Culture Warrior

by Bill O'Reilly

  The author frames the culture war argument in liberal-conservative terms, which is a mistake. As I’ve argued, the true culture battle is us against them: traditionalists versus secular-progressives. But old-school Mailer defines the war this way:

  A great war is going on here, larger even than we realize, between the liberals and the conservatives. The conservatives are saying, in effect, “You guys are trying to wreck existence by becoming too vain, too Godless.” And liberals are replying, “Your obsession that God is judgmental looks to force all of humanity into rigid patterns that won’t work any longer.” The worst is that they are both right. It’s a war between extremes, and they are both right.

  But Mailer is wrong. Traditional Americans and conservative thinkers who understand their country do not put God at the head of public policy, nor do we point fingers at the opposition and label them “sinners.” We label them “intellectually deficient.” Traditionalists believe that secular-progressive policies will weaken America and lead to societal chaos. While we see no reason to banish God from the public square, we don’t expect Him to be writing social policy on tablets and handing them to us in the Sinai.

  Norman Mailer has come to the conclusion that the United States is in decline because traditional thinking and capitalism have uprooted true “democratic” principles. Mailer told me on the radio that he favors a huge central government that would “regulate” the profits of corporations and the incomes of Americans. He would like to see social engineering—that is, a society that is forced to be generous and fair. That vision would, of course, require a good amount of totalitarianism, a system Mailer abhors.

  Finally, like many S-P warriors, Norman Mailer sees American power weakening and he’s somewhat happy about it. He explains that on page 105 of Empty:

  It may be that we would do well to recognize (and this will be an odious remark to a great many Americans) that the apex of our power has passed. We are now a very powerful nation in a world of three or four other very powerful nations. If we could make our peace with that, my guess is that terrorist acts against us might diminish. Because one aspect of present terrorism is the reaction to our arrogance.

  Of course, the traditional culture warrior (T-Warrior) does not buy this. I believe that if the United States demonstrates the slightest weakness in the face of Islamo-fascism, we will be attacked more readily. I point to the appeasement of the fanatical Third Reich about seventy years ago to back up my opinion. There is no difference in attitude between the Nazis and the jihadists. Those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it.

  But while I disagree with him, I concede that Norman Mailer clearly defines some very important issues in the intense culture war. The secular-progressive movement wants the United States to decline in power. It wants a new world order where global consensus would rule and the superpower model of our time would recede into obsolescence.

  By contrast, the T-Warrior will fight to keep, and even increase, America’s vast power. Why? Because T-Warriors understand that the United States is a righteous country that has in our brief history freed billions of people from political enslavement. It was our might and money that brought down Tojo, Hitler, and the Soviet Union. As with all nations, America has obviously made mistakes, but we are at our core a noble country in a world full of hatred and violence. If we go into decline, the world will be a much more dangerous place. Can you picture Russia and communist China dominating the world? How about the combined Arab states?

  But you’ll never convince the committed secular-progressive warrior of America’s nobility, and so the battle rages on. Traditionalists are fighting for their neighborhoods, their country, and their world. Since there’s a huge amount at stake, the traditional cause must become a way of life. There are no “weekend warriors” in this culture war. We are in it to win it, which will require courage, commitment, and discipline.

  It is now time to get back to basics; to develop a personal strategy designed to keep your family and country protected from those who would do us harm. And that strategy isn’t all muscle and bluster. It requires incisive thought as well as action, two components key to the T-Warrior’s ultimate victory.

  A Scholar Warrior is capable of perceiving right and wrong in an all too gray world and is just as capable of defending on the basis of that unstinting belief.

  —DENG MING-DAO

  The Chinese philosophy of the Tao (pronounced “Dao” and meaning something like “the pathway”) is a personal discipline that aspires to selfless, honorable living. The committed Taoist attains “Scholar-Warrior” status after much study and accomplishment in both the martial arts and “enlightened” thought. Because Taoists are definitely traditionalists, it may be useful to you to learn something of their culture. They believe in the dignity of humanity and adamantly oppose harming the innocent; thus terrorists need not apply. They also despise self-destruction, deceit, and the exploitation of others. Taoists form strong judgments about behavior and live by a strict code of right and wrong; thus moral relativists need not apply.

  Although much different from the traditional warrior in his or her ultimate goals, the Scholar-Warrior has one thing all traditional warriors should have: a code to live by. This is extremely important, because if you can master a personal-life code of honor, you will not only develop the strength to influence others but also win many of the personal battles you will inevitably have to fight in this life.

  For example, in my ten years of waging the culture war in the media, I have seen dishonest behavior from the S-P side almost every day of my life. Many of those people are rank liars and first-class manipulators. As I said in the beginning of this book, I truly despise the people who run the smear Web sites, or who use their positions in the media to injure rather than inform. I’ve described some of their behavior in this book, but believe me, I could write ten books about their disgraceful conduct.

