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The Trump Train seems to have run off the tracks as of late, or at the very least, lost most of its steam. Though the “Make America Great Again” effort has not been successful, the movement has in many ways been beneficial to the alt-right, including the alt-South. If I may, I would like to propose a few positive aspects of Trumpism that we can build upon to help the Southern identity movement.
1.Federalism. As a reaction to Trumpism, blue states have once again started to rediscover the beauty of states’ rights. Sanctuary cities have vowed to fight the federal government attempts to enforce federal immigration law. There has even been some talk of making all of California a sanctuary state. In response, musician Charlie Daniels proposed creating sanctuary cities for unborn babies. I’m not sure how serious he was, but the idea has merit.
As foolish as we may find the blue states’ reasons for pushing states’ rights, we can be pleased that the supremacy of the federal government is being challenged, and take the opportunity to challenge it ourselves. We may keep the notion of Southern independence as a long-term goal, but focus on smaller, more manageable steps in the meantime. I think a short-term goal should be cultivating local and state-level leaders who will, like sanctuary city mayors, use selective law enforcement and their bully pulpit to push back against federal and administrative overreach.
2. Culture. We have always known that Hollywood and the entertainment industry were run by people with lifestyles and values far different from our own. During the nastiness of the 2016 campaign, the facade slipped like never before, and the contempt with which our celebrities view red-state America was on full, ugly display. Some celebrities even openly called for our demise.
We don’t need them. They need us. We need to stop giving our money to people who not only hate us, but who in many cases use their money and fame to actively work against our interests. Cut the cable. Stop going to movies. Use social media to make known why you are doing this, and encourage others to rethink their blind consumption of Hollywood garbage.
Another offender, though to a lesser degree, is Nashville. The music of Dixie has been distorted and exploited by music industry suits turning what was once an honest expression of the Southern soul into pablum to maximize profits. Not all big artists have “sold out,” and there are plenty of lesser-known artists doing wonderful, authentic music. We should seek out and support these artists.
3. Commerce. Big business has been part of the cultural juggernaut pushing our culture to the left. Lately there has been some successful push back. During the campaign season, several large companies made their distaste for Trump supporters known and were called out for it. In the past year, Target embraced the LGBT agenda with their trans-friendly restroom and changing room policies, and Starbucks announced their intention to hire 10,000 refugees. Both chains suffered headline-grabbing hits to their bottom line. As with Hollywood, they have forgotten that they need us more than vice versa.
We can take this trend further. We can actively seek out local alternatives to businesses with agendas counter to our interests. Besides not giving money to our adversaries, small business owners will appreciate the support, and our communities will benefit.
4. Communication. The alternative media, which used new technology to bypass the legacy media outlets that were once the gatekeepers of information, played a large role in Trump’s upset electoral victory. As they attempt to regain control, online censorship efforts have been steadily increasing. Big Social sometimes bans disfavored accounts entirely, and also employs more subtle algorithmic methods to surpress communication of black-listed topics or users. Lately, they have begun to hit independent media in the pocketbook, demonetizing content that is “controversial,” “hateful,” or otherwise not “advertiser friendly.”
We can help by supporting worthwhile independent reporters and outlets with clicks, shares, and even financially if possible. Many honest, brave researchers and reporters who are not supported by the establishment depend on their readers and viewers, and if enough regular viewers and readers make small donations, it can make a big difference in their ability to do the work we value. We should also seek out, and support, smaller alternatives to the Big Social sites that have demonstrated a commitment to the free exchange of ideas.
5. Identity. One of the greatest services that the Trump phenomenon did for us is to break the stranglehold that political correctness had on our national dialogue. Ideas that were once left unspoken, or only whispered, are now being discussed and debated. This can only help the cause of Dixie.
The cultural Marxists have, in the past few decades, succeeded in stigmatizing the Confederate flag and all things Southern to the point where many of our fellow Southrons have been deterred from defending their identity at all. Because of the taboo against respectable people speaking well of Confederates, many others have only heard the Yankee revisionist version of American history. We are now freer than ever to correct the record and defend ourselves and our forebears. We should do this as often and aggressively as possible.