AMAC Exclusive – By Ben Solis
In a recent interview with AMAC Newsline, Professor Wilfred McClay, the Victor Davis Hanson Chair in Classical History and Western Civilization at Hillsdale College, warned about alarming trends in American society under President Joe Biden.
As he explained, Biden’s presidency in many ways represents the culmination of the ascendancy of far-left elements within the Democrat Party and American liberalism more broadly.
Rather than trying to achieve traditional liberal aims through existing U.S. institutions, he argues, today’s Democrat Party is dominated by forces that seek to tear down those institutions entirely. As evidence for this, Professor McClay points to recent reports that the most prominent law schools in the country, including Harvard and Yale, now teach that the Constitution should be dispensed with entirely.
According to McClay, one major reason why the left wants to destroy the existing constitutional system is that it prevents complete rule by the “expert” class. “The U.S. Constitution provides too many obstacles to the rule by experts and easily manipulated majorities,” he says.
The left’s desire for rule by the experts was demonstrated clearly during what McClay calls the “COVID-19” fiasco. Dissenting opinions from what the “experts” were saying was ruthlessly suppressed by Big Tech, the mainstream media, and the federal government under Joe Biden. But those supposed “experts” like Dr. Fauci were revealed to have more interest in perpetuating their own power and covering up their mistakes than investing in the well-being of the people.
The left hopes to employ this same strategy on every other policy issue to shut down opposition, from economics to the “climate crisis” – something that the Founding Fathers would have abhorred. “For James Madison, the idea that everyone should have the same opinion was ridiculous,” McClay told me.
Biden and his Democrat allies now lean heavily on the “expert” class to sell their policies like an electric vehicle mandate, a centralized digital currency, and the creation of a socialist cradle-to-grave welfare state. Everyone is expected to fall in line behind this agenda because it is what the “experts” say is correct.
But McClay observes that there is a noticeable pushback to the left’s endless deference to the “experts” just like there was a backlash against the elitism of Hillary Clinton in 2016 when she referred to Donald Trump supporters as a “basket of deplorables.”
“We’ve had flirtations in America in the past with this socialist requirement of a new man who would be purged of the poisons of individualism and adopt to the collective life.” But each time, Americans have rejected this philosophy outright. “Many Americans are realizing that in matters of human life, nobody is an expert,” McClay says.
McClay pointed to the universities as a major reason why so many people, especially young people, both naively follow the “expert” consensus and seem so infatuated with the failed precepts of socialism. “Complete brute ignorance” is how he describes the curriculum of most university instruction which preaches the nonexistent “positive” aspects of socialism.
“In a way,” McClay says, “some Americans have not suffered sufficiently to understand the greatness of what they have.” While left-wing professors teach the supposed evils of capitalism, they and their students are living lives of relative luxury compared to the rest of the world thanks to America’s capitalist democratic system.
But, McClay warns, there are signs that the left’s war on this system is beginning to yield results. The judicial system has now been weaponized against Democrats’ political opponents, most notably Donald Trump, but many other conservatives as well, including pro-life activists. Some of the January 6th defendants were convicted and sentenced in secret trials with no explanation from the government, while others were given far more harsh punishments than those who committed egregious acts of violence during the widespread riots in the summer of 2020.
Through trillions of dollars in spending, Democrats have also tanked the economy and made millions of Americans more reliant than ever on government welfare. Liberal policies are eroding Americans’ ability to be self-reliant and empowering an ever-more authoritarian federal government.
To remedy this, McClay suggests that conservatives should champion history courses in school that are intentional about highlighting the contrast between America and totalitarian socialist regimes. “I wish that students would read some Solzhenitsyn or someone who experienced Communism or Nazism,” he says, as those writers effectively convey that socialism destroys the soul of the human person.
McClay also says that students should learn how America’s Founding Fathers were fearful of a powerful centralized government, and also that they believed they were establishing a nation on Judeo-Christian values. “I do not think one can separate that view from fundamentally Christian nature of the United States with freedom oriented on virtue as designed by Framers,” he said.
Although Professor McClay has worries for the future, he also expressed optimism that many Americans will wake up and reverse course. “I fear for the prospect of my children,” he said, “but this crisis may bring a clarity of vision to Americans who will say, ‘Oh, I have been out of my right mind.’”
For the sake of American democracy and the world, let us hope that is the case.
Ben Solis is the pen name of an international affairs journalist, historian, and researcher.