  Very important: Don’t be like them. Some traditionalists (but more often fanatical conservatives) fall into the trap of using unethical tactics against the S-Ps. Don’t you. The worse the S-P forces behave, the more noble you should strive to be. As I mentioned earlier, smear merchants play only to their choir. Fair-minded Americans will not be persuaded either way by vicious personal attacks. Those are used by people who cannot win the debate intellectually.

  So in this final chapter, let’s discuss the righteous and somewhat rigorous code of the traditional warrior. I want to begin by pointing out that the code is the same for both women and men because women are some of the most effective T-Warriors. That might be because of child rearing; traditional women understand vividly how the S-P philosophy causes confusion and poor decision-making among kids. Of course, there are S-P moms out there like Susan Sarandon, but they are heavily outnumbered by traditional mothers. Thank God.

  The cornerstone of the traditional warrior’s code is to do what you say you are going to do. I’ve touched on that principle in my previous books, but it is vital for the traditionalist to understand that what you do, not what you say, defines you. Each day of your life should be devoted to fulfilling your responsibilities right down to the most insignificant. Even if it’s a little thing like saying you’ll call somebody, well, call them. Don’t say stuff and then not do it. That’s sloppiness of character, and it can become habit-forming. It is very important for the T-Warrior to be a person of honor, to be a “standup” guy or gal.

  What does that mean? Well, by being “standup,” you tell the truth and defend your principles in public—even if they are unpopular. Now, you don’t have to become a Jehovah’s Witness going door-to-door, but what you say should always mean something when you do decide to speak. Think about it. There is nothing worse than going to a place like Los Angeles and having people say “Let’s do lunch, babe.” Is there anything worse than that? I don’t know of one T-Warrior who’s ever said anything like that. But plenty of S-Ps have. It’s the dead giveaway of a creep. Rejecting phony jargon is yet another r
eason to leap over to the traditional side.

  But seriously, if you tell somebody you’ll do something—do it. People who honor their commitments and reject B.S. are impressive people. They actually stand for something. They stand for their word. No matter what they do for a living, their lives have meaning.

  So the traditional code starts with you, the T-Warrior, doing what you say you’ll do. Simple, but powerful.

  And then there’s the daily fight against selfishness, an essential rule of the code. Unlike the S-P acolyte who worships at the altar of “self-fulfillment” and often looks to other people (the government) to make that happen, the traditionalist tries to help others before pursuing personal gratification. As the Tao philosophy teaches, selfishness destroys compassion for one’s fellow human beings and leads to greed and mistrust. It is ironic that the S-P philosophy of “humanism” (a secular emphasis on the needs of human beings) leads them to embrace lenient criminal penalties for violent offenders, the destruction of fetuses/babies in the abortion process, and a permissive view of substance abuse that corrodes body and soul. The traditionalist understands that true feeling for others requires a helping hand that leads to problem solving—not the collapse of standards that would make it easier for people to destroy themselves and others.

  T-Warrior alert: Withstanding selfish impulses is a large part of the traditional code.

  Next, the effective T-Warrior has to see the world the way it really is. Yes, this can be downright painful. Every human being has a tendency to indulge the impulse of wish fulfillment. We want that attractive person to be good and decent even though he or she is not. We want that role model to be flawless even though, at times, everybody commits errors. Sometimes, our most fundamental preconceived notions turn out to be dead wrong. In those cases, we have to be disciplined and smart enough to admit it.

  The stringently disciplined T-Warrior must be a persuader, not a “Kool-Aid drinker.” If you watch or listen to my programs, you know I use that phrase a lot. It is inspired by a cult leader named Jim Jones, who in 1978 convinced almost 1,000 people to commit mass suicide by drinking a poisoned Kool-Aid-type drink in the country of Guyana. Those poor souls would do anything Jones told them to do. They had no minds of their own and, after drinking the cyanide and Valium-laced drink, no breathing bodies either. Thus, I use the term “Kool-Aid drinkers” to describe people who blindly follow any ideology or religion.

  That’s not the T-Warrior. In order to be effective, we must have our eyes wide open at all times. Things change quickly in America; for that reason, no one ideology or belief system can be correct in every matter. The clearheaded warrior who uses fact-based arguments rather than boring mantras (Bush lied) will win people over. As I’ve mentioned, the zombie-like, hateful warrior who spouts clichéd propaganda will drive reasonable folks away. All fanatics hurt whatever causes they are attached to. Don’t be like Mike (Moore), looking to create or distort situations to fit your ideology. Don’t be a Savage, selling hate as entertainment. No, see the world the way it is and try to apply traditional thinking to solve vexing problems. That is the road to victory.

  The next aspect of the traditional code is vital: Stand up for your country! You can’t be part of the traditional force unless you truly believe the United States is a noble nation. And, if you study history and look around you, that is not a difficult conclusion to reach. Why do millions of people from all over the world attempt to get into America any way they can? At least 12 million undocumented aliens live in the United States right now. Why do most American citizens have more opportunity than do our peers in the rest of the world? Why are you free to do pretty much whatever you want this evening?

