Trump’s historic election victory was a clear mandate from the American people to stop the insanity that has been the political Left. However, it is much more than reversing inflation, strengthening borders, and not being woke. The next four years, and Lord-willing, beyond are an opportunity to redefine the trajectory of the country and use the time given to us not to simply “stand in the schoolhouse door”, but to reform, revive, and restore key aspects of our political heritage and also work to build new ones that strengthen a long-term political movement.
We are on the precipice of something big. The Right has been transitioning from “conservative” to “reactionary” since 2015. Conservative simply means to conserve a status quo or a specific set of beliefs at a particular moment in time. This is what has defined the Republican Party since 1945 and the at-large conservative movement since the Civil Rights era. Conservatism, as many of us are aware, has actually conserved little to nothing of western civilization in the past century. It has only preserved a steady, temporarily delayed decline that routinely clings to discarded liberal concepts and touts them as conservative. We have seen this, especially with the concept of equality since the 1960s. It is no surprise that so-called conservative administrations and politicians over the last fifty to eighty years have done absolutely nothing productive and have provided no defined vision or alternative to neoliberalism. Reactionary, however, means to revive or reinvigorate older, previous ways of thinking and living that are rooted in historical heritage and experience, while also reforming elements to fit current circumstances. It is both principled and pragmatic. We seem to be moving in the direction of the reactionary, albeit slowly, but our marginal steps are large and significant. For example, the shift from interventionism to a pseudo-isolationism is a direct reversion of the last seventy years of foreign policy. Furthermore, a rejection of democratic pluralism is an abrupt break with the status quo since 1960. And, finally, viewing the people of this country not as a collective group to be singularly governed, but a collection of distinct peoples within a land that ought to govern themselves is the most politically reactionary element, repudiating the consensus conjured after the second world war.
This shift can be seen by the cast of characters Trump and the New Right surround themselves with. It isn’t the typical establishment snakes or the President-elect’s personal business buddies. This time, it seems to be a coalition of qualified underdogs, cultural outsiders, and principled populists. Figures such as Thomas Massie, RFK Jr., Elon Musk, Tulsi Gabbard, Ron and Rand Paul, Doug Burgum, Vivek Ramaswamy, Joel Salatin, and other potential individuals do not look anything like the Republican administrations we have seen in the last sixty years. They are outsiders and dissidents that represent a new, fresh vision and appeal to a younger and more reactionary demographic.
The same goes for the policies Trump has shown interest in and intends to pursue. He has indicated he wants to dismantle bureaucratic agencies like the Department of Education, the IRS, Department of Health, FDA, revamp the Department of Agriculture, and reign in the Federal Reserve. He also has shown interest in abolishing the federal income tax, reinstituting tariffs to support federal revenue, promoting small business and agricultural reform policy that benefits independent farmers, promote international peace instead of hawkism, restrict illegal and legal immigration, restore potential quotas, and defend American citizenship by abolishing birthright and dual citizen policies. All of this is to say that the focus of Trump’s second administration is providing a vision for future generations of what America can become by getting back to the very things we once were. It is forward-looking, but historically rooted. Trump, himself, may not even be aware of all these components, or their historical precedents, but those whom he’s surrounded by are, or, they at least are willing to entertain their value.
Trump’s second term could be very good for a revival of federalism. If he is truly interested in making America great again and giving the country back to its citizens, there is no better way than to promote state’s rights and federalism. The interest in truly localized, small government has been on the rise over the last decade amongst both the Right and Left. Perhaps the Left’s defiance of all that Trump stands for will allow an honest conversation about state’s rights, nullification, or even secession. There may be hope for the southern tradition after so many years at bay. Perhaps we are about to enter port and come home. And it is on the Trump administration and Republicans to not squash these conversations or political developments (especially if they come from the Left), but to embrace them and see them as mutually beneficial.
Another component to this movement is a genuine interest in religion and, particularly, orthodox Christianity. This is especially true among young people, who have been routinely deprived of productive outlets to find meaning in their lives. They are rediscovering truth and significance in the Scriptures of the Bible. More importantly, they are quickly discovering the vibrant civilization we once called Christendom and understanding how the principles and commands God gives us apply to modern political settings and actually have a net positive influence on society. These are things past generations once knew and lived by, but every generation since 1900 has understood this less and less, and within a span of eighty years, the Boomer and Gen X generations knew almost nothing of its practical implications besides a cultural Christianity that accomplished nothing and held no theological weight.
Trump’s election and the subsequent influence around him give us an opportunity to revive some form of Christendom. This has mostly been made possible by a resurgence of Reformed Protestantism (as well as other varieties of orthodox Christianity) and their use of media platforms like podcasts, YouTube, and other forms of easily digestible publication. Reformed Christianity is deeply ingrained in the founding of America and was the unofficial religion of the land prior to 1880. A reinterest in this form of theology and its practical application in society has provided a foundation for faith-ordered civilization to rebuild itself.
