Galloway Institute

Post-modernism was all about creating a flat moral landscape through deconstruction. Irreverence and ironic cynicism took aim at and demolished the ethical hierarchies that structured the cultural, economic, and political traditions of the West. Gone were the grand patriotic narratives and transcendent religious beliefs, our prior notions of progress were slammed into a brick wall, objectivity was torched and relativism turned honest communication into a dialectical circus, everything great was reduced and made small, all the glory contained within the human experience was unwound into a pathetic heap of trash. Fortunately for us, the glory of post-modernism walks hand in hand with its doom. Post-modernism is a negative reactive force - it can tear down systems of belief but it cannot actively provide a solid basis for building new positive systems of belief. Now that post-modernism has largely succeeded in deconstructing hierarchies and flattening our moral landscape it has created a problem it cannot solve: What now? Are we just supposed to become sloths and accept a post-modern dead-end to our individual, cultural, and political development? Of course not! The more post-modernism succeeds in tearing something down the stronger the reaction will be to build something up in its place. In this way, meta-modernism can enter the discussion as a positive reconstructive force: "Meta-modernism stands in the rubble of all knowledge humanity had amassed over thousands of years of progress. The rubble created when postmodernism smashed our collective thought to bits in the name of intellectual emancipation. With this blank slate, meta-modernism [can select] from all human knowledge and begin to construct a new grand narrative, one subject to constant discussion and consideration. It will be honest and it will push itself forward by justifying itself, not attacking the thoughts and positions of others."

If we look around, it certainly appears that the woke narrative has ascended into a golden age. These post-modern idols seem to be towering over our society casting their shadow over everything: media, corporations, pop culture, schools, politicians, the United Nations, and even institutions like the military and the intelligence community. If there is any doubt as to how prominent the woke narrative has become, we just have to look at the severity of the social ostracism inflicted upon those who blaspheme against it. But has the golden age of wokeness and these other ideologies already come and gone? Is it possible that these narratives have slipped into the twilight years of their glory? Let us take a hammer to these post-modern idols and listen carefully to what we hear. Is there anything lasting, anything of substance inside these structures of belief? When we tap them with our hammer does a harmonious echo ring out? Or does the note fall flat? How firmly are these idols actually rooted in the minds of men? Do they wobble if we give them a push?

There has been a lot of interesting commentary lately about America’s position in the world as the leading superpower. On one hand, some are going back to 1917 and questioning the wisdom of the United States’ involvement in the First World War. Is it strange that America First patriots would go back and yield the 20th century to Germany but now wince at the idea of China leading the 21st? On the other hand, some are looking forward to the future and coming to terms China becoming the new global hegemon.   Certainly, a case could be made that it would be preferable to live under a German-led 20th century post-WWI than a Chinese-led 21st century - but that is not the point. Why would Americans ever want to cede power to others? Why be skeptical of the superior station we held in the 20th century and now be uncertain about our role in the 21st century and beyond? How could we be comfortable with anything less than continued dominance and unparalleled strength? Citizens of strong nations must never forget the primordial reality dwelling at the bottom of politics: the strong do what they can, and the weak suffer what they must. Our government exists, in part, to make sure Americans always have more power to be in control of their destinies than less.   We want to be strong so we have the freedom to act as we judge fit. We do not want to ever feel pressured to bow under the dishonorable yoke of some other nation for any reason whatsoever. It is always preferable to be a strong and prideful hegemon than a virtuous but weaker power (the hope being that virtue is easier to revitalize internally than reclaiming dominance on the world stage).   The consequences of excessive pride - decadence, arrogance, and overall neglect of the critical social & political infrastructure necessary to sustain a powerful country - are certainly difficult challenges to contend with, but they are small in comparison to the consequences of being a weaker country. It is impossible to ignore the correlation between a nation’s strength and its freedom of will. Again, the strong do what they can, and the weak suffer what they must.   So what is the practical takeaway from this musing? Simply this: If our nation’s unity begins to fracture and the well of public virtue begins to dry up, if we appear decadent and start losing our way, we need not add to the chaos and also willingly surrender our nation's superiority on the world stage. Instead, we should focus our efforts on revitalizing the spirit of our citizenry so the American people can continue to enjoy the freedom that only powerful nations can ever actually guarantee.   Until this Renaissance arrives, some people will continue to suggest that America is just too dumb and decadent to last as a superpower. But our pride remains a force nonetheless. Maybe this arrogance will only accelerate our decline…but maybe our pride can be tapped to inspire a renewed sense of greatness. Can our pride can spark courageous actions and summon from the chaos of modern life new adventures and dazzling heroes? It is by no means clear that some other nation is ready to shine fouth while we slip into the final twilight years of our power.   The fate of these United States has not yet been sealed! Perhaps others nations will not be fortunate enough to find their future glories in ruins of our collapse…perhaps we will be the ones triumphing once more. 

