Biden’s Wrong About America

America Isn’t an “Idea” [The Daily Reckoning] July 25, 2024 [WEBSITE]( | [UNSUBSCRIBE]( Biden’s Wrong About America Annapolis, Maryland [Brian Maher] BRIAN MAHER Dear Reader, Last evening the outgoing American president declared the United States an “idea.” Is the United States merely an idea? Both left and right divides of the political spectrum — despite their exterior antagonisms — believe it is an idea. This belief fevers them. The United States is the “shining city on the hill.” It is the “indispensable nation.” Its central purpose is to dispense democracy wholesale and globally. If not Indispensable, Then Dispensable As we have written before: Ideologues are dizzied, wobbled, staggered by a higher American vision. Their eyes roll perpetually heavenward. To these fellows, America must always be up to something big in this world. She must be forever charging up San Juan Hill, going over the top, storming Omaha beach, bearing any burden, paying any price… She must be beating the Russians to the moon, beating the world at basketball, beating democracy into someone’s head. She must be the “indispensable nation.” If not indispensable… then dispensable. If dispensable, then unworthy. In the ideologue’s telling the United States is defined not by its people, its customs, its traditions — but its ideas. The rock of their claims is Tommy Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution. They will tell you the revolutionaries were out to create the world anew. Yet were they? A Revolution not Made but Prevented As we have also argued previously: The American revolutionists were largely out to reclaim the ancient rights of Englishmen. It was these rights that George III was chewing into and molesting… as the American colonists saw it. The American revolutionists were not out for revolution — but a sort of reset, as a man resets an erring grandfather clock, or a wayward thermostat. They did not seek change, that is — but to stay largely the same. Enlightenment statesman Edmund Burke labeled England’s Glorious Revolution of 1688-89 “a revolution not made but prevented.” The same may be said — the same has been said — of the American Revolution. It was in many respects a revolution not made but a revolution prevented. [You have (1) item on hold at our warehouse:]( Item #: [51987]( Status: On hold Value: Approx. $300 Claim by date: 07/26 at 11:59 PM Our Head of Customer Experience will show you what you need to do. [Click Here Now]( No Reform Without Form The American revolutionists pursued reform, it is true. Yet reform has no existence without preexisting form. The form is first. It is there in its three dimensions. It has bulk. It enjoys substance. Reform chisels it, sands it, paints it, renews it. Yet reform does not wreck it. It is true to the underlying form. The Americans had their preexisting form: their British cultural and political heritage. They clung to the Magna Carta and the ancient rights of Englishmen. They modified, updated and molded the existing form into a new American shape. That is, they kept the old and good. They cut away the old and diseased. That is, they reformed. They did not revolt. The French Revolution In contrast to the under-ideological American Revolution stands the hyper-ideological French Revolution… The French revolutionists did not reform. They proceeded with axes, hacksaws, sledgehammers, wrecking balls… They razed all prior social, cultural, religious and political structures. All came down, all bridges to the past with them. Little form remained to reform. They deformed society… rather than reforming society. Churches were reconfigured as “temples of reason.” All traces of religion and the Church were cleared out, all holy days stricken out. Libertarian writer, Mr. Lew Rockwell: Streets named after saints were given new names, and statues of saints were actually guillotined… The calendar itself, rich with religious feasts, was replaced by a more “rational” calendar with 30 days per month, divided into three ten-day weeks, thereby doing away with Sunday. The remaining five days of the year were devoted to secular observances: celebrations of labor, opinion, genius, virtue, and rewards… People were sentenced to death for owning a Rosary, giving shelter to a priest, or indeed refusing to abjure the priesthood. The Price of Ideology These are the lunacies of ideology amok. And a mighty nation consecrated to ideas is a fearful and frightful thing. In 2001 the United States crusaded to fan democracy across the Middle East’s autocratic tyrannies. Trillions and trillions of dollars and multiple thousands of lives later… these autocratic tyrannies remain autocratic tyrannies. They are less democratic than before the crusading commenced. [Elon Musk’s Final Masterpiece: X-9840]( After revolutionizing the payment processing industry with Paypal…The space exploration industry with SpaceX…And the auto industry with self-driving Teslas… Elon Musk is now set to revolutionize MONEY with his “Project X-9840...” A project he said could change “Your entire financial life.” There’s not much time to