I urge all to read the entirely of Chris Owens’ and Dan McCarthy’s articles on the thinking of Willmoore Kendall which offer a good reflection on Kendall’s American political theory. Kendall makes the case for the principles of the Constitutional Republic as articulated by the Federalist papers. I stand by what I said directly to Todd, but I didn’t think it is of particular interest to readers of Salon. I was a student of George Carey, a close collegue of Kendall and co-author with Kendall of “The Basic Symbols of the American Political Tradition and believe I know a little better than Todd what Kendall’s thinking would be (were he alive today) on Straussians and neoconservatives. Tom PaukenSent from my iPad On Mar 13, 2024, at 12:09 PM, Todd Pierce <todd.e.pierce@icloud.com> wrote:
I don’t ordinarily, in fact, never, share, emails sent to me privately, off-list. But Tom has heaped so much abuse on me on the list, publicly, including name-calling, derogating my intelligence, etc., that I’m not revealing any confidential information by sharing his latest. So exercising what I will call the “Michael Luttig right to respond" to Trumpites and their fellow New Rightists, DeSantisites, extreme anti-Constitutional rightists, both, I make an exception to point out here, as he himself makes clear, that Willmoore Kendall’s writings all consist of anti-Constitutional screeds, and calls for what fellow Conservative Claes Ryn elsewhere denounces as “Rousseauistic majoritarianism,” which Kendall was a promoter of, as explained here: https://www.theamericanconservative.com/willmoore-kendalls-1787-plan/Quote: "Kendall moved to the right after World War II, but his commitment to majority rule remained unshakable. Labeled an “absolute majoritarian,” he believed 50 percent-plus-one of the people had the right to decide matters. Fifty percent-minus-one had the duty to obey.” As written by right-wing celebrated Kendall biographer in a magazine which became a self-confessed Trumpite media platform, as its Straussian editors boasted here:
In Daniel McCarthy is where Kendall meets Hazony, (and Straussianism), with this a beautiful example: "Daniel McCarthy hosts Yoram Hazony from the Herzl Institute and Charles Kesler, a senior fellow at the Claremont Institute, for a panel at the Intercollegiate Studies Institute's "American Politics and Government Summit" about the future of national conservatism."
This, originally published in The American Conservative in 2013, as the first of a series to the present, of panegyrics to Kendall:
All going to the self-acknowledged point by the New Right that the operative political theory of Trumpism/DeSantism, as the “New Right, is a composite of the political theory of Willmoore Kendall and Yoram Hazony. To deny that, given the disrepute from the past of “Straussianism,” makes sense in promoting the candidacies of Trump and DeSantis, so as not to turn away people who might recoil from joining with the “Straussians.” But it's an act of deception, knowingly or not, to deny that with Michael Anton, Yoram Hazony, Claremont/Hillsdale/Tikvah Fund, The American Conservative, etc., the New Right is one big happy family of the amalgamation of Straussians with “Traditional” and National Conservatives.
I can understand why he might not want it known that Willmoore Kendall’s “1787 Authoritarian Plan,” is all about transforming the US into an Authoritarian State, as an example of right-wing regime change.
In open opposition to what Bruce Fein and Michael Luttig upheld last night as the “Rule of Law” embedded in our Constitution, which Kendall opposed so vigorously!
But you can read more on that in “The Origins of American Fascism,” which Richard Falk who knows my writing well encouraged me to write when I saw him recently. Giving me motivation to set out on that project.
On Mar 13, 2024, at 8:20 AM, Tom Pauken <twpauken@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
Todd, you truly are petty, invoking the name of Willmoore Kendall in your attacks on the neocons, Straussians, and Hazony’s “national conservatives”, although Willmoore (were he alive today) would share little in common with any of them. But then you don’t let facts (or any dissent from your views) get in your way. Tom Pauken Sent from my iPad On Mar 13, 2024, at 9:46 AM, Todd Pierce via Salon <salon@listserve.com> wrote:
I first draw attention to the Committee for the Republic’s outstanding Salon last night with Judge Michael Luttig as guest speaker supplemented by the inestimable Bruce Fein. It may stand out as the most intellectually informed and relevant Salon ever! With both host and guest known as “Conservatives,” which I normally denounce, speaking as a one-time “Conservative” myself. And both of whom would be denounced by Trumpites/NatCons, et al., of the “New Right,” in the manner of Willmoore Kendall, as “Liberals,” said with a hiss. Their “crime” would be for upholding the “Rule Of Law,” and pointing out how "January 6” was an insurrection every bit as much as the unsuccessful Kampfbund (Battle-league) coup was in Munich in November 1923: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kampfbund
To Warren’s question, “Where is Todd when we need him,” I’ve “muzzled” myself as much as I’m capable of, having been told to cut back on what I say. Which in fact, one doesn’t need to be a genius to know, meant, the “Conservatives” are complaining. My criticism I will say, strikes too close to home, as against the many Trumpites/New Rightists, many of whom make up the “Committee.”