Last week in France, a group of retired military generals signed an open letter imploring President Macron and other members of the French government to address the “mortal dangers” facing their nation. The signatories of this letter accused their political leaders of not only failing to enforce existing laws but also dishonoring their culture and history. It is not clear at this time what will come of this. Will the generals put down their pens and draw their swords? It seems very unlikely. Recent polling found that 70% of French people felt that their country was declining, and nearly 50% agreed with the points expressed in the letter. With this broad level of support, a peaceful political solution certainly seems possible. It is important to note that these sentiments are not uniquely French. All across Western “liberal” democracies, more and more people are becoming dissatisfied with the elites leading their politics and culture. The Establishment + Woke hegemony seems to be more interested in deconstructing Western heritage than rallying behind it. Increasingly, Western peoples are told to look at their flags and histories and feel shame instead of pride. 

The Galloway Institute began as a reaction to reading a quote from Cicero in our college dorm. You keep talking about those celestial phenomena, whereas I should regard what happens before our very eyes as more worthy of study. Why, do you enquire how two suns can be seen, but not why in one country there are now two people's and almost two nations? Take my advice, then, my young friends, and don't worry about the second sun. It may not exist at all; or, as it has been seen, let it exist provided it does no harm. In any case we can know nothing of such things, and even if we come to know a great deal, that kind of knowledge will not make us better or happier people. To have one Republic and one citizen body is achievable; if it isn't achieved, we are in serious trouble. But know this: if unity is brought about we shall live better and happier lives. We felt as if we caught a glimpse of the truth dwelling at the bottom of politics. Everything we thought we knew or cared about in this subject was reduced to a simple heuristic: victory in politics means achieving unity.  Immediately after this discovery, our obsession with ideologies faded, and our entire view of our current political crisis was transformed. We no longer saw just a barren landscape littered with uninspiring narratives and a broken regime governed by weak lameos. Instead, we began to see an opportunity to revitalize America with a new unifying political narrative. The idea of “unity” sounds like a normie pipe-dream amidst the challenges of modern politics and the growing divide inside the spirit of the American people, but in this chaos, we saw adventure: an opportunity to face the greatest difficulty in politics and reach the highest glory. We have been chasing this idea for several years, and we feel confident that we are on to something. The podcast we began last August was the Galloway Institute’s first chapter, and now have our eyes set on taking this idea to the next level. Churchill’s old saying rings in my head: This is not the end. This is not even the beginning of the end. But it is perhaps the end of the beginning.

Labels help us understand our place in the political landscape. Generally, there are three different types of political labels: positional, ideological, and practical.    Conservative and liberal are positional labels that distinguish those who hold cultural and political power from those who do not (or to a lesser degree). Left and right are ideological labels that encompass all the different theories explaining how we should live and why. Lastly, Republican and Democrat are practical labels that ideas must inhabit to get something done within the political landscape.   The Establishment + Woke hegemony are the explicit conservatives in today’s political landscape. Part of their genius is how they have been able to hang on to the “liberal” label despite exercising dominance over both culture and politics. These semantic labels may seem pointless in the grander scheme, but the liberal label is a form of power in and of itself. Whoever holds the liberal label is on the offensive and associated with “progress.” Those who hold the conservative label are naturally on the defensive and associated with “maintaining the status quo.”   If a successful challenge is to be mounted against the Establishment + Woke hegemony it will be essential to apply these positional labels properly. The New-Right should not be afraid to take up the liberal label and pin conservatism on the hegemons. This will give the New-Right an archetypal advantage, as they will be seen as the artists, pioneers, and heroes progressing forward to storm the citadel, confront the leviathan, and bring prosperity, freedom, and happiness to the realm.   The Conservative label is dead weight. Continuing to bear it not only distorts the positional reality of today's political landscape but also denies liberty-minded people the archetypal advantage against the Establishment + Woke hegemony. Rather than taking black pills and sinking into bitter resentment against our fellow citizens, or getting too comfortable romanticizing the paltry remains of a bygone age, revitalizing the liberal label will snap us out of these delusions and inspire a profound sense of purpose, action, and adventure.