It is crucial we realize electing Trump is not the end goal or accomplishment of a mission, it is only the beginning of a reformation. God has been so gracious as to give us a reprieve from the belligerent woke machine, we had better honor it by producing something worthy of that to which we have been called. Do not view the election as the epilogue, but as the preface. Americans clearly mandated change; and it is apparent they desire a reactionary version of it.
We have the opportunity to actually make something; rebuild something we once had, and even improve upon it. In the words of the late Alabama governor, George Wallace, “…today we sound the drum for freedom as have our generations of forebears before us done, time and time again through history. Let us rise to the call of freedom-loving blood that is in us….grasp the hand of destiny and walk out of the shadow of fear . . . and fill our divine destination. Let us not simply defend . . . but let us assume the leadership of the fight and carry our leadership across this nation. God has placed us here in this crisis . . . let us not fail in this . . . our most historical moment.”
Americans want their country back; they want their faith restored…and the southern tradition can provide for them the best way of doing so. Let us not squander posterity.
“…the vibrant civilization we once called Christendom…but every generation since 1900 has understood this less and less…”
1900 is an interesting time frame. Wescott and Hort’s work was beginning to flower and bear bad fruit. Bad fruit that watered down and corrupted the scriptures. Wescott and Hort’s work is largely responsible for the plethora of modern versions of the Bible. Versions which reject the authority of the KJB. But, by doing this less and less folks have the “key” to understanding the Bible. In the majority of the modern versions, the key has been removed from II Timothy 2:15. That key is critical to understanding what is going on in the Bible.
“Trump’s election..give us an opportunity to revive some form of Christendom. This has mostly been made possible by a resurgence of Reformed Protestantism (as well as other varieties of orthodox Christianity)…”
The only biblically based Christianity is Paul-ine Christianity; specifically, it’s Paul’s Epistles. All the Bible is for us, but not all the Bible is written to us or is about us. The Southerner, and every Christian for that matter, needs to note, with much sober and serious attention, what the former Confederate soldier said in his comments for Ephesians ch. 3. C.I. Scofield said, about Paul’s Epistles, “In his writing’s alone, we find the position, walk and destiny of the church.”
Can someone, somewhere, PLEASE get it across to President Trump that he cannot continue to mock those with disabilities such as autism, etc.? He considers himself to be “compassionate” but he speaks many, many, many times without thinking of who or what he offends. Once said, it cannot be forgiven by those, and their families, that he offends. He MUST not be so crude and rude in his speech because many of those who voted Democrat did so because of his offensive “personality”, overlooking the good things he did and will continue to do. He IS arrogant but he needs to, at the very least, pretend to be humble in order to win the approval of those nay-sayers. He needs some lessons in “Southern-ism” – we don’t behave like that! Would Ronald Reagan ever behave the unprofessional way that Trump does? Trump is not too old to change for the benefit of our Country. He simply needs to learn to think before he speaks. How can we look up to and respect the President of the United States when he continues to act offensively to those he serves?
I voted for Trump (for the third time) not because he, himself, is great, but because the ideas and principles he advocates are great and they are the very core of this republic. These include individual freedom (coupled with individual responsibility), as well as smaller and more localized government. Charity towards others needs to be given as free will dictates, not as the collective mandates. Also, it is quite fair to say that someone’s party affiliation is not a viable indicator of their dedication to the principles that we hold dear. This is why there are so many Republicans who fail to support Trump; it does not fit their best interest. Finally, to the comment by Martha Frame regarding Trump’s occasional uncouth remarks I must agree -I wish he would act with more dignity. But, God does use imperfect people to go great things. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”—Romans 8:28
I tend to be in agreement with the article. Born in 1950 I have seen a good bit of change over the past 74 years. Some good, some not so good. Almost everyone we knew went to church on Sunday morning when I was growing up. Now, not many of the people we know attend church at any time.
When I started school, we recited the Lord’s Prayer every morning along with the Pledge Allegiance to the US Flag. Over the years,those thing went away. What a shame. And the shame is on us. At least to a good extent. We elected the folks who brought this once great nation to a cess pool of ignorance. But, to our defense, all too often we were faced with electing not a good leader but just the lesser of two evils. In 2016, for example, I voted against hillary clinton, not really “for” Trump, but just Trump as the lesser of the two evils, in my mind. In 2020, I voted for Trump again, that time because he did a pretty good job as POTUS. For that same reason I voted Trump both as the lesser of two evils and also because I felt sure we could count on him to restore some sanity to the political class here in America.