  The answer is freedom and a social structure that allows the intense pursuit of happiness for responsible, hardworking people. I am the poster boy for that truth about American life. As I was growing up, many in my Levittown neighborhood thought I’d eventually do time in Attica prison. Really. But I eventually wised up, worked hard, established a traditional belief system, and was able to reach my potential. If I can do it with my rather questionable personality, believe me, almost anyone can! I’m not a popinjay, but I can come darn close.

  As a traditional warrior, therefore, I clearly understand from experience that my country has given me an opportunity to prosper. As much as I love Ireland, the land of my forebears, I don’t believe I would have succeeded on a grand scale there. The opportunities in America are far more diversified than they are in Ireland or, for that matter, anywhere else on the planet. If you are tough and persistent, you will get a number of chances to succeed.

  So I do truly respect my country and do not, like some of my S-P opponents you’ve met in this book, believe it is an evil, oppressive enterprise. I do understand that some corporations are brutal, but at the same time many American companies also provide life-sustaining benefits and opportunities for millions of people. True freedom means choosing between worthy enterprises and exploitative ones. There is definitely a dark side to the United States, but the T-Warrior learns how to put that truth in perspective. After all, there is definitely far more light than darkness in America, and you are free to walk away from most pernicious situations.

  But excuses walk. To be effective in the art of persuasion, T-Warriors also must recognize that the United States has made mistakes in both domestic and foreign policy. Again, that’s a small part of the overall picture, but it’s there. T-Warriors are not an “America right or wrong” group. In my lifetime, the basic desire of the American government has been to provide people with freedom and the opportunity to better themselves. Even in Iraq and Vietnam, Americans fought on the side of freedom. So the downside of the United States is minuscule compared to what is noble about the country. That belief is a hallmark of the traditional warrior. We can certainly improve the United States, but if you want a completely different landscape, I am your ardent opponent.

  For the next element of the code, I’m suggesting an unemotional examination of religion. This may come as a surprise to some, but you do not have to believe in God to be a traditional warrior, although the vast majority of us do acknowledge a higher power. But the code as far as religion is concerned is secular. Here’s the twist: T-Warriors believe that the United States was founded on Judeo-Christian principles that have provided a foundation for freedom and justice.

  The revisionist secular-progressive historians run around claiming the Founding Fathers were not at all influenced by Judeo-Christian philosophy, that their intent was to create a country where spirituality was a private matter. That is absolute nonsense, pure and simple. Just read the words of the Declaration of Independence and you’ll see that the revisionists are lying.

  The Founders wanted to construct a “God-fearing” country for very practical reasons. They knew the infant federal government couldn’t control the growing population and, therefore, counted on the influence of Judeo-Christian tenets to keep the first Americans in line. Remember, in the initial days of the republic, folks largely policed themselves and established local order based upon widely accepted beliefs. There was no supposed “separation of church and state.” That immense piece of false but effective propaganda was dumped on America in the late twentieth century by the ACLU. The only demand the Founders made in the religious arena was that no American legal apparatus could force a citizen to believe or worship in a certain way. Otherwise, the Founders encouraged public prayer, spiritual holidays, and a strong public belief in a benevolent Creator. That is the God’s honest truth (sorry, S-P fanatics), and I can back it up all day long simply by pointing to public documents that are on display in the Smithsonian.

  Now back to the code…. The traditional culture warrior understands that a clear definition of right and wrong is imperative for a disciplined society that protects its citizenry. One of the outrages of modern America is the S-P philosophy of confronting harmful behavior by providing a variety of excuses for it. For example, the “abuse excuse,” whereby crimina
ls become objects of sympathy because they, themselves, were abused, has taken deep root in the United States. As I explained earlier in these pages, we are now seeing the most repulsive acts, like the rape of children, being “understood.” Instead of harsh punishment for child abusers, some judges are opting for lenient sentences and the option of “treatment” for felons who destroy kids. This is the most egregious example I can provide of secular-progressive “justice.” Almost 100 percent of the time, the politicians, lawyers, and media who oppose strict mandatory sentences for child sexual predators are banner-waving soldiers in the S-P camp.

  By contrast, the traditional culture warrior believes in the Judeo-Christian code of forgiveness—but with punishment and with penance. True justice demands that the punishment fit the crime. We in America must continue to uphold standards of behavior that protect people, especially children and the elderly, from harm. Civilized conduct is not “relative.” In the American republic, the people decide what acts are wrong (illegal), and those acts must be punished accordingly. That code of justice, historically based upon Judeo-Christian principles, is one the S-Ps would tear down. Traditional warriors must prevent that from ever happening.

  The traditional code goes on to include respect for private property. This is another core issue. I remember once asking the S-P actor Warren Beatty, a very smart guy, if he believed in “income redistribution.” Beatty answered that he very much did. He favors allowing bureaucrats and politicians to remove money from the affluent (including himself) and then give it to others less well off.