On secession, tribalism, Democrats, conservatives, public prayers, umping, the Beatles, and more
Lately, I’ve been thinking about secession — so have other Americans. I remember a phrase, from American history: “Let the erring sisters go in peace!” That was Horace Greeley, editorializing after the election of 1860. Lincoln had a different view. I have great sympathy for “Let the erring sisters go in peace!” Better than the bloodbath of civil war.
And yet, there was the factor of slavery. “Factor”! Far too weak a word.
In 2019, Richard Brookhiser published a marvelous book: Give Me Liberty: A History of America’s Exceptional Idea. What is that idea? Liberty, of course. At the end of his book, Brookhiser tells a story about U. S. Grant and Otto von Bismarck. They met in Berlin, when Grant was on a world tour, in his post-presidential years.
The German commiserated with the American about civil wars — the worst of wars, brother against brother. Yes, said Grant, but it had to be done: our civil war. Of course, said Bismarck: You had to save your union. Grant replied: Not only that — we had to destroy slavery.
Bismarck had to think about this for a bit. Well and good, he said, but surely saving the union was the main thing. At first it was, said Grant. But, in due course, we saw that slavery had to be blotted out, forever. “We felt that it was a stain to the Union that men should be bought and sold like cattle.”
Writes Brookhiser,
A union in which denial of liberty was a permanent feature, not a stain to be deplored, contained, or eradicated, was not a Union worth saving. It would not be America.
He continues,
Bismarck was half right. Nationalism, including national unity, is the organizing principle of the modern world.
But Grant was entirely right. American nationalism embodies the principle of liberty. Without that, it is nothing. Without that, we are a bigger Canada or an efficient Mexico.
In 2020, David French published a book called “Divided We Fall: America’s Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation.” (I reviewed it here.) Initially, I thought the book was kind of a thought-experiment. Something far-out. “Secession threat”? Really? Has it come to that? But actually, the book has a certain urgency, or, at a minimum, a certain timeliness. It is a splendid book, too.
Yesterday at The Bulwark, Casey Michel published a piece called “Texas Republicans Get Deadly Serious About Secession.” The subheading: “The Lone Star State’s GOP plays with fire.” At its recent convention, the party adopted a plank calling for a referendum on secession.
Over the years, Texans, especially politicians, have made noises about secession. “You better shape up, America! Better mind your p’s and q’s. Otherwise, we’ll secede. We got the option, you know. ‘Remember the Alamo!’ Don’t mess with Texas.” It was all in good fun. It expressed a certain state pride — Texas exceptionalism, if you will. I enjoyed the act, for the most part.
Texas is the American Right’s favorite state. (Florida may be tied by now. “Don’t Fauci my Florida” and all that. The glorification of “Florida Man.”) There is almost a religion of Texas, on the right.
The secession stuff? I don’t think it’s so fun anymore. Our country is in a state of severe polarization: red and blue. (The new blue and gray?) As the mood of the country has changed, so has mine. And I am sick of chest-thumping and braying about secession. You know what I say? I’ll be blunt.
We don’t have slavery anymore — that’s not a factor (“factor”). Quit thumpin’ and brayin’ and go. Don’t let the door hit you in the butt. We can get our brisket elsewhere — or maybe we can get visas to the Texas Republic. I’ll keep the U.S. Constitution. Betsy Ross. The national anthem. The Statue of Liberty. Our ongoing experiment, our ongoing project.
Our flag would be down a star, true. But no worries. We can pick up a 50th along the way, and maybe a 51st, and a 52nd. Or we’ll stay at 49, till the next one secedes. I’m somewhat indifferent on the number of states.
Like most red-blooded Americans, I love Texas — I’ve sung many hymns to it, in prose — but I’ll let this sister go, if they insist. God bless America.
• On Twitter, Patrick Chovanec wrote, “I’m too conservative to be accepted in Blue State America, and not tribal enough to be treated with anything but suspicion in Red State America.” That is a statement of our time, for sure. It could be included in future books on the period.
• David Marchese, of the New York Times, conducted an interview with John Grisham (the novelist). Very interesting stuff in there. Grisham is very candid, almost painfully so. Sample: “You know, we’re all tribalists. We all want to be around our people or believe in our people, and it’s often too hard to get beyond that. It’s still a struggle for me.”
