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The English-Speaking Peoples Have Fallen For A Negative Identity. But A Leader Could Rally Them

By James Kirkpatrick

02/21/2023

Earlier by James Kirkpatrick: Why Now? All The West’s Ruling Classes Are Suddenly Enabling Invasion

Events across the Anglosphere through the past few years demonstrate an unfortunate truth: People who no longer have the positive mission of self-preservation and civilizational survival will turn on themselves to craft a false, negative, suicidal identity. As Woke Leftism spreads through English-speaking nations like the China Virus, their peoples are busily creating such an identity because of “white supremacism” and other putative sins of the past. Needed: a leader to inspire the Anglosphere to its former greatness.

Look just how obsessed the Anglo world is with killing itself:

A “Conservative” government skewed toward immigrants seeks to destroy English traditions, culture, and identity. A recent review of the Prevent anti-terrorist program in the United Kingdom found that classic texts of the Western Canon had been labeled “key texts” for white nationalists [Independent Review of Prevent,by William Shawcross CVO, UK Government, February 2023]. Works that should be in all schools (Beowulf, The Canterbury Tales, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare) were flagged, as were elevating television programs (“David Starkey’s Monarchy” and “Civilization”) and even pop culture like Sharpe [You must be having a laugh! Yes Minister and the Thick of It were among the satire programmes flagged by beleaguered counter-terror Prevent Scheme for ‘encouraging far-right sympathies,’ by Sam Merriman, Chris Hastings, and David Barrett, Daily Mail, February 17, 2023]. Meanwhile, The Guardian complains that Shawcross’ review was biased against Muslims and that it “was met with widespread condemnation” [UK counter-terrorism report author accused of basing conclusions on ‘handful of cases,’ by Mark Townsend, February 12, 2023]. Recall that Shawcross was the leftist who attacked U.S. policy in Southeast Asia in Sideshow: Kissinger, Nixon, and the Destruction of Cambodia. Having now moved at least a little to the right, apparently, he sees what’s coming.

If British history and culture can no longer be explained as uniquely created by and for the people of the Scetpr’d Isle, and must be redefined to appease non-indigenous Britons, then of course, it is “far right” to read Chaucer and Shakespeare, or produce programs that celebrate the Royal Navy.

After all, non-whites who now occupy England’s largest cities had and have nothing to do with British folkways or institutions, except to regard them as oppressive [White Britons are a minority in the UK’s two largest cities, new figures show, by Kit Heren, Leading Britain’s Conversation, November 29, 2022].

Thus, the Manchester Museum features exhibits focused on the “indigenous” perspective — and it doesn’t mean the “indigenous” of the British Isles:

Manchester is one among many museums and historic sites that are foregrounding minority groups and reassessing the colonial past to broaden their audience in multicultural Britain. The National Gallery is investigating the role that slavery had in its history by highlighting individuals who were linked to or benefited from the slave trade; Tate Britain is rehanging its collection to spotlight similar figures. That approach is dividing opinion, with some right-wing commentators and lawmakers objecting that issues of diversity were being placed above preserving the nation’s heritage.

[A Museum Pivots to Become ‘an Empathy Machine,’ by Farah Nayeri, NYT, February 17, 2022]

The suicidal urge has even gripped the monarchy. The upcoming coronation of King Charles III will focus on diversity, homosexuality, and pop culture [Charles’s coronation will reflect his desire to be ‘the people’s King’: Refugees, diversity and volunteering to takecentre stage during historic three-day extravaganza, by Elizabeth Haigh, Kate Mansey, and Mark Hookham, Daily Mail, January 21, 2023]. But the new king should know that such a display won’t appease those who hate him or the monarchy [Removing one royal racist is nothing. We need to abolish the monarchy, by Kehinde Andrews, Daily Beast, December 2, 2022].

"The truth is there is nothing that can be done to reform the royal family … The only anti-racist action is to abolish the terrible institution and leave it in the past so that we can create a better future," writes @kehinde_andrews. https://t.co/L82DFDac1a

— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) December 2, 2022

In truth, why should those who aren’t English celebrate the monarchy or anything to do with England? They have no roots there. They aren’t English. As the Conservative government continues importing Third World “migrants,” anti-English sentiments will intensify. Infuriatingly, “conservative” media mock Englishmen who observe that the new prime minister, Rishi Sunak, isn’t English [LBC host powerfully shuts down racist caller saying ‘Rishi Sunak isn’t even British’ and ‘likens former Chancellor to a member of Al-Qaeda,’ Metro.co.uk, October 23, 2022]. As well, Englishmen who protest losing jobs to “migrants” or being cut from social programs in the only homeland they have are ignored or pathologized [What’s driving Britain’s anti-migrant protests?, by Thomas Fazi, Unherd, February 20, 2023].

