are seeing another unprecedented move by a nation as described by the author:
No majority stock in any nation has ever deliberately sought its own replacement…
A headline today announced, as if it were believable enough to be taken seriously, that the administration has issued a massive number of show cause orders directing illegal immigrants all over the country to appear in court to prove why they should not be deported back to Mexico/Guatemala/Honduras/Somalia/Uzbekistan. I represent, in good faith, that this was not a headline in the Babylon Bee.
Anton also notes that while examples can be found of a new elite rising and then replacing an older one:
But of a ruling class coming to despise its own (broadly speaking) ethnic group and seeking ways to rob their fellow co-ethnics of power, standing, and influence? I can’t think of any other such cases.
Ugliness Is Everywhere. Decreed From On High?
Anton then turns his analytical acumen to the qualities which make our current class of elites markedly different from tyrants of old, who have always despoiled their countries for personal gain. Today’s “Anointed”, to use Dr. Sowell’s word, are driven by a “malice … atypical to the native despot,” continuing:
To force degeneracy on the whole of society, with the explicit intent of bringing the rest us to our knees, literally and figuratively—that, I think, has never happened before.
The author then views the landscape of ugliness the ruling class has “created,” noting that throughout history autocrats wanted to leave behind “beauty, the arts, and great works.” Now, since about the middle of the last century, everything has turned brutally ugly, including “not just the buildings, but the art, the literature, the music, almost everything.”
What follows at this point was a discussion which must have taken a serious measure of courage to write, and of The New Criterion to publish, as it is a depiction of not one, but two, areas which The Anointed have decreed to be off-limits in so-called “polite company” (an ever-dwindling group in our coarse society). He actually discusses — out loud — the ugliness of the people and the inexplicable choice of George Floyd as something approaching Sainthood.
As to the ugliness of the people, he notes that “[t]he point seems to be humiliation, forcing us little people to say ‘the thing which is not’” and further illustrates the “malice” of today’s ruling elite thusly:
That trick is also as old as the hills, but the deliberate promotion of ugliness seems to be a new way to play it.
Anton’s dissection of the George Floyd phenomenon surely should rank as one of the most honest, forthright, unsparing, and truthful discussions of this madness to be found anywhere and it alone makes the entire essay worth close attention and study.
At this point, I should note that by publishing this passage, in particular, and the essay, in general, The New Criterion has once again exemplified its credo:
“At The New Criterion we will always call things by their real names.”
Before having the sheer temerity to sketch out the many reasons George Floyd was no Saint, he begins this discussion as follows:
But in terms of what we choose to elevate, nothing illustrates the perversity of present America more than the deification of George Floyd.
He concludes:
But has any people ever chosen such an undeserving object of worship?
The Tragic State of Education Today.
If forced to sum up this entire depressing section of the essay (as I am due to the conditions of the gracious permission of the publication to publish the link to the entire article) in a few passages, it would be these:
There’s ample historical precedent for widespread illiteracy. But for teaching one’s own citizens self-hatred, degeneracy, and despondency—without teaching them to read and write?
Besieged by Barbarians.
The next section, entitled “Barbarians at the Gate,” discusses the destruction being wrought upon our society by crime and the sacking of our cities at the instigation of our “overlords” and also by modern technology, which he describes as “anti-human,” designed to “remake [Man’s] very soul.” He further discusses the never-before-seen “passionate hatred” of the “cultural locusts” who will leave no statue standing and no name unchanged.
Conclusion: Uncertain.
His very tentative prognosis is that we will be “somewhere between imminent collapse and drawn-out decline” and ends with this vivid, if not disquieting, finale:
Whatever the case, couple all this unprecedentedness with all this incompetence, and going long on Wokemerica seems a sucker bet. But, to end where we began, the very unprecedentedness of our situation means that all bets are off.
I have racked my brain — the few surviving parts of it — to try to find words adequate to the task of urging every American to read this essay thoroughly and imbibe its lessons as completely as possible. My brain only responded: reading this essay should be the duty, not the option, of every citizen who cares about our Beloved Nation and hopes to help, in some way, no matter how small, reverse its long decline. I hope this review will whet your appetite and prompt you to do just that.
God Bless America!
Author’s Note: Publication of the link to the article and brief quoted passages are provided with the permission of The New Criterion.
Published in General
I will do the reading.
The link is leading to a paywall. . .
I just tested it and it went right to the entire article; please let me know if this persists and I will see what I can do about it, which won’t be much considering the extent of my technological challenges.
Some of us aren’t cheering it on now.
You must be a subscriber, and known to them by your browser cookies. So you go straight into the full article. Non-subscribers get the first couple paragraphs.
Thank you- any help any of our gurus can offer would be most appreciated as the entire reason I put so much work into this review was, as noted, to try to get it out to as many as possible. And, yes, I am a subscriber–a great publication!
