We hear it from the haters of our heritage all the time. Old times in Dixie must be forgotten and never remembered. We’re not in sync with modern America, or to a large extent with the modern American South. Yet we must ask why this modernity deserves our allegiance. It is crucial today, more than ever, for Southerners to embrace their traditional heritage. Modern America is increasingly dysfunctional. In the name of false freedom and liberation, many Americans have lost moral direction along with the ties, connections, and loyalties that make us fully human, and indeed fully sane. Aggravating all of these problems is a vulgar mass culture which measures human worth in terms of personal income and so-called “success.”
Despite our moral decline, the wealth and power of America still awe the world. Yet, increasingly, that wealth and power are hollow. Deindustrialization and massive national debt reveal our national decline on the world stage. And our power and strength are waning, as “diversity” (much of it propelled by mass immigration) destroys our traditional bonds of unity and cohesion. Our deep-state ruling classes don’t care. In fact, they enrich and empower themselves from our national decline.
If that decline continues, and it probably will, it behooves traditional Southerners and other traditional Americans to consider how they might survive in a hostile national environment. For Southerners it must begin with throwing off the imposed shackles of anti-Southern stereotypes and false guilt—and embrace the positive aspects of our heritage, foremost among them being faith in God and loyalty to family and community. Our vital social ties, however, are not limited to present people. These ties include the memory of our ancestors and concern for our unborn generations. From all of these ties we draw identity, and from that identity, grounded on our Southern land, we draw strength.
Our Confederate history is essential to our identity. It is the inspiring story of a people’s resistance to tyranny and their courage and endurance in the aftermath of defeat. In this day of oppressive elites, economic and political, this inspiration is more relevant and compelling than ever. Thus, it is hardly surprising that our deep-state overlords want to discredit this story.
The right and left wings of the deep-state crave centralized power, ultimately on a global level. The financial wing wants economic monopoly, and the “progressives” (progs) want total state control. Their ideologies may differ, but in practice they find much common ground for cooperation. The progs serve as a priest class to give moral cover for the globalist project, while the money power provides funding to the progs.
Financial elites don’t like national and community loyalties. Turning citizens into unattached and interchangable beings is good for profits. These elitists want open borders to secure a low-wage workforce, while ensuring the profitable flow of capital across national boundaries. Mindless deracinated consumers also help their bottom line. The progs too want rootless and easily manipulated people to serve as subjects for their “social justice” utopias. They ardently endorse mass immigration to swamp and destroy traditional America with multicultural chaos. Amid this chaos, they aim to consolidate power for themselves. Both sides want a servile humanity stripped of all genuine humanity.
As psychological warfare against Southern heritage, the deep-state’s opinion shapers orchestrate defamation and guilt manipulation. Their propaganda typically portrays traditional Southerners as ignorant, stupid, and hateful. They excrete this ethnic defamation while, most ironically, they denounce white Southerners as “racists.” Along with that they push the “righteous cause myth,” the false claim that the South seceded and “fought for slavery” against a noble and virtuous North.
To fight the negative stereotypes, Southerners must strive for personal excellence, with an emphasis on honorable character. One way is to emulate the character of the South’s iconic hero, Robert E. Lee. In our age of selfish ambition and vulgar materialism, Lee shines as a beacon to guide us. He had the opportunity to make a very smart and lucrative career move when the Lincoln administration offered him command of the Union army. Lee declined because of his conviction that a union “held together by bayonets” was not a worthy cause. Nor in good conscience could he wage a war of aggression against his native Virginia.
The Southern states had ample justification to secede, after enduring decades of Northern malevolence toward their social, economic, and political well-being. The final straw for the lower South was John Brown’s attempt to incite a slave insurrection, and the backing Brown received from prominent Northerners. To the charge that the South fought for slavery, the proper reply is that Southerners fought to deal with slavery in their own way and in their time peacefully–without the malicious meddling of Yankee outsiders.
In point of fact, it was Lincoln who fought for slavery, specifically the enslavement of Southerners in a union they had every right to leave. One consequence of this enslavement was the economic bondage that punished the South with dire poverty for decades following 1865. Another consequence of Lincoln’s victory was the centralization of power in Washington, and the progressive weakening of citizens’ liberties. By embracing their true history, Southerners can liberate their minds and spirits from the deep-state’s psywar– and stand without apology for their heritage. Of course, the money-prog alliance will not take this liberation lying down, which means they will double down on their slander and vilification of the South.
Having the right beliefs is essential to our success, but beliefs by themselves are not enough if they do not inspire vigorous and sustained action. The downward pull of modern society is powerful, and it is easy simply to go with the flow, as it carries this country to the ultimate outcomes of tyranny, poverty, and dehumanization. Unfortunately, Southerners have a tendency toward lethargy, which is one reason why the South suffers the sad condition that it does today. Will the hostile and ongoing predations of the deep-state finally force Southerners out of their lassitude?
The jury on that question is still out. Nevertheless, Southerners can draw inspiration from how their ancestors rose to the occasion of invasion in 1861. In record time the slow-paced antebellum South turned into the dynamic Confederate South. From scratch, Confederate Southerners created industries, fielded an army, and established a government. In the face of many challenges, they responded with creativity and innovation. Their unity as a people and commitment to their cause gave them the energy and determination to achieve what they did.
Unity today might come again as Southerners acknowledge the existential danger before them. This might prompt them to put down their smart phones and aim to develop authentic relationships as family members and friends. Like the early Christian fellowships in a cruel and decadent Roman empire, Southern communities could provide havens of love, loyalty, and honor as our American empire follows the path of Rome. With bonds of solidarity, a renewed Southern society and culture could chart innovative paths. One example is building parallel institutions, business networks, schools, religious organizations, and social clubs. The key guiding principle would be mutual aid and support, summed up by the Musketeers’ motto of all for one and one for all.
With a spiritual, economic, and social base established, Southerners could exercise significant influence over the general society, and perhaps slow its decline. The rise of other traditional American communities might do so as well. Once more, the deep-state and its media lackeys will fight back every step of the way. Certainly they will keep obsessing about chattel slavery, a system which died more than 160 years ago—even as they plot and scheme today to enslave and degrade all peoples on their global plantation. Also, they will play the racist card against white Southerners who display anything other than self-loathing toward their heritage.
Some Christians believe that the deep state is the manifestation of Babylon the Great, the globalist and godless one world tyranny foretold in the Book of Revelation. This possibility might give cause for pause in the South, the region long known as America’s Bible Belt. Whether diabolically inspired or not, the deep-state is a malevolent entity. Its prog priests can speak all they like about love and compassion, but these sweet-smelling words can’t mask the overpowering stench of their hypocrisy. The South and its history stand as a barrier to their lust for gain and power, but that barrier won’t remain if Southerners shun their sacred obligations to their ancestors and their descendants.
Southern man, recall the words of General Lee: “Do your duty in all things. . . . You cannot do more; you should never wish to do less.” Southern man, you face a fork in the road, duty to the right and destruction to the left. For the sake of your honor and self-respect, choose the right way.
The views expressed at AbbevilleInstitute.org are not necessarily those of the Abbeville Institute.
