Hi Mr. Kalb,
I bought and recently read your book, and enjoyed it very much, depressing as the subject matter itself is. I found your ideas and general argument well-developed, and well-argued.
But I have difficulty, personally, feeling optimistic, even though I agree with your reasons for optimism that eventually, the truth must out, and that liberalism’s internal contradictions must, of necessity, collapse in on themselves. Because, for one, I agree with your earlier (in the book) hinting at the possibility of a complete widespread social collapse, perhaps somewhat like what has happened with the Soviet Union. It seems to me that Putin’s gangster state is relatively stable, and the future of Russia looks fairly grim; I can’t see them easily getting out of their messes.
Also, is there not the strong possibility for America, and Canada, and Australia and New Zealand, to suffer the sort of things we see happening in Europe, particularly in Britain, where a strident, hostile Islamic fundamentalist minority are battling the societies they’re living in, flexing their muscles, and generally getting their way, as multiculturalists scramble to accommodate them? Europe appears in danger of being taken over from within, and while the former English settler colonies in the New World have a lower proportion of Islamic fundamentalist, West-hating immigrants, is that nevertheless, not a danger here, with perhaps other newcomers who hate the West also gaining power, perhaps leading to infighting and social chaos?
I guess what I’m wondering is, do you think that our society can last long enough in spite of liberalism’s corrosive effects, to be able to outlast liberalism and be able to deal with the anti-Western enemies in our midst, or might liberalism pull our whole society down with it before, for example, we white English-speaking nations outside Europe can escape the fate that now seems almost inevitable in Europe?
That’s my main concern, and fear. As paleo-anarchist Strakon muses at the Last Ditch (here):
If Americans are very lucky, the entire system — leviathan state, fascized economy, poisoned institutions, brutalized society and all — will collapse in their lifetimes.
If Americans are not very lucky, they will collapse, and the system will survive into a dim gray future.
I think our people have about used up their luck.
I particularly worry about this in the context of non-assimilated newcomers in our midst, in the West, generally.
Anyway, I’m recommending The Tyranny of Liberalism to anyone I know who cares at all about our world today, and how we got to here, and what may lie ahead. Great work, Mr. Kalb!
Que sera, sera
Glad you liked the book.
I agree that things could get very bad. It’s all very hard to predict though so the best we can all do is keep plugging away at whatever project looks like it might help and hope for the best. Things can change very quickly although that of course can’t be counted on.