The Return of the Jacobins

“The ignorance, prejudices, and groupthink of an educated elite are still ignorance, prejudice, and groupthink—and for those with one percent of the knowledge in a society to be guiding or controlling those with the other 99 percent is as perilous as it is absurd.” —Thomas Sowell

The general elections this year are already considered phenomenal—perhaps the most amazing in modern history for America. In less than twelve weeks, this election’s outcome—in no way predictable as yet—will either be the end of what have always assumed would be a strong nation upholding the principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in a democratic republic, or a repudiation of those principles. This election will be decided by the prevailing plurality of voters who, when asked, believe that “the future of democracy will be decided” by this election.

Many—if not most—Americans hear the word democracy and regard it as a sacred cow. Democracy without some form of structure has never really succeeded. The French Revolution is a sad example. America tried a different approach—even though we, like the French, were chaffing under the oppression of a monarch. Both nations opted for a republic, but only America made it work. What was the secret to our success?

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

Last week, I attended a local Tea Party meeting, and before we commenced, we recited the pledge before we prayed. I was impacted by just how that experience seemed so very unusual. I realized that my memories of reciting the pledge were almost entirely limited to my own school days, and perhaps a couple of city council meetings I attended in Simi Valley, California. 

The author of the Pledge of Allegiance is one Francis Bellamy, the son of a Baptist preacher, who would follow his father into the pulpit himself, preaching in churches in New York and Boston. It was during the October 1892 Columbus Day programs that school children across the country first recited the Pledge of Allegiance this way:

“I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands: one Nation indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.” 

As we can see, this original version underwent a few changes itself, including addressing a surprising omission for a Christian pastor: “under God.” That was inserted into the pledge in the spring of 1954, after Congress voted, after some controversy, to include the phrase into the Pledge of Allegiance, partly as a rejoinder to “godless” communism during the “Cold War.” [https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-man-who-wrote-the-pledge-of-allegiance-93907224/]

Today, it’s increasingly unlikely that the pledge of allegiance is still recited in our public schools. In fact, even displaying the American flag is not mandated by Federal law, and only the states and their state school boards have the authority over this tradition.

These American traditions and symbols: the pledge and the flag, patriotism, and religion, are either disappearing, or bowing to the cult replacing them: the new Jacobins.

If you have been taught any history of the French Revolution, you will, at least, recognize the name. “A Jacobin was a member of the Jacobin Club, a revolutionary political movement that was the most famous political club during the French Revolution (1789–1799). The club got its name from meeting at the Dominican rue Saint-Honoré Monastery of the Jacobins.” [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Couvent_des_Jacobins_de_la_rue_Saint-Honor%C3%A9] Jacobins is from the French for Jacobus or Jacob. The Jacobins were the first to earn the sobriquet—or nickname, “the left.” [https://mailchi.mp/sca4christ/understanding-the-times-17623380]

Our connection with the left to the Jacobins is no accident. None other than Victor Davis Hanson (pictured) uses the term to describe the multitude of bureaucrats and government officials who are also known as the “swamp,” the “blob,” or the “woke.” These are ideologues who, in the style of their distant ancestors, the Jacobins, are determined to dismantle the last remaining impediments to their concept of how America must be transformed. 

“I think the left realized that school is a zero-sum game,” says Hanson, “So each time they put in the diversity equity [inclusion] agenda they [had to take] something out, and that was by deliberation. What we’re going through is very similar to the 1792-1793 Jacobin phase of the French Revolution, where it was an attempt at a holistic Revolution where you would rename the dates, or the days of the week, or the months. You would …actually worship the god, Ratio, [which is Latin for reason] their supreme deity. You would destroy all class distinctions [then] go after the church.” 

“You know here, we [are] trying to change the foundational date of 1776 to 1619—whatever the first black slave arrived here. We’re told that’s the foundational date and we have Juneteenth… the national holiday [when] the first slaves were actually freed.” 

He continues, “This month it’s Pride week. We have Latino week. We have black week. We have Native American week. But, we don’t have Constitution week, or [Abraham] Lincoln week, or any of that. So it’s splitting apart the foundational values of America.” 

I can’t disagree with Hanson, but I see the difference with the old Jacobins and today’s iteration as this: the average American was once justifiably proud of his heritage and his inheritance. The French people—particularly the peasantry—were already primed to revolt against the aristocracy, and just as passionately against the relatively small number of the bourgeoisie—business owners and merchants—who we would call the middle class. There is no comparison between the bourgeoisie with the American middle class—especially now. The Jacobins of today have to find other ways to divide Americans. And they are very good at it. The middle class have become victims through attrition.

For every new DEI/LGTBQ+ policy or program that’s added, something has to be taken away. For every “oppressed” people group… racial, sexual, or whatever, the one thing that must be sacrificed, is a unifying, shared set of values and customs. The worship of diversity is an absurd substitute because it’s not aspirational. It’s merely consequential.

When a philosophy is fueled largely by emotions and feelings, it will only end badly. The French never really recovered from their profoundly violent revolution. Their motto, “Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité” had little effect on preventing another tyrant—Napoleon—sweeping into the void created when the monarchy was guillotined.

• And should not I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left, and also much cattle?” (Jonah 4:11 ESV)

Cover Photo: Vintage Pledge of Allegiance