American Civilization Theory: An Introduction
In order to understand my politics you must accept the following controversial notion: That America is a civilization state. Or, to quote the Russian-American New Dealer:
For good or ill, America is what it is — a culture in its own right, with many characteristic lines of power and meaning of its own, ranking with Greece and Rome as one of the great distinctive civilizations of history.
America as a Civilization, page 59
I will illustrate that America possesses a unique civilizational identity. One rooted in Afro-European ethnogenesis which evolved into a proletarian, universal conception. That America has accomplished feats which make it worthy of the title “civilization” upon taking a Faustian gamble, expanding its influence, and cultivating a diverse Natural Aristocracy which elevated the land and society. In my opinion, if America is to be a truly unified land and society, and to achieve its rightful position at the top of the international system, its citizens must embrace it is a civilization on par with India, Russia, China, Rome, and Greece; and so long as the world is divided by borders with undialectical, competing aspirations, it is in the American people’s objective self-interest to prioritize coming out on top in the realm of geopolitics. I hope you, fellow reader, will use this text in arguments against foreigners hostile to American interests (e.g., Eurosceptics) and those seeking to needlessly divide and conquer the American people (i.e., white nationalists).
A civilization is defined by what it is not. One may observe the breathtaking ruins of Chile as proof of Incan civilization.[3] Surviving architecture in Iraq demonstrates Babylon’s status as a civilization.[4] A map of Europe from 70 AD is convincing evidence of Rome’s status as a civilizational empire.[5] All civilizations possess a unique character which transcends conventional notions of polity, ethnicity, or society. At some point, the multitude of Greek city states was no longer just that. Egypt at some point during its long history was just a desert monarchy no longer. China stopped being just an aristocratic empire. The stage in which a group becomes a civilization is thus axiomatic. From this I define a civilization as the following:
When a cultural group, nationality, or ethnicity evolves — through the interconnectedness of superstructures and their relation to the spiritual, cultural, psychological, technological, political, geographical, and geopolitical circumstances they operate within — into a complex entity or organism which transcends the “founding group.”
All civilizations undergo an ethnogenesis that is imperial in nature. A fact observed by Spengler and Tonbyee, often the in-group develops an organic identity. Upon doing so, they then express a drive to conquer their surroundings — expanding their reach — even at the expense of their original character. This is sometimes done out of necessity (e.g., a need for resources). Other times it is done for the sake of prestige. Most of the time, however, it is done for both. The Romans, whose civilizational identity is rooted in Greco-Italic ethnogenesis, conquered the Mediterranean because of its geographic realities, its slave mode of production, and patriotic loyalty to the universal Roman — believing they had a right to spread civilization and create something far greater than themselves. Think of a Russian Roulette addict: Someone who constantly seeks the thrill that comes with passing the gun around — with boasts of survival and possible riches to enjoy — even if death always results. All civilizations display the psychotic attitude of a Russian Roulette junkie, culminating in the will to empire.
America has undergone an Afro-European ethnogenesis revolved around what John de Crèvecœur and Alexis de Tocqueville called “The New World Man.” To echo them directly, they perceived Americans as the “Old World Man” without barriers. To the point that Americans have a new set of cultural and institutional tendencies which transcend European elements. The New World Man exhibits Dr. Faustus’ spirit: He seeks to conquer new frontiers, reach for the stars, realize his true individual potential, even at the expense of his mental, physical, and psychological health. Africans — imported as slaves — have also had a direct impact on America’s cultural tendencies since day one.[6]
Through their families, religion, folklore, and music, as well as more direct forms of resistance, Africans-Americans [sic] resisted the debilitating effects of slavery and created a vital culture supportive of human dignity. In addition, slaves exerted a profound influence on all aspects of American culture. The American language is filled with Africanisms. Such words as bogus, bug, phony, yam, tote, gumbo, jamboree, jazz, and funky all have African roots. Our cuisine, too, is heavily influenced by African practices. Deep-fat frying, gumbos, and fricassees stem from West and Central Africa. Our music is heavily dependent on African traditions. Sea chanties and yodeling, as well as spirituals and the use of falsetto were heavily influenced by African traditions. The frame construction of houses; the “call and response” pattern in sermons; the stress on the Holy Spirit and an emotional conversion experience — these too appear to derive at least partly from African customs. Finally, Africans played a critical role in the production of such crops as rice or sweet potatoes that the English had not previously encountered.
American ethnogenesis and the subsequent manifest destiny combines varying civilizational, cultural, ethnic, and national inputs to create a new category of people built around the will to power which can be called neither European or African; neither Hispanic, indigenous, nor Asian today.
In relation to this, all civilizations are able to integrate new groups into the civilizational ethos; this counts groups it was originally hostile towards. This is a consequence of civilizations adopting a universal interpretation of their in-group (typically as part of their empire building). Even as the Romans waged brutal wars against their neighbors — including campaigns historians consider genocidal[7] — anybody could become a Roman, regardless of their birthplace. The Romans provided their slave class ways to escape the institution and pass on citizenship to their offspring.[8] For a slave who purchased their freedom has demonstrated they are worthy of joining the in-group through toil and discipline. (And as a result, the in-group of each civilizations underwent an unparalleled ethnogenesis.) The Chinese also developed a universal conception of their in-group. As former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger wrote:
As the pinnacle of the Chinese order stood the Emperor, a figure with no parallels in the Western experience. He combined the spiritual as well as the secular claims of the social order. The Chinese Emperor was both a political ruler and a metaphysical concept. In his political role, the Emperor was conceived as mankind’s supreme sovereign — the Emperor of Humanity, standing atop a world political hierarchy that mirrored China’s hierarchical Confucian social structure. Chinese protocol insisted on recognizing his overlordship via the kowtow — the act of complete prostration, with the forehead touching the ground three times on each prostration.