Scotland might be worse. The Scottish National Party — the one Sean Connery supported — might soon be led by a Kenyan-Pakistani immigrant who has distinguished himself by pushing leftist woke ideology: a “hate crimes” law that punished free speech [Humza Yousaf-The Sturgeon ally with a decade of experience as minister, The National, February 19, 2023]. As well, native Scots are presented with a nonsensical campaign for “independence”… so Scotland can import more immigrants to help run the National Health Service [Humza Yousaf to raise issue of fast-track visas for NHS workers, by Xander Elliards, The National, January 10, 2023]. Even CNN criticizes this nightmarish bureaucracy [Why is Britain’s health service, a much-loved national treasure, falling apart, by Christian Edwards, January 23, 2023]. It’s worth observing, too, that “independence” from the United Kingdom could end in subordination to European Union elites in Brussels [A Demagogue Departs, by John Lloyd, Quillette, February 18, 2023].

Humza Yousaf and Ash Regan announce SNP leadership bidshttps://t.co/jgTn8WFu1U

— The National (@ScotNational) February 19, 2023

In Ireland, the so-called nationalist parties have united with Woke Capital and the usual left-wing non-governmental organizations to import more “migrants” [Thousands protest against ‘hatred and disinformation’ at anti-racism march in Dublin, by Jade Wilson and Conor Gallagher, Irish Times, February 19, 2023]. Naturally, those who march for love and tolerance spew eliminationist rhetoric to vent their “revulsion” with the “far-right” and “fascism.” But if “diversity” is what defines Ireland, it isn’t a nation.

If Ireland is just a flophouse for every Third World “migrant” who knocks at the door, then Irish nationalists like Michael Collins who died for independence, wasted their lives [Was the Fight for Irish Independence Pointless?, by Gregory Hood, American Renaissance, January 25, 2023]. Maybe the Irish Republic should simply dissolve out of sheer embarrassment and rebrand as a mall in a declining neighborhood [Significant hike in level of violent crime including murder, latest CSO figures show, by Eoghan Moloney, Independent.ie, December 21, 2022].

Good news is, Irish patriots are protesting to defend their country. If they succeed, it’s because they will have crafted a positive nationalism that is for Ireland, not just against Britain.

Thousands of Irish citizens march on Talbot Street in Dublin against the organized invasion of their land by migrants. Demonstrations against migration in Ireland are now in their second week!!!! pic.twitter.com/OgTlgqEJnV

— neil by mouth (@nbreavington) February 8, 2023

Elected with only 32.6% of the vote, the Trudeau Regime defines itself entirely by its enmity toward Canadians and slavering worship of the “First Nations.” The increasingly tyrannical regime just investigated its own response to last year’s “white supremacist” trucker protests and, shockingly, determined it did everything right [Trudeau was right to use emergency powers to end blockade, report says, by Ian Austen, New York Times, February 17, 2023]. Justice Paul Rouleau bragged that the government’s freezing corporate and personal bank accounts was a “powerful tool to discourage participation and incentive protesters to leave” [Judge: Canada right to invoke emergency act in truck protest, by Rob Gillies, Associated Press, February 17, 2023].

While the regime flaunts its repression of its own people, it will pay $2 billion to various “First Nations” for the crime of trying to educate and civilize them, now called “cultural genocide” [Canada Settles $2 billion suit over ‘Cultural Genocide’ at Residential Schools, by Ian Austen, New York Times, January 21, 2023]. Given that Canada now openly discriminates against whites in the judicial system, one wonders what reparations whites will receive when the regime collapses.

Then again, the regime is swamping real Canadians with “migrants” — more than 500,000 a year will arrive beginning in 2025 [Roxham Road another failure for Trudeau’s ‘post-national’ government, by Rupa Subramanya, National Post, February 9, 2023].

All this paves the way for complete alienation from England, as “younger Canadians, French Canadians, Indigenous people, and millions across the country are uniting demanding a Canada reflecting their own image, one that does not bow to a Head of State that comes from a line of tyranny and colonizers” [God Save The King, Not the Monarchy: Canada is Ready to Find a Path Beyond the Crown, by Thomas Mete, Harvard International Review, February 10, 2022].