prepare. Elon has said he could flip the switch “as early as mid 2024.” [Click Here To See The Details]( Meantime the United States has ladled out nearly $200 billion to “defend democracy” in Ukraine. It has also depleted its own arsenals in defense of this “democracy” that has suspended democratic elections. If the United States is not careful it may ultimately find itself exchanging nuclear fires with the snarling Russian bear. Is It Really Worth It? The United States is an ocean and then some from the bleak Ukrainian steppes. Who presides over these grassy wastes should not concern it. It is no concern to a Peruvian or a Moroccan or an Argentine — for example. Yet it is the concern of the United States. That is because the United States is in service to abstractions and ideas. The cynic will retort that it does not concern ideas — but power. Russia is a rival power and the United States is simply out to hobble it. There is justice here. Yet you cannot look past ideology. Too many people believe in it. Let us strip the thing to its essentials: An ideological nation is a dangerous nation. It is too often out for a fight. War: A Welcome Opportunity to Change the World The late Joseph Sobran: The nationalist, who identifies America with abstractions like freedom and democracy, may think it’s precisely America’s mission to spread those abstractions around the world — to impose them by force, if necessary. In his mind, those abstractions are universal ideals… the world must be made “safe for democracy” by “a war to end all wars”… Any country that refuses to Americanize is “anti-American” — or a “rogue nation.” For the nationalist, war is a welcome opportunity to change the world. We are against this fellow. We are against world improvers, sob mongers, tear-squeezers, meddlers… and humanitarians with guillotines. They are forever scratching what the great individualist Albert Jay Nock labeled the “monstrous itch for changing people.” We would leave people be, in peace… taking them as we find them. The only action a man can take to improve the world — Nock argued — is to present it with one improved unit. Thus the world can improve — but only one improved unit at a time… Regards, [Brian Maher] Brian Maher Managing Editor, The Daily Reckoning [feedback@dailyreckoning.com.](mailto:feedback@dailyreckoning.com) Editor’s note: Tonnight at 8 p.m. (ET), tech guru and entrepreneur James Altucher is hosting [the Superstock Summit.]( During this event, James will prep you for a [“profit trigger”]( set to hit a small group of stocks NEXT WEEK... A trigger that’s been known to send some of these stocks as high as 5,000% in a year. Here’s the deal: 1.Superstocks are the ONLY type of stocks with the ability to rise 10–100X in as little as a year. 2. Despite their substantial revenues, Wall Street does not and will not cover these stocks. You may only hear about them at tomorrow night’s Superstock Summit. 3. These stocks have existed just as long as the market... but next week, they are set to undergo a “profit trigger” that we haven’t seen for the past 50 years. 4. James predicts this profit trigger will unleash an explosive bull rally that could 10X your money in the next year. 5. James truly believes Superstocks have the potential to be bigger than both crypto and AI. You’ve got the info... and you know how big this opportunity could be. Your attendance at tonight’s event is totally free... but you need to add your name to the list in advance. Time’s running out. [Click here now to reserve your seat for tonight’s Superstock Summit.]( Clicking the links above automatically registers you for The Superstock Summit. By reserving your spot, you will receive event updates and offers. We will not share your email address with anyone. And you can opt-out at any time. [Privacy Policy](. Thank you for reading The Daily Reckoning! We greatly value your questions and comments. Please send all feedback to [feedback@dailyreckoning.com.](mailto:feedback@dailyreckoning.com) [Brian Maher] [Brian Maher]( is the Daily Reckoning's Managing Editor. Before signing on to Agora Financial, he was an independent researcher and writer who covered economics, politics and international affairs. His work has appeared in the Asia Times and other news outlets around the world. He holds a Master's degree in Defense & Strategic Studies. [Paradigm]( ☰ ⊗ [ARCHIVE]( [ABOUT]( [Contact Us]( © 2024 Paradigm Press, LLC. 1001 Cathedral Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. By submitting your email address, you consent to Paradigm Press, LLC. delivering daily email issues and advertisements. To end your The Daily Reckoning e-mail subscription and associated external offers sent from The Daily Reckoning, feel free to [click here.]( Please note: the mailbox associated with this email address is not monitored, so do not reply to this message. We welcome comments or suggestions at feedback@dailyreckoning.com. This address is for feedback only. For questions about your account or to speak with customer service, [contact us here]( or call (844)-731-0984. 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