On China, page 15
America too has developed a universal conception of itself. Even after the genuinely ruthless conquest which defined westward expansion, such as the Mexican-American War[9] or the various Indian Wars,[10] the Hispanic populations have been well-integrated into American society.[11] And Native Americans, despite everything, are some of the most patriotic citizens in the country.[12] Because at some point, these groups have been accepted into the universal conception of what constitutes a true American. In my opinion, many foreigners who presently work for slave wages under harsh conditions are arguably more American than some people born here, for they have played an essential role in advancing America’s civilizational progress in the form of toil. To be a hard-working soul is a fundamental feature of the American ideal — the Protestant work ethic. American civilizational identity is proletarian in nature; anybody from across the globe can become an American by demonstrating a desire to exert themselves for it. To quote Earl Browder:[13]
Of course when we speak of our love of America, we mean something quite different from what Mr. Hearst is speaking about in his daily editorial diatribes. We mean we love the masses of the toiling people. We find in these masses a great reservoir of all things admirable and loveable, all things that make life worth living… [W]orkers in America who happen to have been born abroad are just as much Americans as anybody else. We all originated across the waters… And the foreign-born workers who have worked harder for less wages on behalf of this country than anybody else and deserve, at minimum, a little courtesy from those who would speak of Americanism.
Another defining feature of civilization is geography. While it is a stretch to claim that “Geography is destiny”, one cannot ignore how both geography and ideology interact with each other to transform a society or culture into a civilization; this is something Vidal de la Blanche noticed nearly two centuries ago, inspiring German international relations later on. Russian civilization — itself the byproduct of Turkic-Slavic ethnogenesis — does not possess the geography to dominate the seas, but allows for the country to achieve hegemony over Eastern Europe and Central Asia (often to the detriment of other societies). That is why Aleksandr Dugin argues in Foundations of Geopolitics that Russia without an empire is unfathomable; its positioning will always lend the nation an imperial advantage over its neighbors.
In his magnum opus The Accidental Superpower, Peter Zeihan, reaching conclusions similar to Alfred Mahan, argued that American geography lends itself to regional and even global hegemony. By having access to both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, it is capable of dominating European and Asian trade. Unlike Germany and Soviet Russia, American geography makes the rapid building of productive forces easy without artificial infrastructure. Her unique waterways, such as the Mississippi River, allows for the various peoples living within the United States to trade with each other, which fosters national unity. Not only does America have the means to exert naval and trade dominance — something Mahan articulated — but Zeihan illustrates that America has enough arable land and natural resources that if globalization were to one day collapse, she would come out on top. America’s ability to direct globalization in a manner similar to the British Empire, but also abstain from it whenever the need arises, makes it an imperial power by default; it is unable to be militarily conquered but can adapt to new international crises. American imperialism stands to be even more successful than British imperialism, as the latter would be condemned to generations of poverty if globalization collapsed.
My final point is that all civilizations reach their status thanks to “the unique ones.” Individuals who embody the nation’s values and utilize the unique historical and material conditions to their benefit, leading in most cases to civilizational growth or development. These unique ones — the Natural Aristocracy — can be rulers or leaders; but, they can also be artists, poets, musicians, businessmen, or even those who stand out among the working masses. Greek civilization gave humanity Aleksander the Great, who conquered 3,000 miles on two continents;[14] however, they also gave us the poet Homer, the mathematician Pythagoras, and the philosopher Plato. The French had their Napoleon Bonaparte. And German civilization birthed the musician Mozart; the political economist Karl Marx; and the thinker Friedrich Nietzsche. While the Natural Aristocracy exists everywhere, civilizational status requires mastering their environment.
America’s Natural Aristocracy would include Abraham Lincoln, whom Browder called “The greatest figure of them all in the American tradition.” Lincoln went from an impoverished household to President of the United States. And as President, he was presented with an insurmountable circumstance: Nearly half the country seceded to preserve their feudal social order. For the first few years of the war, the Union oversaw humiliating defeats in battle, due to the genius of the Confederacy’s generals.[15] It was through exceptional cunning and spiritually uplifting the American people, vis a vis the Emancipation Proclamation, that he was able to destroy the subversive South and forcefully reunify the masses. Had he not achieved this, America may not be the superpower it is today. America has also given us the short story writers Edgar Allan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft; poets like Walt Whitman and Robert Frost; musicians like Elvis Presley and Louis Armstrong; and film directors like Orson Welles and George Lucas. I would argue America’s status as a civilization is driven by its mass Natural Aristocracy; they have an advantage over more exclusionary civilizations, for anyone of any race, sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation can openly join them. Their diversity is an inherent strength.
America is an exceptional superpower, and I hope that I proved this definitively. Those who seek to deny this are delusional, subversive, or both. Regardless of who you love, your skin color, your gender identity, or your creed — you’re an American. Take pride in that.
Sources and Further Reading:
“America as a Civilization: Life and Thought in the United States Today” by Max Lerner (1957)
“Foundations of Geopolitics” by Aleksandr Dugin (1997)
“On China” by Henry Kissinger (2011)
“The Accidental Superpower: The Next Generation of American Preeminence and the Coming Global Disorder” by Peter Zeihan (2016)