Tyranny, it seems, is welcome, so long as it is couched in the language of resentment rather than tradition.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is an archetype of the post-Western Ruling Class. Free speech is a “weapon of war,” she says.

During a speech at the UN last week, New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern raised the alarm about a new "weapon of war". It’s "dangerous", she said. It’ll drag us headlong into "chaos" she warned. We must disarm it, she urged.

It’s name?

Freedom of speech.https://t.co/P0gVLneoED

— The Free Speech Union (@SpeechUnion) September 30, 2022

She wants to ban guns, and has aggressively practiced Affirmative Action [The many legacies of Jacinda Ardern, by Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, January 23, 2023].

It’s worth recalling that she came to power promising to cut immigration; naturally, she increased it [The big promises Jacinda didn’t keep, by Roshena Campbell, Sydney Morning Herald, January 23, 2023]. Poverty is increasing, as is a housing crisis, but Ardern remains popular internationally precisely because she shames her people. And when times got tough, she quit [Jacinda Ardern is a global icon — but she’s still a politician, by Ellen Ioanes, Vox, January 21, 2023].

In a reversal of how a “democracy” is supposed to work, leftists blamed the angry New Zealanders who drove her from office, not Ardern for alienating them [Political Roundup: Jacinda Ardern, toxicity and personality in politics, time for a sober discussion, by Bryce Edwards, NZ Herald, January 26, 2023].

Once a model for restricting immigration, Australia is defeated and begging to be put out of its misery. White Australians are now expected to pay rent to so-called Aboriginals for “their” land [Homeowners are urged to pay Indigenous Australians ‘weekly rent’ for ‘living on their land’ in new push on the eve of Australia Day led by Clementine Ford and high-profile Greens senator Lidia Thorpe, by Peter Vincent, Daily Mail, January 24, 2023]. Many of these self-identified Aboriginals look indistinguishable from the whites they claim are oppressing them. But victimhood is now fashionable.

The prime minister is a republican, and actor Hugh Jackman speaks for many when he says Australia’s becoming a republic, with its own head of state, will be “natural” [Huge Jackman says it’s ‘inevitable’ that Australia will become a republic — ‘it feels natural,’ Sky News, February 18, 2023]. No more monarchs Down Under!

Australia might even change its name. The very name “Australia Day” for the national holiday is controversial. Leftists want to call it “Invasion Day.” Whites, of course, were and are the invaders.

Without some civilizational goal, the very concept of Britishness is dying [Imperial expert says ‘Britain and Britishness’ are collapsing, by Judith Duffy, The National, January 22, 2023]. Something positive must direct a people’s efforts to preserve themselves and thrive as a civilization. Yet English-speaking whites seem determined to redeem the world, not the way they used to, by civilizing it, but instead by destroying themselves in a bizarre spasm of moral righteousness.

Perhaps America, where there might yet be hope, can set a counterexample.

We are constantly (and disingenuously) told that it is evil to have a white identity, but perfectly acceptable to have an ethnic identity like Irish or Polish. Let’s put it to the test.

I’m not English-descended, but I recognize that Englishmen largely created the United States. It is an English country.

Some ideas:

That alone would be a major step in the culture war.

A final note about the English people, as opposed to their Ruling Class: A 2019 poll showed that more than 30 percent of respondents supported the empire [UK more nostalgic for empire than other ex-colonial powers, by Robert Booth, The Guardian, March 11, 2020]. In other words, a significant number of the English don’t hate themselves or their past. Obvious question: How many of those polled were afraid to say they loved the empire, too?

These people lack a champion. Again, perhaps America can step in. Abraham Lincoln said Americans were an “almost chosen people.” The same might be said of all Winston Churchill’s “English-speaking peoples.” They have done some catastrophic things in the last century (two World Wars), but they’ve had a more positive effect on the world than any other people (modern medicine and the Moon landing).

I see no reason why the Anglosphere has adopted a negative identity at the insistence of the anti-white radical left, and further, no reason why the English-speaking peoples should listen to foreign occupiers and the Ruling Class who want to dispossess and replace them.

English-speaking peoples civilized and built the modern world. It’s time for them to act like it, defend their history and culture, and remember who they are.

They just need someone strong to rally them.

James Kirkpatrick [Tweet him @VDAREJamesK] is a Beltway veteran and a refugee from Conservatism Inc. His latest book is Conservatism Inc.: The Battle for the American Right. Read VDARE.com Editor Peter Brimelow’s Preface here.

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