Biden is the WORST PRESIDENT EVER and is trying his best to destroy America and Capitalism! He DOESN’T CARE ABOUT HIS PERSONAL LEGACY and seems to be Glorifying in having his administration concentrating on doing so!
He’s EXTREMELY DANGEROUS because he has NO PATRIOTIC FEELINGS! It seems that he’s been “programmed” to Destroy America!
If there is any relief from the current downward spiral we face it will only be temporary, as the Bible, Gods word has already recorded the finale.
I like Dr McClay’s perspective because he can provide the basis for optimism. Many Conservatives characterized that life-injecting attitude. Thanks, Amac Ben, for another great article.
We live in a difficult situation under Biden, who failed in domestic policies and is now expanding his erroneous approach to foreign affairs. But in all of this, we, Conservatives, have the answer. It is a matter of time before it becomes understandable for our fellow Americans.
“McClay also says that students should learn how America’s Founding Fathers were fearful of a powerful centralized government and also that they believed they were establishing a nation on Judeo-Christian values. “I do not think one can separate that view from the fundamentally Christian nature of the United States with freedom-oriented on virtue as designed by Framers,” he said.”
This should be reminded as often as possible on our side. Unfortunately, pervasive secularism that does not even recognize Providence, as the Founders often called God, makes an impression that everything depends on man. It would be pride to think in this way. I wish in our political debate, on the Conservative side, we would more often acknowledge God. The other side opposes this idea. We should restore it to our political speech.
I voted for Reagan twice while helping his campaigns. We had many discussions on the future of America, our vision and expectations. I can see that this practice disappeared from the Conservative movement. I am told that most of such meetings are now on the Internet. Talks are needed to know and understand each other. However, there is no greater need than to restore teaching on the political ideas of Founding Fathers and Federalists to our schools. Our candidates for the GOP nomination should talk about it. I do not know what their plans are for healing our education system. Are they going to have a debate on this issue?
Sound education in accordance with the Christian worldview that the Founding Fathers shared is the most crucial in our situation. I agree with Professor McClay that studying the writings of those who survived the totalitarian system is necessary for Americans. I am thankful for this article.
It’s two generatioins too late for, “. . .students should learn. . .” “Students” can’t even write cursively and their reading comprehension revolves arount TikTok and YouTube shorts. Does anyone see hope on the horizon from two generations who have no clue what responsibility or hardship really is? Has anyone ever seen so MANY ‘help wanted’ signs in so many places? The American taxpayer is paying them to sit on their asses. And, the politicians love this because lazy, entitled people WILL vote their feelings, i.e. liberal democrat. They care nothing for America and would never even consider serving their country in any capacity. Plan accordingly.
Biden and his pals are elitist walking IDIOTS who lack common sense and morals! They are self-made men who had a major lack of building materials because they left out the Chief Cornerstone!
An Excellent article, thank you! Serious steps need to be taken by parents to make sure their children are being taught correct principles! They cannot rely on the current politicized school system anymore. They should also be emphasizing these principles in their own homes. Children need to know correct American history and certainly are not being taught this in Liberal schools.
Great piece. My eyes were opened by reading solzenitsyn. In high school they had us read ‘one day in the life of ivan denisovich’. From there i read his other works. I realized what communism was after this. Unfortunately, unless more of us become willing to fight the communists the way they fight theres no hope. Trump should be as many points ahead of sniffy as he is his primary opponents. This country is full of people who demand choices that dont exist and who then pout and either dont vote or vote dem out of spite.
thank you for the every enlightened read.
too bad only white people will see it. Just like hillsDale. lol
THE CANCEROUS, biden HAS DESTROYED OUR NATION, NEVER TO FULLY RECOVER BY BREAKING his OATH OF OFFICE AND THE CONSTITION EVERY HOUR ALLOWING 10 MILLION illegals IN
Good article. The rule of the “expert” class depends upon suppression of experts with alternative views. The smartest and most educated people can interpret things differently and the rest of us look to experts to explain why their view is correct. During COVID, we got force-fed the doctrines of masking, vaccines and shutdowns of businesses, schools and churches that were supported by Fauci’s “correct thought” brigade and enforced by media, big tech and Government law enforcement operatives. It is not encouraging to see the US transitioning into the USSR. Of course to change course we need better people in office. Democrats seem fixated on doing the stupid and explaining why it is the smart thing to do and Republicans are driving into the House in a clown car without a driver. I wish I had McClay’s optimism.
