Greg Conte is back to share his thoughts on the Groyper War.

Russia Insider:

“Men are lazy and weak. They are always looking for an easy way out. Much of the dissident right has, in the last couple years, succumbed to these vices. When they realized that Trump’s election meant nothing for Western Civilization–that things were just as bad as they had ever been–instead of redoubling their efforts to save their race from decline and eventual destruction, the alt-right simply redefined their objectives. Gone was the dream that whites in Europe and America would reclaim their civilization: that we would wrest our governments and cultures from the clutches of Jewish control, that we would expel our racial rivals, restore our nations to health, and reestablish a measure of normalcy. Instead, we were treated to a half-baked lesson in political strategy. It all started with “optics.” …”

I basically agree with this.

After the Alt-Right collapsed in the wake of Michigan State, I unplugged from the internet and took about five months off from writing on this site. I spent that time rereading Alasdair MacIntyre’s After Virtue and Three Rival Versions of Moral Enquiry, Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, Bernard of Clairvaux’s On Loving God and Luther’s works. Mainly, I did this out out of revulsion with the optics war and the nihilism that I saw blooming on the internet and because I wanted to think more deeply about my own moral views before proceeding forward.

The Alt-Right was a fragile movement. I’m not interested in affiliating with something so fragile ever again and the primary difference between a fragile movement and an antifragile one ultimately boils down to moral qualities, not optics. A secular movement that is powered by nothing but optics, memes, snarky humor and a bandwagon effect can and easily will collapse under the pressure of a single bad news cycle. In contrast, Aristotle and Luther’s politics and premodern Western thought in general was based on an underlying metaphysical and ethical foundation. It was this enduring spiritual flame that animated both Catholic and Protestant martyrs. Is there a shitlord who is willing to burn at the stake for his beliefs?

The current Groyper War is making gestures toward American patriotism and Catholic piety, but with some of the people who are promoting this (read: MILO, Baked Alaska, etc.) I get the strong sense that they are only attracted to the latest meme and are jumping on the latest bandwagon. I’m not by any means opposed to what the Groypers are doing and find it hilarious that Charlie Cuck is being booed off the stage at his events, but in light of recent history I wonder how does an optical movement handle bad optics? Does it become cringe overnight? If the Groyper meme becomes cringe after some hit, then how does it not collapse as Alt-Right 2.0?

In other words, I agree with Greg Conte that we need to cultivate moral virtues that can sustain us through the inevitable pushback and hard times which will follow any momentary success that we might be having at the present moment. We need to have the stamina, integrity and constancy to do our duty and push our vision and endure until the struggle is won. Everything that is superficial like memes and optics must rest on a stronger moral foundation below.