These "tight knit" communities are formed only when people feel threatened. Think of the Benedictine solution. Communities can't do much. They are sneered at, laughed at. Communities are formed as a defence against the madness of crowds.

It is society in general that needs to be "reformed". And there is not much chance of that, under the current regime, which is anti-family, anti-community.

Humanism is a romanticism without the recognition of a greater metaphysical spiritual power.

Humanism is stifling and at heart, selfish and unhelpful for the greater good.

Humanism promotes snobbery and isolation.

Humans at heart, are decrepit antisocial creatures of total self interest.

The average person is not interested in political philosophy. They know where the problems lie: with the political class.

There's very little difference between politicians but, at the moment, they should be asking themselves the same question asked by National's MP, Keith Pitt: "Why does Labor hate Australia.?" (SkyNews, Opinion, Peta Credlin 5/6/23).

Sounds like tribalism. Or cultism. And step back in time.

What we need is a laser like focus on what unites us. And then focus on solutions that build the nation. Central to nation building is the current economy killing cost of energy. And the obvious solution verboten.

Reform cannot be localised, but must be national, and energy policy and real tax reform.

Collectives may be useful but not if they allow collective head burying. Or unelected leaders deciding for the others.
Alan B.

Yes, we have been divided and conquered by that one nasty Mafia called "state", them and their satellite greedy commercial corporations, their Wagner-like comrades.

Yes, they have allowed us freedom of speech, so we can scream out loud, that's all an individual can do on their own - they allow it because it does not threaten them, just let us scream till we are hoarse.

They deny us the freedom of association because they sense that we could use it to rebel against them, they won't allow competing societies, we are not only denied the freedom to choose which people we associate with, but also which products, services and technologies. They force all these that we don't want or even despise down our throats - people, products, services and technologies.

People ought to be able to live freely within their own groups of shared values, large or small as they choose, among their own like-minded friends: people ought to not be forced to associate with all others just because they happen to live in the same continent.

The world is getting worse and worse, only God can save us - and so we trust and pray that He will.

---

Dear Alan B.,

«What we need is a laser like focus on what unites us.»

Nothing unites us.
Not any more than that which unites predators and their prey.
I don't want your "nation" thing, I never asked for it, I don't want it built - I want it destroyed, I pray for its death.

Good article Dara Macdonald- There does need to be a balance between power at the large and small scale. People do need to feel like they have control of their own destiny. Seems to be the essential Traditionalist or Tribal position- rather than more dictatorial positions of Communism and Business authoritarianism. Hopefully we come to a position of Enlightened Traditionalism/ Tribalism once we move past the current deadly Communist direction. Kudos.

Strange that Liberal Democracy/ Free Democracy has reverted to Communist "Democracy" and Business Authoritarianism. Others have documented the narrative arc- for example how the Freud family linked Democracy and Business and desire based consumerism to create Business Authoritarianism. Communism seems to influence the west through various front organisations as well as Chinese and Indian intelligence and economic war against the West.

Dear David F.,

«My cousin was president of the Orthodox Union. He is friends w Netanyahu & sent me a picture of them together. Our views on Israel, on Judaism and many matters are diametrically opposed. However, we are both citizens of the same country, the USA, and wouldn't have it any other.»

I know two brothers, American Jews, whose views are similarly diametrically opposed - that much that when the one was invited to the Passover Seder next door to the other's apartment, his hosts had to make significant efforts to ensure that the other brother, who celebrated the Seder at the same time in his home, would not find out that his brother was next door.

Fortunately for you and your cousin, you are not living in Israel where one of you would be making laws and regulations for the other based on your opposing worldviews.

Or is your vision, perhaps, for solving all the problems of the Middle-East, to let Imperialist America take over Israel and its surrounding as its 51st/52nd state?
American states, you know, are also presently at each other's throat, especially on the issues of abortions, homosexuality, gender-change, racism and the death penalty.
I am very glad not to be an American.

One of the brothers, BTW, became a Canadian citizen. I don't know whether or not they also retained their US citizenship: would you perhaps like to see the USA take over Canada as well?

---

Dear Dan,

I very much appreciate your concern for my salvation. Thank you.

Place Jesus Christ in contemporary Israel or contemporary America - which side of politics do you think he would take?

Oops, sorry everyone, the above was posted on the wrong article.