Joseph Biden is President in NAME ONLY! His REGIME is being run by the World Economic Forum, Council on Foreign Relations, Round Table, Climatologists ETC ETC. The same people responsible for the Marxist / Socialist DRIVEL being forced down college students throats. Sadly many of our “intelligent” House Reps & Senators have swallowed the “Climate Change” “Global Warming” GARBAGE and are allowing our tax money to WASTED on inefficient methods of electrical generation in the name of saving the planet. Just another way to make it easier to control who gets electricity and who doesn’t. Our experience with a college student today. My wife to a female clerk in a cosmetics store: Do you have Formaldehyde FREE nail polish? Clerk: We have nail polish — Wife: Formaldehyde Free nail polish? Clerk: Just a minute and I’ll ask — Do we have Formaldehyde Nail Polish? —– At this point my wife left!
Forget Jimmy Carter. He is over, but Obama remains in power whether he is the puppet master or not, he commands a disgusting amount of clout and has brought racism via identity politics to the fore, mishandled all foreign policy and made us weak in the eyes of the world, put Israel in a terrible position while he ignored Netanyahu (and made him enter the WH by the back door) while pandering BIG time to Iran, established ransom for hostages with Iran with pallets of U.S. $, HIs phony “buddy” relationship with “Vlad” was something to behold too, as was the laughable “reset” Hillary carried to Russia. Obama did nothing right either domestically or internationally, and though he denies it, his admin was riddled with scandals via Eric Holder and Loretta Lynch. So Biden a weak echo of Obama is the worst president in history, but Obama is only a step behind him.
That so many young people take on what they have learned at the university is they never have experienced a war, lived under a communist or socialist regime. They think they are being repressed because the professors are teaching them that
Take this war in Israel. American Jews or Jews living in America jumped on a plane to fight with the IDF to defeat Hamas and defend Israel. All the supporters of Hamas and the Palestinians did was yell and scream slogans, I did not see anyone go to the Gaza Strip to stand and fight if the Jews are such terrible people. What are they waiting for? To fight them here? Don’t believe they will fight here either. They leave that for the domestic terrorists. 9/11 they learned nothing from. And history is not being taught. The atrocities of the Holocaust of Hamas now they don’t get to see it because it might hurt their psyche. I say show it to them. What humans can do to one another all in the name of power. The constitution we have puts the power by the people, only the elitist in the world want all the power. That is why their agenda is to depopulate the world, that way they can control the masses. In meantime hatred is being spread everywhere among the people. That is why religion is being banned. They know humans can only have one God and they want it to be the one currently in power
Ole Joe does what he will. Congress has no say anymore. Not even the Supreme Court. People don’t realize the Supreme Court is for the people not for the executive branch currently in power. But that is how the dems make it seem.
This is not only going on here it is world wide. Every country signed Agenda 21 put out by the UN where a global world has been proposed. And depopulate the world, digital money, and total control over the people. Remember the WEF and Klaus Schwab slogan by 2030 you will own nothing BUT YOU WILL BE HAPPY. That is not a slogan that is an order.
I cringe every time I hear the term “Expert”. If the left is so upset living under a Constitutional Republic then they should all leave the country for greener pastures. It would be addition by subtraction. We, the silent majority, need to take our rights back and permanently limit the power of government. We should insist that Congress has Mandatory Term Limits and severely limit Special Interest Groups.I am deeply concerned for the future of this country if we don’t take back control of a government that is at war with its citizens.
Experts/Elitists is another terminology for people who are so selfish in their narrow viewpoints, that they don’t accept considering another opinion. They use word salad conversations to make their wording sound logical when it is illogical.
Another comment on Biden’s WAR ON FOSSIL FUELS. Biden is promoting wind farms & solar panel farms & is giving out big credits to do so. Someone needs to step back & look at what is happening to all of our farmland that will no longer exist. Our ability to provide food to this nation is what has made USA so great & in the future what will happen to our food supply if we allow the government to keep destroying/locking it up?
Get online and do a search for “Communist Goals (1963)”. What you’ll find is a list of about 45 objectives stated by the communist party in 1963 to enable them to take over the world.
Among the goals you will find “Take over one or both of the political parties,” “Take over the news networks,” “Take over the schools,” “Take over Hollywood….”
