The main difference in form between a liberal democracy and a republic is that the latter is defined by a fixed set of rules. The former, in contrast, is formless as it is defined by the will of fifty percent plus one. The republic has clearly defined roles for itself, including limits on its power. In a liberal democracy, there are no limits, because truth itself is just a simple majority, so the roles and limits of the liberal democracy are whatever the people want at the moment.

When the truth is defined by the majority of the mob, this must inevitably lead to chaos, as we can no longer live in a world of fixed rules. Present experience suggests that rules themselves are seen as the enemy in a liberal democracy. We see this in the language used by the most pious of liberal democrats. They want to disrupt the status quo, break barriers and open everything up to the world. The end of this project is never mentioned, as it does not matter. They just like smashing things.

We see this most clearly in the transformation of the mass media. A generation ago the core of the media was a tool of the ruling class, but it had lots of tentacles that functioned as a check on the ruling class. There was a relationship between the media and the ruling class. The media could be very useful in promoting the interests of the ruling class, but it could also turn on its masters. The media needed to maintain some distance as the fourth estate in the republic.

That old set of arrangements are gone now. Today, the media operates like the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution in Iran. Their job is to hunt for heretics and witches, which they currently call white nationalists. Whether real or imaginary, they exist to root out these evil doers and expose them to the world. They have lots of names for these evil doers, but white nationalist is the official name, the one they chant when they seek to summon forth the arch demon of their faith.

In present day America, being a white nationalist is just about the worst thing you can be, as it includes all of the worst heresies of the age. It means primarily that you hate all of the things a good person is supposed to love. If you are accused of being a white nationalist, whether you are one or not, you are subject to the worst punishments we currently have now. You can be proscribed. This is a form of internal banishment in which you are treated as a pariah by society.

White nationalists don’t like this for two reasons. One is that they don’t think there is anything immoral about being a white nationalist. They point out that black nationalists do not suffer from this moral prohibition. Jewish nationalists are celebrated. The other reason white nationalist object to the current use of the label is they correctly point out that the definition used by our betters is a lie. White nationalism is just nationalism for white people, not a bundle of hatreds against others.

None of this matters, as the accusation is enough to cause real harm to the life of the person accused of being a white nationalist. This is why VDare sued the New York Times last year. If the label sticks, it basically places the accused outside legal protection, which at this time is limited to financial and cyber-attacks, but in the near future it may include physical attacks as well. How long before “he was a white nationalist” is a justification for intentional homicide?

Now, the VDare case was dismissed and in that dismissal we get a glimpse of why the truth has no place in a liberal democracy. The Times, you see, never accused Brimelow and VDare of being heretics. They repeated the claims made by others. This is how the game is played. A pipsqueak outfit like the Daily Beast circulates the accusation and then it is repeated by a major publication. The Times just has to pretend they are reporting the charge and they get away with libel.

This sleight of hand turns up all over the media. Mark Steyn, in his often amusing deposition in the Michael Mann case, pointed out that National Review is now claiming they are not a publisher. You see, because they allow highly filtered and censored comments, they now qualify as a public platform. They are protected by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. This means they are free to libel anyone they like as long as there are some comments allowed on the post.

Of course, the big social media players have been exploiting this new truth for a long time now. They do all of the things that a publisher would do, like promote content, edit content and block content, but that is now proof that they are not a publisher. For example, they accuse rivals of having malware on their sites by posting warnings to their links. If you click the BitChute link in this tweet, for example, you are given a warning about BitChute’s shady technology practices.

What’s happened to the media in America is the result of living in a world where the truth is fifty percent plus one. In a world where the truth is defined by a majority, all the incentives shift from truth telling to persuasion. Facts become sparingly used props in the argument to persuade the public. Facts are sprinkled in to give the argument authenticity in order to trick the audience. The truth is therefore defined by who wins the argument and winning by any means necessary is now a virtue.

We now live in an age in which we are awash in mass media, but the only truth is that nothing in the media is true. Even provable fact is positioned as to be in service to some lie aimed at deceiving the public. Of course, a world without truth is a world without rules, which is a world without limits. Anyone can do anything to anybody if they can convince a simple majority of it. The law, which is about limits, ceases to exist because in a world where everything is possible, there can be no limits.

Perversely, every new law, every new effort to limit the assault on truth becomes a weapon against the truth. We see that with Section 230. A law to place limits on these platforms and their potential opponents, is now a license for the platforms and their former adversaries to wage war on the truth. The mass media is a defamation machine in service to the most gifted liars in society. Liberal democracy has become a theocracy in which the lie is the god and truth is Satan.

A new year brings new changes. The same is true for this site as we adjust to the reality of managerial authoritarianism. That means embracing crypto for when the inevitable happens and the traditional outlets are closed. Now more than ever it is important to support the voices that support you. Five bucks a month is not a lot to ask. If you prefer other ways of donating, look at the donate page. Thank you.

Promotions: We have a new addition to the list. Havamal Soap Works is the maker of natural, handmade soap and bath products. If you are looking to reduce the volume of man-made chemicals in your life, all-natural personal products are a good start. If you use this link you get 15% off of your purchase.

The good folks at Alaska Chaga are offering a ten percent discount to readers of this site. You just click on the this link and they take care of the rest. About a year ago they sent me some of their stuff. Up until that point, I had never heard of chaga, but I gave a try and it is very good. It is a tea, but it has a mild flavor. It’s autumn here in Lagos, so it is my daily beverage now.

Minter & Richter Designs makes high-quality, hand-made by one guy in Boston, titanium wedding rings for men and women and they are now offering readers a fifteen percent discount on purchases if you use this link.   If you are headed to Boston, they are also offering my readers 20% off their 5-star rated Airbnb.  Just email them directly to book at sa@******************ns.com.