There’s an option to buy just the article. It’s only $3.
Well, supporting paywall bypass, if done at all, usually requires a special URL that includes a bypass code. You’ll have to get such from them and post that instead of the public link.
Thanks; I just tested the link on my wife’s phone and saw what you are talking about and also the purchase option. Later I will try @philturmel ‘s suggestion to try to get full access for all.
In Roman times, the barbarians were outside. In America, the barbarians are inside. The Enemy truly is “Us”.
It also wouldn’t hurt to subscribe to the journal/magazine. They deserve it. You could even give them some of the money saved from cancelling NR.
NR is becoming more useless, isn’t it? It still feels like a big step to cancel. I’ve subscribed forever, used to contribute to NRI, met Rich and Jonah back before the late unpleasantness. . . well, leading into the late unpleasantness.
Jim, it’s an excellent piece. Thank you for bringing it to our attention.
It’s difficult to take issue with his observations – things really do seem that insane, unprecedented and unsustainable in a lot of ways.
It does seem to leave one big question unanswered, which is what can we do about it?
I was really kind of kidding. I’m one of NR’s few remaining defenders here. But I also subscribe to The New Criterion. Online, 29.95/year.
If you have the “Reader View” option on your browser, you get the entire article,
It only gave me the same first three paragraphs.
I spoke too soon, it gave me the next article “Between Art & Revolution”. Interesting, but not what we’re looking for.
Henry the Good King was exhumed and then beaten by fishwives?
Can you imagine if he’d been Henry the Bad King?
Try using “ reader view” ( worked for me) or an anonymous tab in your browser.
Here’s the BarflyNotes, for $1.50. (I have to charge you something. I lost a bet a while back and need to cover it.)
<hr/>
Rome is the closest historical analog to the modern United States, but significant differences constrain the applicability of any lesson we might learn from that ancient Republic and Empire. Still, the similarities are there and can’t be ignored. Rome fell, and it may be that America will fall. It is more certain that America will diminish.
Chief among the differences that make our situation unique is the malice our elite class evinces towards the country class and our country. That malice is historically unique and so makes every other calculation unreliable. We cannot predict how we will evolve – will it be
But if you don’t want to subscribe to the New Criterion, you should at least unsubscribe from NR. Please stop supporting the enemy.
I’m not going down that road again but, if I wanted to take the time, I could cite a dozen scribblings in the very recent past indicating that they aren’t the enemy.
Thank you. I hope the tech glitches get worked out as I really do want every possible person to read this piece; if this one doesn’t get folks riled up nothing will. To your point, the daily insanity just seems to increase and not get any better at all; I see where just this morning, “Dr.” Fauci was announcing that due to the Omicron variant “they” might have to impose new lockdown rules. He also suggested that maybe Ted Cruz should be investigated over Jan. 6; not at all sure how that kind of stupid remark, even on a program on ABC, fits within his job description. However, the further question is how anyone, even the socialist media people on ABC, listens to a word this little cretin has to say!
As to what can we do about it, as one who has written my Congressman, the TV star, Matt Gaetz, probably about 10-12 times or more, and got the exact same form letter back, even when I put an express statement in my last letters that I not get the same letter back, I finally gave up after calling his office and asking for him to speak with me on the phone (is it just advancing age, or was it not long ago one could actually SPEAK to the person one voted to send to Washington– like many, if not most, humans speak to each other?) and I was told by his aide that “The Congressman does not return phone calls, but his appearances are listed on the website and he’ll be glad to speak with you at one of those.” That was it for me; whoever runs against him will get our contributions, for sure.
I have decided the best approach is to support our Governor, Ron DeSantis about to put our most recent check in the mail this afternoon!), in his re-election campaign and also to support Pres. Trump for 2024; maybe also some local Republican candidates. Maybe the local party-maybe.
I like to hope that our writing and trying to get as much good, solid information out as possible might be of some help as it is such an uphill battle to try to work around the propaganda machine! Also, to try to continue to keep thinking Americans aware of the dangers we face, as this essay did; just wish thousands/millions more could read it!
Thanks again for your comment, Jim.
Thanks, Phil, I will call their office tomorrow and see if I can’t get them to agree to this kind of workaround; thought I had that kind of agreement, but the Gremlins got into it as they so often do! I appreciate your suggestion, Jim
That link is very hard to see, even when looking for it. I’d suggest including a longer phrase in the link text to make it stand out more.
https://www.steynonline.com/ is still free.
Randy, that wound up being a bit out of kilter as I was trying to cut quoted passages down as agreed with the publisher–the reference is to a speech Bill Clinton made to one of the Ivy League schools –this will give little better context:
Hope that clears it up — thanks for the comment, Jim
Thanks; it seems that when it was promoted, some helpful editor made that happen– this is my thanks to whoever did that as it is much clearer now.
Sincerely, Jim
I understood, and agree with you.