These journeys really are long, strange trips, aren't they? It's a shame stories of this sort are not more common in literature, though artistically it would be tricky to balance the human aspect with the political one in a universal manner. What's interesting about America, though, is that while the characteristics of neoreaction (familiar to me by sight, but not by name) have a long history in Europe, America is only now beginning to realize the potentiality of other systems beyond what began in 1776. We live in a much more fateful time than most people realize.
Seeing as you mentioned libertarianism as a gateway (which I agree with, since libertarianism is an at-times wonky yet effective way people can yank their heads out of a system) does Ayn Rand - the "gateway drug" to conservatism, as people say - play a role in this story?
Tradition, order, hierarchy, aristocracy, authority, religion, inequality – THESE are what the West was built upon and are wherein her genius lies.
I think this is a bit reductionist. This may be what happens in reality, but a huge number of Western cultural and artistic heroes famously fought tooth and nail against these tendencies. I would argue that this high idealism (whether realized or not) is really what makes the West unique. Rebellion is baked into the cake in a way it isn’t in the East.
These journeys really are long, strange trips, aren't they? It's a shame stories of this sort are not more common in literature, though artistically it would be tricky to balance the human aspect with the political one in a universal manner. What's interesting about America, though, is that while the characteristics of neoreaction (familiar to me by sight, but not by name) have a long history in Europe, America is only now beginning to realize the potentiality of other systems beyond what began in 1776. We live in a much more fateful time than most people realize.
Seeing as you mentioned libertarianism as a gateway (which I agree with, since libertarianism is an at-times wonky yet effective way people can yank their heads out of a system) does Ayn Rand - the "gateway drug" to conservatism, as people say - play a role in this story?
Tradition, order, hierarchy, aristocracy, authority, religion, inequality – THESE are what the West was built upon and are wherein her genius lies.
I think this is a bit reductionist. This may be what happens in reality, but a huge number of Western cultural and artistic heroes famously fought tooth and nail against these tendencies. I would argue that this high idealism (whether realized or not) is really what makes the West unique. Rebellion is baked into the cake in a way it isn’t in the East.
I don't like the word "reactionary" bc it implies a certain passivity. Prefer to be ferocious and aggressive.
Loved reading about your influences! I will have to go back and devour some of these materials.