Without firing a shot, the communists have worked their way into those areas, and into the leadership of corporate America. They have been very patient and very smart. But now they have what they wanted. Disney is producing movies for 7-year-olds featuring same-sex romances. DISNEY!!
TIME TO FIGHT!! Time to take back school boards, time to attack universities economically — cancel season football tickets, send kids to places where they won’t be brainwashed, and let the lefties know what you’re doing and why. Picket schools, picket movies, picket businesses.
I have a book coming out shortly HOW TO WAKE UP THE “WOKE”. It gives a lot of ways for the everyday American, church group, TEA Party group, or group fo angry neighbors to fight back for the soul or our country.
Interesting observations. However, with the strong degree of propaganda that is flooding the public and the schools, no wonder public opinion is nothing short of evil. The Uni-Party is making sure our Republic and Constitution fail in our lifetime. Our country’s government should never – never have been called a Democracy, our forefathers warned us and like children we didn’t listen!
I saw and will never forget what your “expert class” of people did to us during Covid!! I don’t know if I will ever trust an “expert class” telling me anything ever again!!! I will agree that the younger generations don’t understand what a good thing they have because they have never had it bad!! Many of them have never wanted for anything, have always had food, shelter, transportation, just about everything a kid could need!! Then they grow up and protest their own existence because they don’t know any better!!! They have never seen actual war, on their soil, seen bad times like empty shelves (not like what happened during Covid but much worse)!! They don’t have to work, parents give them anything they want!!
I hope Mr. McClay is correct in his assessment that the country will reverse course. However, when you have the media refusing to bring unbias reporting and is basically an arm of the Democratic Party that is a concern. Also, when self avow socialist are elected to congress and continues to be re-elected that to me does not bode well. Finally, there are socialist teachers in our schools and universities lead by the NEA another socialist organization. So unless the silent majority rises up and start a revolution to reverse the trend we very well may lose our freedom and individual independence. I live in California and I know what living in a one party state is like. The quality of life is substandard.
“Complete brutal ignorance”…..I love that.
Michael Savage often referred to them as having a “mental disorder”. Not so, you say? Well when a person believes in and promotes non-functionable leftist’s ideals, then his mind is certainly in “disorder”.
Add that Newsom just started an account on Trump’s TRUTH SOCIAL welcoming Dictator Beijing biden and converts by trying to insult our intelligence.
A COWARD obama appointed Judge GAGS President Trump on TRUTH SOCIAL but the COWARDS are trying to get SMART AMERICANS to flip over to Communist liberals party by using TRUTH SOCIAL.
This shows how DESPERATE and SCARED the Fascist liberals are.
And after ALL their BS to keep President Trump from starting TRUTH SOCIAL they WEASEL out and join it so they can infiltrate and spread more of their lies and Communist agenda.
Only the STUPID would fall for this.
Great article. I am not sure Socialism completely describes what I have witnessed in the past 15 years-more a combination of all the worst aspects of Socialism, Fascism and Communism as experienced globally in the last 150 years.
I almost never trust what the “experts” say, without checking multiple sources.
I remember reading the book and watching the movie “1984”.
The measures happening now by Liberal/Extreme Democrats is exactly the plot of those.
That “expert” class is the globalist New World Order that first got exposed in remarks by globalist Bush 41 not long after taking office in1989. I wonder why he got shelved from office in 1992, replaced by another globalist, Bill Clinton. What followed was globalist Bush 42, then globalist Obama, but then the train wreck got derailed and Donald Trump started putting things back in order. The NWO didn’t like it when Ronald Ragan upset their timetable and now they have to keep Trump from getting another 4 years no matter how badly they exposed their fraud. In 2024, if Americans can’t toss out the current regime, and that’s what is ruling us now a regime with a false front man named Joe Biden, then there won’t be an actual election in 2028 there will be one patterned on Joe Stalin’s model.
Wow, Liberals really want to be ruled by unknown little drips? X is an unknown, and spurt is a little drip. If experts aren’t willing to show their qualifications and experience, what makes them an expert, and why should anyone give them any attention? Some people are not aware of the wonder our freedom was to the rest of the world. People used to come here to be as free as we have been. Too many deluded educators teaching American History as evil, and not the good it truly was.
Every time someone says “expert” or “scientist” you know they are lying.
As a small reminder Biden, harris, Paski, Schiff, murray, inslee, newsom and pelosi all said “follow the science” referring to the covid mandates and covid shots.
