21st Century Progressivism

Author: Sheila Marler

  • Divisions in the Postwar Fascist International

    Reading Time: 19 minutes

    Oswald Spengler was inside the Munich Beer Hall on November 8, 1923, when Hitler launched his putsch. Such encounters convinced him that the Nazis were the worst sort of proletarized street rabble. But although he cultivated an aura of political detachment, he was highly political. He wrote Prussianism and Socialism in 1919, in which he took part in the struggle against Russian-style Marxism, German social democracy, and Weimar liberalism. He once transferred funds from a right-wing … Read the rest

  • Biden Bows Out and Endorses Harris

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    I am concerned about the Democrats who seem to be rethinking the President, and maybe even the presidency itself. This has been impossible to ignore after the debate. I didn’t watch the debate–very few people did–but I’ve seen clips of it. What first concerned me was the sudden appearance of naysayers in the Democratic Party, especially Barack Obama. And large number of Democratic pundits have joined the establishment. They act as if it’s a small matter … Read the rest

  • Casting Doubt on Biden

    Reading Time: 8 minutes

    There have been calls from the Democratic Establishment and various news pundits for Biden to drop out of the presidential race. The reason they give for casting doubt on Biden is his seeming inability to think clearly and express his thoughts when under pressure. They say this has resulted the loss of donor confidence and therefore, the loss of donations.

    The establishment’s criticism is fairly new. It differs from the public’s criticism. Many voters criticize Biden’s … Read the rest

  • Project 2025 and Fear in America

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    Progressives reject the use of violence, political or otherwise. This is especially true in this electoral cycle and in this political atmosphere. The use of violence toward Donald Trump or anyone else is not only deplorable, it is inflammatory. There are two possibilities. If this was a real assassination attempt, it may be directly attributable to the actions of the Supreme Court. The Court’s actions have now been compounded by threats by the head of Project … Read the rest

  • European and American Fascism Are Connected

    Reading Time: 5 minutes

    Where did Christian nationalism come from? What’s so special about Carthage? Both of these concepts have echoes in the European Right. In other words, European and American Fascism are Connected.

    The Christian Nationalist Party

    Francis Parker Yockey and two associates launched the European Liberation Front (ELF) sometime in late 1948 or early spring 1949. His associates were John Anthony Gannon and Guy Chesham. ELF’s manifesto was The Proclamation of London. ‘Even at its height, the … Read the rest

  • Fascists Like Literary and Historical Fantasy

    Reading Time: 5 minutes

    Roger Griffin argues that nostalgia for a holistic cosmology is important to the Italian sacred Right’.1 This explains why fascists like literary and historical fantasy. According to Griffin, they are motivated by a mode of aesthetic politics. They have this in common with the Left, with some important differences.

    The Fascist Use of Literary and Historical <br>Fantasy
    An old church door, Stow-on-the-Wold, England. Credit: RichVintage

    Griffin’s Argument

    Roger Griffin came to the field of history by way of literature. Along the way … Read the rest

  • The Foundation of American Civil Religion

    Reading Time: 6 minutes

    Richard J. Bishirjain has argued that a deformation of history has the ability to destroy historical consciousness and replace it with a derivative, pseudo-interpretation. Unfortunately, a deformation of history has already occurred in the United States. This deformed historical consciousness is the foundation of American civil religion.

    Introduction

    When I first read Bishirjain’s article I accepted everything uncritically. I agree that American Civil Religion causes more problems than it solves. But unfortunately, it is impossible to … Read the rest

  • The Radical Right’s Siren Song

    Reading Time: 14 minutes

    Christian Churches have a problem. Right-wing ideology with claims to Christian orthodoxy is converting young people, mostly men, all over the world. This problem has become more noticeable since the Covid lockdown. Apparently, young people who were not able to talk to each other in person socialized online. Right-wing ideology associated with Christianity was the introduction for many of them. Afterward, many of them joined churches in an effort to further the right-wing agenda. Steve … Read the rest

  • America: That Land of Waifs and Strays

    Reading Time: 11 minutes

    Evelyn Waugh once called America ‘That land of waifs and strays’. Many people who are fortunate to live in the land of their ancestors look at Americans in that way. It’s rude, but mostly because it’s true. America as a country has an abbreviated history. The same can be said for immigrants and their descendants.

    It’s rude also because most of the immigrants would have stayed put if they had been given a choice. Many were … Read the rest

  • Conservative Ideology Politics & Principles

    Reading Time: 11 minutes

    The previous article focused on militant conservatism. But it didn’t go into detail on various types of conservatism, or on the characteristics of conventional conservatism. Nor did it explain how the character of conservatism varies from one nation to another. 21st century progressives are in the process of developing an international outlook, so awareness of ideological and organizational differences is crucial. The concept of conservatism is central to these differences. This article is a review of … Read the rest