A wild guess is, that Warren isn’t one of those who complained. Nor, though perhaps I’m wrong, is Scott? But last night, at the Salon, the same sort who I’m guessing would complain of me, also complained of Judge Luttig, for speaking the truth of Trump, his crimes, and his authoritarianism, and what we can expect in a 2d Trump administration. All of which I have to agree with. Unfortunately, most of Scott’s article I either disagree with, or unfortunately, have to agree with, for his criticism of Biden, in particular. But most importantly is what is “omitted” in this account, which is that Biden’s catastrophic administration’s fiasco is in the policies he carried on from Trump! Or that Trump had created the crises which reached the breaking point shortly after Trump left office.
In particular, the clandestine war (who can forget that?) which Trump and Netanyahu immediately embarked upon against Iran on Trump taking office. And Trump’s escalation of US “war” against Palestinians with Netanyahu, the IDF, Settlers, et al., as “proxies,” in “capturing the Golan Heights to be incorporated into Greater Israel, the same with East Jerusalem and the Settlements, as advanced so much under Trump, and with Trump’s strategy enabling it. Likewise with Russia, with Trump tightening its encirclement, escalating and accelerating “Special Operations Forces,” against ethnic Russians, in collusion with Ukrainian avowed fascists, even more than under Obama, all of which Biden continued. And all of which signaled to both Palestinians and Russians that there was to be no accommodation with a militaristically aggressive US, regardless of administration. And that’s not even to address Trump’s massive military buildup designed for offensive operations!
But the following I agree with: "Trump showed genuinely effective national leadership perhaps for the first time in rushing the development of vaccines that proved effective in diminishing the Covid danger. Leaders of the pharmaceutical establishment delayed the release of promising vaccine test results until after the 2020 vote, ensuring Trump received no political credit.”
That’s the MRNA vaccine. Which all Conservatives and libertarians denounce and blame on Biden, being too “stupid” (in the Latinate sense), to give “credit” to Trump!
The bottom line is, that as an advanced, hyper-militaristic, country now, any “regime” we get “reflects the culture.” But that’s not limited to two parties vying for power, dichotomously, unless one’s mind is so constricted that they can only think dichotomously. There’s room for a “Third Force,” as Fascism was seen as in the period between the two world wars. When Kevin Roberts of the Heritage Foundation speaks of a “Third Way” they promote, Trumpism, he’s telling us exactly what Project 2025 is intended as, under Trump.
Contrary to Scott’s article, Trump exhibited no constraint, except for the inherent political constraints he had to abide by to get reelected for a second term in which there would be no constraints. So I vigorously disagree with this statement: "He is not an authoritarian; he had ample opportunity to expand presidential powers during his first term but preferred tweeting to mastering the intricacies of governing.”
It’s been fully revealed that he was inclined to declare martial law, as Republicans and Conservatives are always calling for. “Martial Law” goes far beyond putting National Guard troops in the subway. Martial Law is the suspension of the Constitution! When some Trumpites called for him to declare martial law "on the border,” that means 200 miles inland, of the entire US boundary, in fact. It would be equivalent to the Reichstag Decree. And Conservatives love that idea, given how much they always call for that. With one last point. Scott omits how extremely violent police tactics, adopted from military occupation tactics, of both Israel and the US’ own tactics in Iraq, served the same purpose as did the British martial law tactics in Boston did in 1775. That is,. They incited resistance, regardless of how much that went beyond mere “protests” after George Floyd was wantonly killed in the Twin Cities, where I’m from, and saw its effects immediately. And know how “Whites” were involved as well, with some obviously being “right-wing provocateurs.”
That’s my 2 cents, and have to stop here. But that “campaign literature” deserves to be more fully responded to later.
The Origins of Totalitarianism isn’t a short book and our present situation can’t be explained in short pieces, so more will follow. Especially on Anton’s New Right.
Thanks Warren, I think :-) On Mar 13, 2024, at 6:31 AM, Warren Coats via Salon <salon@listserve.com> wrote:
A very good article. Several years ago I suffered through a Michael Anton speech in which he dog whistled that we should be prepared to go to the streets if Trump’s reelection is denied. I got up and walked out. Where is Todd when we need him. Warren Coats 1211 S Eads St. Apt 2101 Arlington Va. 22202 (703) 608-2975 https://wcoats.blog On Mar 13, 2024, at 8:44 AM, SCOTT MCCONNELL via Salon <salon@listserve.com> wrote:
Here, most people on this list won’t like this piece. But it quotes our esteemed moderator, and thought I’d share it. Curious to think about what to write when someone asks you to write a piece on the election.
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