As a bioregionalist techno-distributist, seeing a traditionalist lay it out like that is very helpful in understanding why I diverge so much from traditionalists in my practical, tactical inclinations.
There are some areas of very strong affinity, but his document is fundamentally a strategic, abstract one and I think traditionalists could move on to practical, tactical documents, but that sense is precisely what makes me a bioregionalist distributist.
Most bioregionalists are really far from identifying with traditionalism, but structuring your economy to optimize the resources of your bio-region so that you can support large populations for centuries on end is at its core a traditionalist sort of problem, as it's focused on posterity and centering people in the environment, not animals and weird plants.
Likewise, I am a techno-distributist because I believe that traditional families and communities have a big opportunity to build themselves up into sustainable parallel societies with local, patriarchally directed authority having primacy with the aid of some of these technological advances we've got.
Thus, I look at that manifesto and think 'We have the tools to move beyond this sort of abstract polemic', but I also think 'Having said that, this gives something to respond to, as all the points are in one big list'. Which is useful in its way.
Perhaps it is simply a male-female difference. Women are always concerned about the practical when it comes down to it.
I don't think it's so much that you diverge from traditionalists in your practical, tactical inclinations but that a manifesto like Mark's is more concerned to set out larger political beliefs and values.
In terms of "what are traditionalists ultimately aiming for" I think there is no settled opinion right now. My own approach is a dual one: I'd like traditionalists to build the kind of institutions within mainstream society that will challenge liberal orthodoxy, but I'd also like to see a trad community consolidated somewhere in Australia.
But for either thing to happen you need to build up a movement of people who have broken decisively with the liberal orthodoxy. And that break isn't easy - the draw of an American style right-liberalism on people on the right is very strong - so political clarity is important right now.
I liked the manifesto except one part - does it imply society should discriminate against gay persons? Personally, while I am quite traditional I do have a live and let live policy. Something I have to think about. (I am not gay and have a spouse who believes in traditional values too with family as the core, I am 30 she is 26). Maybe there is a generational difference in outlooks.
The fact that the manifesto in question repeatedly uses "it's", where grammatical rules require "its", is most unfortunate. It conveys the impression of illiteracy.
As a bioregionalist techno-distributist, seeing a traditionalist lay it out like that is very helpful in understanding why I diverge so much from traditionalists in my practical, tactical inclinations.
ReplyDeleteThere are some areas of very strong affinity, but his document is fundamentally a strategic, abstract one and I think traditionalists could move on to practical, tactical documents, but that sense is precisely what makes me a bioregionalist distributist.
Most bioregionalists are really far from identifying with traditionalism, but structuring your economy to optimize the resources of your bio-region so that you can support large populations for centuries on end is at its core a traditionalist sort of problem, as it's focused on posterity and centering people in the environment, not animals and weird plants.
Likewise, I am a techno-distributist because I believe that traditional families and communities have a big opportunity to build themselves up into sustainable parallel societies with local, patriarchally directed authority having primacy with the aid of some of these technological advances we've got.
Thus, I look at that manifesto and think 'We have the tools to move beyond this sort of abstract polemic', but I also think 'Having said that, this gives something to respond to, as all the points are in one big list'. Which is useful in its way.
Perhaps it is simply a male-female difference. Women are always concerned about the practical when it comes down to it.
--Mrs. Johnson
Mrs Johnson,
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's so much that you diverge from traditionalists in your practical, tactical inclinations but that a manifesto like Mark's is more concerned to set out larger political beliefs and values.
In terms of "what are traditionalists ultimately aiming for" I think there is no settled opinion right now. My own approach is a dual one: I'd like traditionalists to build the kind of institutions within mainstream society that will challenge liberal orthodoxy, but I'd also like to see a trad community consolidated somewhere in Australia.
But for either thing to happen you need to build up a movement of people who have broken decisively with the liberal orthodoxy. And that break isn't easy - the draw of an American style right-liberalism on people on the right is very strong - so political clarity is important right now.
(BTW, thanks for your interesting comment.)
I liked the manifesto except one part - does it imply society should discriminate against gay persons? Personally, while I am quite traditional I do have a live and let live policy. Something I have to think about. (I am not gay and have a spouse who believes in traditional values too with family as the core, I am 30 she is 26). Maybe there is a generational difference in outlooks.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that the manifesto in question repeatedly uses "it's", where grammatical rules require "its", is most unfortunate. It conveys the impression of illiteracy.
ReplyDelete