There was no science. The CDC, FDA, and NIH were hiding the actually science. In fact, the science there was said the shots were dangerous, masks don’t work, and the social distancing was just plain stupid.
Inslee, mewson, pelosi and schiff have all been catch saying follow the science about climate change as well. The science on climate change says there is no climate crisis. So the democrats have been caught trying to fake the climate crisis. Schiff, pelosi, newsom and inslee have been cause paying antifa to start fires then the democrat come out screaming climate fire. only to have the fires declared arsons.
News flash! its not a cliamte fire when you start teh fire democrats.
I remember when “Atlas Shrugged”, “1984”, and “Brave New World” were works of fiction and not an accurate prophecy. These days, I have to take a shot of Victory Gin just to cope.
Biden is taking orders from his master Obama, who still has a residence in Washington D.C. The only former president to do such a thing. Most on this forum refuse to believe it. How’s that “fundamental change” working out for you??
excellent article!!! I pray this viewpoint on what is happening will spread as our citizens wisen on what is happening so we can do something to vote a change.
Academia has created 3 generations of students that have little if any critical thinking skills. Educators are “teaching the test” to preserve their jobs and paying little attention to developing the minds of students to dig deeper. The “test” is being written by those who have liberal ideals and who agree with the progressive Democrat agenda. It will take time to undo this and we will suffer mightily until it happens.
This gentleman is right by saying Americans haven’t suffered enough to realize what they would lose if everything they are protesting for came to pass. I look at this as a war against Good and Evil and we will all have to suffer much more before the “Good” (God) shows the might and power of wrath nobody will want to see. We know who wins, but it won’t be pretty in the meantime. America needs to wake up and do it quickly. We also need to fight back against the radical left agenda and we can do it in numbers, in not letting them take our children, destroy our families, destroy our country by border invasion, and brainwash and indoctrination our young college people. They have no idea what the liberal professors and colleges have done to them.
Nothing new here. We have been witnessing the deterioration of society for several years now, ever since the Democrats became the only power in charge. Nothing much will change until a wiser class of people takes over, and I’m not sure if a wiser class exists at this point. The Republicans are a mess. May have to wait for the next generation, and I won’t be here to see it.
Biden and his socio-elitist cronies truly believe of their higher intelligence primarily because they believe the belief in God, in Providence, is weak and for the weak.
These are those that fell weak with evangelism. That group that just never understood the Power of God, the Providence of I AM.
Just read an article about Poland’s slide into some of the worst parts of what we have going on here in the USA. The good news is that the citizens weren’t happy and changed the direction of the country by a 76% voter turn-out toward conservative values. I see that happening here in the near future. I can only hope I’m right.
Why can’t we print these articles? I have friends who don’t look at articles on email and would like to share these. When I try to print there is so much that covers the actual article that it is unreadable.
“The Biden Moronathon” ,a true Kakistocracy!
What’s even sadder is that there will be a Transgender Halloween costume that is made up of both Dictator Beijing biden and Communist harris combined wearing pantyhose. Funny though since neither one can define what a woman is.
That’s what our society has turn into with Fascist liberals ruining everything.
If that doesn’t scare you…
Not enough people realize the disaster this administration is. Maybe they don’t care. They will start caring as things get worse. SAD!
This article is right on point and an excellent summation of the marxist democrat party agenda!
Destroy America from within by abolishing everything it stands for.
No Faith,Family,Constitution or Freedom , so their evil,immoral,hateful greed can flourish!
THROW THEM OUT
Biden’s WAR ON FOSSIL FUEL is impacting all middle class & lower class Americans in a very negative way. This will destroy USA if it continues & now I read that the Dept of Transportation passed a regulation in July that will require cars to get 50-100 gpm in future & that is just a sneak run around Congress & will destroy America. Come on Man, what are you trying to do to the Greatest Nation on this Planet?
So affirming is this article. Ken Burns, historian for PBS had a full series on Real cowboys that
settled the west were not John Wayne, etc. The real cowboys were black and they settled the west, brought cattle to market and have been misrepresented all these years. Laughing, I Google it. Sure enough, it affirms the west was settled by our black community,
some Spaniards. Rewriting history benefits
no one. These so-called historians forgot photographs were taken on the ranches and the mining camps of Colorado.
Today, Epoch Times stated Biden will not allow
Banks to decline loans to the newly acquired immigrants.
Heritage, VDH work hard for truth. We need our Representatives to do the same.
Were heading to a Police State??
He is being ridiculously optimistic!