The failed systems and abusive policies supporting the Establishment's rule routinely manifest in broad daylight for the whole world to see. Even more damaging, the woke narrative has compromised the Unity of the American people and plunged us into a bitter ideological civil war. Chaos was lurking at our door and we invited it in. The regime is in peril, but these difficulties will inspire the noble and heroic spirit within mankind to reawaken.   Chaos provides opportunities to find glory, and the greatest glory belongs to whoever can confront the leviathan and solve the complex challenges of modern politics. So while chaos throws some into a paralyzing panic, it activates a profound sense of adventure in others.   The New-Right seems to be the only place in the political landscape where people are answering this call to adventure and willing to challenge the Establishment + Woke hegemony.

For the New-Right, Red States are really one of the only remaining institutions from which the Establishment + woke hegemony can be challenged. So when the deep-red legislature of South Dakota sent a bill that would prohibit transgender women from competing in female sports to the governor's desk, the New-Right was expecting an easy cultural victory on this salient issue. Governor Kristie Noem was a rising star in the GOP due to her resilient stand to keep South Dakota open amidst the COVID pandemic; however, she refused to sign the bill and sent it back to the legislature fearing that the current version would get eviscerated in court on TITLE IX grounds. While it was easy (and perhaps in the end correct) for the New-Right to pooh-pooh Noem's appeal to prudence and just dismiss her as a coward, this whole episode should instead lead us to acknowledge the terminal impotence of the Republican Party over any single governor. In an interview with Tucker Carlson, Noem mentioned the need to "build coalition of support," but this kind of support is what a strong and vibrant party should already be bringing to an issue like this. National Republican leaders and other Governors of other Red States should be running to Noem and the South Dakota's legislature’s side. The GOP would make sure they get the job done and martial the legal & financial resources necessary to assuage any of her doubts. If Noem continues to balk, then you have your answer to the prudence or cowardice question. As a politician trying to win on this issue, you would rather have the wind of an entire national party at your back than the wind of a legal defeat spearheaded by the governor of South Dakota and Herschel Walker. This whole episode with Governor Noem leaves a heavy ultimatum for the New-Right to consider moving forward: if they want to be the master's of their own fate and have any chance of combating the Establishment + Woke hegemony, they must wrestle with either taking control of the GOP or rivaling it with a new party. If the Republican party was founded by a band of liberty-minded dudes riding around on horses in the woods of the early Midwest, imagine what we could do today? We have billions in capital to draw from, millions of disaffected citizens, and modern communication tech. And beneath all of that, we have the most compelling and unifying story to tell. The world is watching and wondering: what’s stopping us from becoming the masters of our fate?

The media leads American politics through a weekly ritual of shock, outrage, and division. Tucker Carlson (a frequent effigy) became the apex of last week's frenzy after drawing attention to the varying a key difference between the US. and Chinese militaries. While Xi Jinping is growing its fleet, the Biden administration is designing flight suits for pregnant women and reforming female hair style protocols. The danger of the woke military is the signal it sends to adversaries around the globe: America does not have its own house in order. The nation’s focus is bogged down by ridiculous ideologies, and its leaders are pathetic. The people disagree on fundamental issues and are at each others throats. They are not unified and therefore weak. This situation should serve as an instructive reminded: the more polarized our politics becomes, the more paralyzed we will be when the lightening strikes. Therefore, creating inspirational political narrative that unifies the American people in a way should be seen in part as a national security imperative.

