Great article! One thing I'm noticing about twitter a lot now, and substack to a lesser extent is the heavy permeation of engagement/ marketing tactics, that a lot of people on the right are using now to drive engagement. Things like rage porn, deliberately controversial/contrarian takes and other slop make the app and perhaps the 'scene' almost unusable now.
This was great and certainly speaks to what we’re all feeling. I’ll admit to being one of those NR subscribers who supported Cruz and never understood the alt-Right as they were called back then. Honestly, even though I’ve come around of Trump and adopted a more traditional and populist kind of conservatism, I still struggle with understanding some of what characterizes the New Right. It all seems a little fuzzy and incoherent sometimes.
I agree with your conclusion that we need to get in settler-mode and start establish networks and communities. I love making friends with other conservative writers and readers, but so many of them are weirdos who’d rather be assholes and antisocial cowards. Can’t we be adults and straight with each other? Why am I still getting pissed on by editors and ghosted and ignore by fellow writers who are doing the same stuff I am? Why are so many conservatives still in the closet and scared of their own shadow?
We can’t let algorithms tell us who to read and what to care about. We should seek out voices we like, be neighborly both online and off, and just have fun. Like you say, most people find this boring, but it’s not if you give it a chance and purge the scrolling addictions.
What an astoundingly insightful and exquisitely written article, I stand up and applaud! If we want to make lasting change, in my view, our goal ought to involve meeting people in real life as much as possible. I submit that this will have a more positive impact on our future than any online bloviating can ever have at this stage in history. I say this in the hope that we are returning to a place of cultural sanity, at least in the limited government crowd. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
This needs to be explained more and internalised - the memes and mischief of the first Trump presidency was the adolescence of the online right, now comes adulthood. More of the hard work is now needed, and descent into trenches to hold and claim ground is required. Its not for everyone, but as you said, there will be few dedicated souls that can do it. For the rest, it must be an understanding of stages of life and of the new landscape.
Fantastic article Alan. You had perfectly described what we have been through the digital space in the last decade.
Still we have managed to traverse through it. And we will again do that through what ever they throw as us through AI or any new sceme they hatch.
As Men we know our duties to our family, community and more so over to our Nation. And those can only be maintained by the true connections we formed over the years in the thinking, writing , Literature space.
Mediums might change, But our approach to tackle it will also improve. As we are true to our intentions and I believe something sacred is guiding us there.
What do we call it when two of us post a deeply-overlapping pair of posts at the same time? Is it something like a serendipity? In any case, I'm not self promoting here, I just really want you, Alan to read what I just posted and see what I mean: https://sanityofchristianity.substack.com/p/why-are-we-letting-unvetted-strangers
The whole cycle of pioneers and settlers already occurred previously with the original blogosphere. This whole movie has been played once before in my lifetime.
In short, we’ve purged and bored ourselves outta insanity…for a few, I think, it was obviously necessary, highly predictable and wonderfully welcome. GREAT essay.
I view guiding the next generation as a vocation, its a critical thing to do, to be that elder we never had, someone who can cut through the bullshit and try and prevent a young man from smashing himself against the rocks. Every man whose eyes can be opened and then guided into a fruitful life is a victory
To use an analogy, The pioneer era is ended, or ending. We need to start looking towards the first settled generation. We need to ensure the gen alphas and onward aren’t taken in by the same old lies.
Most people aren’t fit to be these kinds of mystics. Monks of post modernity, but we need a rival to the neolib woke priesthood. Just having family units isn’t enough for community to form, you need spirtual leaders.
As for myself, I’m an oldhead who cut his teeth in the gamergate era. Its left a permanent mark and the lessons learned are far too valuable to let rot.
Great article! One thing I'm noticing about twitter a lot now, and substack to a lesser extent is the heavy permeation of engagement/ marketing tactics, that a lot of people on the right are using now to drive engagement. Things like rage porn, deliberately controversial/contrarian takes and other slop make the app and perhaps the 'scene' almost unusable now.
This was great and certainly speaks to what we’re all feeling. I’ll admit to being one of those NR subscribers who supported Cruz and never understood the alt-Right as they were called back then. Honestly, even though I’ve come around of Trump and adopted a more traditional and populist kind of conservatism, I still struggle with understanding some of what characterizes the New Right. It all seems a little fuzzy and incoherent sometimes.
I agree with your conclusion that we need to get in settler-mode and start establish networks and communities. I love making friends with other conservative writers and readers, but so many of them are weirdos who’d rather be assholes and antisocial cowards. Can’t we be adults and straight with each other? Why am I still getting pissed on by editors and ghosted and ignore by fellow writers who are doing the same stuff I am? Why are so many conservatives still in the closet and scared of their own shadow?
We can’t let algorithms tell us who to read and what to care about. We should seek out voices we like, be neighborly both online and off, and just have fun. Like you say, most people find this boring, but it’s not if you give it a chance and purge the scrolling addictions.
What an astoundingly insightful and exquisitely written article, I stand up and applaud! If we want to make lasting change, in my view, our goal ought to involve meeting people in real life as much as possible. I submit that this will have a more positive impact on our future than any online bloviating can ever have at this stage in history. I say this in the hope that we are returning to a place of cultural sanity, at least in the limited government crowd. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
This needs to be explained more and internalised - the memes and mischief of the first Trump presidency was the adolescence of the online right, now comes adulthood. More of the hard work is now needed, and descent into trenches to hold and claim ground is required. Its not for everyone, but as you said, there will be few dedicated souls that can do it. For the rest, it must be an understanding of stages of life and of the new landscape.
Too many of our guys do not post with a song in their heart. If you're not enjoying yourself what are you even doing? The work must be its own reward.
Half serious and half trolling
Fantastic article Alan. You had perfectly described what we have been through the digital space in the last decade.
Still we have managed to traverse through it. And we will again do that through what ever they throw as us through AI or any new sceme they hatch.
As Men we know our duties to our family, community and more so over to our Nation. And those can only be maintained by the true connections we formed over the years in the thinking, writing , Literature space.
Mediums might change, But our approach to tackle it will also improve. As we are true to our intentions and I believe something sacred is guiding us there.
Valid insights.
What do we call it when two of us post a deeply-overlapping pair of posts at the same time? Is it something like a serendipity? In any case, I'm not self promoting here, I just really want you, Alan to read what I just posted and see what I mean: https://sanityofchristianity.substack.com/p/why-are-we-letting-unvetted-strangers
Great article.
The whole cycle of pioneers and settlers already occurred previously with the original blogosphere. This whole movie has been played once before in my lifetime.
In short, we’ve purged and bored ourselves outta insanity…for a few, I think, it was obviously necessary, highly predictable and wonderfully welcome. GREAT essay.
I view guiding the next generation as a vocation, its a critical thing to do, to be that elder we never had, someone who can cut through the bullshit and try and prevent a young man from smashing himself against the rocks. Every man whose eyes can be opened and then guided into a fruitful life is a victory
To use an analogy, The pioneer era is ended, or ending. We need to start looking towards the first settled generation. We need to ensure the gen alphas and onward aren’t taken in by the same old lies.
Most people aren’t fit to be these kinds of mystics. Monks of post modernity, but we need a rival to the neolib woke priesthood. Just having family units isn’t enough for community to form, you need spirtual leaders.
As for myself, I’m an oldhead who cut his teeth in the gamergate era. Its left a permanent mark and the lessons learned are far too valuable to let rot.
Meme war veteran here... those were good days.
Well done.