• Also in the Times, Jason Zengerle published a highly interesting piece called “The Vanishing Moderate Democrat.” Its subheading is, “Their positions are popular. So why are they going extinct?” Here is a sample paragraph:
The problem, says Lis Smith, a Democratic communications strategist who most recently worked for Pete Buttigieg’s 2020 presidential campaign, is that “in today’s world, what happens on Twitter or in a D-plus-40 district doesn’t stay there. It travels to every race across the country.” And it inherently limits the appeal of Democrats in those races. “If we become a party of the elite-elites, there death awaits,” says Representative Sean Patrick Maloney of New York, who heads the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (D.C.C.C.), the House Democrats’ campaign arm, pointing to the influence of college activists. “We’ll all agree with each other right into extinction.”
• Jonah Goldberg has written a column to chew on. It’s about the end of Roe, and the effect this will have on conservative politics. Once upon a time, conservatives, or those identifying themselves as conservatives, agreed on many things: in the economic, foreign-policy, and social realms. And then . . . not.
In the new era, what did conservatives agree on? Political correctness (against). Abortion (again, against). (Not to say that there aren’t pro-choicers on the right.) What about now?
Political correctness, we still have — an annoyance and a menace. On abortion, conservatives will splinter, as Jonah muses: Some will be content to let the states do what they will; some will go for a national ban, or national policy. It bids to be interesting.
We talked about this, Jonah and I, and many other things, on his podcast, The Remnant, earlier this week: here.
• “Supreme Court Sides With Coach Over Prayers at the 50-Yard Line.” (Article here.) Big religious-liberty case. The law is one thing. As far as I’m concerned, people have the right to pray while standing on their head and playing the ukulele. But your mind also might run to the Sermon on the Mount, which has much of interest to say, including,
And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret . . .
Holy-moly. Has there ever been religion in this column? Where’s the wall o’ separation! I better go to baseball . . .
• “Rob Manfred says he wants robot umps in MLB by 2024 . . .” (Article here.) Manfred is the commish. And I understand him, and the issue. But you know what I think? Since I have been so blunt on secession, I will be equally blunt here: Have robot umps if you will. But it would be better if players, managers, coaches, and fans stopped acting like jerks. Like tantrum-throwing toddlers. Human judgment, including human error, has always been part of umping, and officiating more broadly. It’s part of the game, part of the human experience. I think people oughtta grow up. I have seen our society play out one great reversion to infancy. America is like Benjamin Button or something.
• Look at Shohei Ohtani hit this ball. Also, listen to it. The crisp violence with which Ohtani hits a baseball is amazing. Like Tiger Woods, with a mid-iron, say, in his prime.
• On Twitter, some people were talking about the Beatles — about one of them, in particular. And Amy Argetsinger, of the Washington Post, wrote, “I feel like the world is finally beginning to comprehend how crucial Ringo is, and I am glad he is alive to see it.” I found that very interesting. Over the course of my life, I’ve heard Ringo kind of snickered at. “You see Joe over there? He’s so weird, his favorite Beatle is Ringo!” That sort of thing.
Now, I know nothing about this — nothing about the Beatles (compared with an expert, I mean). So, I consulted one of the great Beatles-ologists, Allan Kozinn. You mean the distinguished, ultra-brainy classical-music critic? Yes. He wrote a book on the Beatles. And he told me, Oh, yes, for sure (re Ringo).
“His playing at his best,” Allan said, “is carefully worked out, as if it were orchestration.” Allan particularly recommend that I listen to — as he put it — “Pepper & the White Album.”
Will do.
• You know what is very, very pleasant? Seeing graduations — students and their parents, and their siblings, and their other relatives. Caps and gowns and cameras and hugs and tears. I have walked by many a graduation in recent weeks, on the grounds of Lincoln Center (in Manhattan, New York). There are hardly happier occasions.
• Vladimir Kara-Murza has been imprisoned since April 11. He is a Russian journalist, politician, and democracy leader. He is also a friend of mine, and I wrote about him here. John McCain was a champion of Vladimir’s, and a friend. McCain asked Vladimir to serve as a pallbearer at his funeral, which he did. I wish Vladimir had a champion now. I mean, someone big, on an international stage. Vladimir Kara-Murza is one of the most admirable and bravest people I know. He ought to be a cause.
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