We discuss the recent skirmish on the liberty-minded-front initiated by National Review's Jack Butler's and his article titled "Wait Just One American Moment." The back and fourth that ensued between the "Old-Right" and the "New-Right" is worth talking about because it represents the archetypal death and rebirth of ideas. Individual liberty, constitutional government, free markets, and small government are all ideas that inspire the weaker power in the political landscape. They have been consumed by the progressive politics of the last century and now sit metaphorically inside the belly of a whale. How are we going to get out of this perilous place? While the "Old-Right" proclaims to be standing athwart to history yelling "Stop," the "New-Right" is standing athwart to history yelling "Forward." Our conclusion: The “Old-Right” needs awakened or it will continue to be devoured by the Establishment + woke hegemony and fail to ever win political power. But the “New-Right” needs magnanimous leadership or it will struggle to challenge the Establishment + woke hegemony and fail to sustain political power.  

Our politics are in crisis. Things seem to be falling apart and everyone is frustrated for some reason or another. Unfortunately, America's political landscape is an evolving patchwork of messy labels and confusing dynamics, so it is quite difficult to put our finger on the source of our troubles. Trying to make sense of America's political landscape is paramount because, in order to overcome a crisis, we must have the discipline to truly understand it.  Our analysis begins by looking at the basic power dynamic at play in every society. On the one hand, the "Conservatives" are those who have established cultural and political hegemony. Conservatives aim to preserve the society that they control and dominate. On the other hand, "liberals" reflect those on the peripheries of power. Liberals aim to challenge the established order of things and act as reformers, restorationists, and even revolutionaries.  To gain an accurate understanding of America's political landscape we need to drop our prior view of "Conservative" and "Liberal" and apply these labels properly. We hope to identify the true conservatives and the nature of their cultural and political power. In addition, we will try to identify the various liberal groups and some of the means they are employing to challenge the Conservative hegemony. 

American politics is broken and there seems to be no vehicle available to fix it. The two parties are controlled by a corrupt establishment and the Presidency can only sustain a populist movement for four to eight years. With no inspiring alternatives on the horizon, people are embracing political power games and even joining ill-informed crusades against boogeymen like hedge funds instead of addressing the root causes of our political crisis.   So where in the country are we seeing signs of hope? Who, if anyone, is out there doing the hard work to provide this inspiring alternative?   One recent spark of inspiration has come from the 1776 Commission. The Commission was intended to instruct federal education policy, but it actually provides a sort of political narrative or plan to try and fix our broken politics. At its core, the Commission posits that Americans are deeply divided on first principles like the meaning of our country, it's history, and how it should be governed. The proposed remedy to this crisis is to teach people that the founding principles can be a enduring source of unity and strength. Through education, we can inspire a new generation of citizens who have the knowledge, strength, and virtue of a free people.   While we respect the Commission's work, we disagree with the idea that education can get us through the political crisis they accurately describe. At some point, the actual pursuit of good government becomes more imperative than the study. 

Retail investors organizing on a Reddit forum called r/WallStreetBets have organized an apparent short squeeze against several prominent Wallstreet hedge funds. GameStop stock has rocketed to the moon, and many prominent people in media are claiming that we are now in the midst of a revolution. Between the hypocrisy of the COVID lockdowns, the scandalous presidential election, and the calcification of a corrupt political and financial elite, the People are losing faith in the system. With no real leadership coming from either political party or the President independently, so the People are starting to look for deliverance by means of chaos. Reform is a fool’s errand; the foundation itself must be uprooted and on fresh soil can a more perfect society be created. The era of democratization is here, and the people are awakening to their newfound power. But there is no inherent virtue to democratization if getting rid of the tyrannical corruption of a few delivers us into the chaotic caprice of the many. Siccing vengeful teeth into hedge fund managers will not fix any larger upstream political issues at the root of our frustration. There is no deliverance in chaos; opening this door will only lead the People into the hands of seducers who will multiply their chains. The Galloway Institute is here to offer an alternative to those who feel hopeless. Rather than embracing the chaos, we are determined to present a strategy to master it. Through cunning statesmanship, and a new inspirational political narrative we can rescue the Republic and create a better future for individual liberty and constitutional government.

I think it is fair to say that many people are fatigued with politics today. Americans are bitterly divided, and people have become entrenched, viewing politics as a death-match between left and right, liberal and conservative, Democrat and Republican. These traditional narratives provide no hope, no excitement, and no enthusiasm. They have become incredibly toxic and shown an increasing willingness to gamble our Republic away by playing dangerous power games against one another.   But there is a large majority of Americans that are put-off by this division and would welcome a new unifying message. Someone just has to go through the work of creating that message and starting new conversations. That is what the Galloway Institute exists to do.   We are determined to build a new and exciting political narrative that can restore our Unity and provide a new hope for the future of American politics.

With the recent uptick in Civil War rhetoric, Jeff and I thought it might be wise to reflect back on the brutal nature of civil wars and the moral imperative to avoid them at all costs. To assist in this effort, we will turn to an Ancient Greek historian named Thucydides and focus on several passages detailing the Corcyraean Revolution. In the opening years of the Peloponnesian war, the island of Corcyra was engaged in a horrific civil war between Democrats and Oligarchs.   Thucydides tells us how "Both sides were engaged in butchering those of their fellow citizens whom they regarded as their enemies…Death thus raged in every shape; and, there was no length to which violence did not go."   From our reflections on the Corcyraean Revolution, we hope to steer people away from escalating the political divide and encourage moderating any hostile, uncompromising opinions of their fellow citizens. Politics is the challenge of figuring out how 330 million different people can live together happily in the same society; civil wars represent a total failure in this challenge. Once we grasp the true nature and moral hazards of civil wars, it should be clear that unifying with your fellow citizens is a whole lot easier than trying to subvert and destroy them.

In Episode 15 of the Galloway Institute podcast Jeff and I discuss the Fall of Donald Trump.   The 45th President was the focal point of much controversy over the past four years. After a heated election, millions of Americans were left feeling that their concerns over election integrity were not taken seriously and left unresolved.   Things came to a head on January 6th in what will henceforth notoriously be referred to as the Capitol Siege. Since that day, a torrent of angry and malignant passions have convulsed the American people, putting tremendous strain on our national Unity and the integrity of our Constitutional Republic.   It is important to understand that politics isn't a battle against your fellow citizens but a battle against time. The goal is unity and figuring out how to live together peacefully despite our differences.   But as long as we believe victory requires defeating the rival party and imposing our will upon each other, our politics will continue to be pushed up against the Rubicon. Hopefully there is no Caesar lurking in our midst.

Today we wrap the year 2020. There's an old Chinese proverb that proclaims “I hope you live in interesting times” and whether that means good or ill, I think we can all agree that 2020 was interesting, to say the least. We realize this year has been trying for everyone on many different levels and while we talk about the craziness of COVID-19 and the chaos of the election, we also talk about how we believe that this year showed that a new political narrative is necessary to unify people across the political divide. We thank you for listening and we look forward to your support in 2021. So without further ado, let's talk politics, because ideas have consequences

Today we dive into the most pressing of current events, the ongoing struggle in the presidential election. We talk about the most recent news regarding the election, before diving into a couple of different scenarios around the election itself, including a lively discussion of what Trump would do if voter fraud was proven as fact. We will also discuss the possibility of a new political party rising with Trump at the lead, and how that would affect political power in America.   So let’s talk politics because ideas have consequences. 

In Episode 12 of the Galloway Institute Podcast, Jeff and I discuss the Cold Civil War currently consuming American politics. It is important to remember that politics is the challenge of how many different people can live peacefully together. Today, we are really struggling with this challenge because people are divided on fundamental issues.   As a result; politics has become an incredibly sensitive and emotional matter. People are losing respect for one another; resentment is today's prevailing feeling. Healthy political rivalry has devolved into ideological warfare and vicious contests for power are starting to tear society apart. This is the cold civil war. A struggle of some sort is inevitable, and the million-dollar question is what will be the consequences of this great political divide?   We conclude with our routine appeal, to anyone who is willing to listen, that our Unity is a moral imperative. We discount whoever may suggest even a suspicion that our Unity should be abandoned and frown indignantly upon any attempt to alienate any portion of the country from the rest.   I hope you find something meaningful listening to this show, please let us know what you think.