Agendas and Narratives

Written by Todd Vaughn

We live in an “agenda-driven,” “narrative-rich” environment.

In fact, according to the status quo, the very concept of “absolute truth” has been rightly relegated to a place of equal status with everything else. After all, it’s just another narrative… driven by somebody’s “belief-system” that has no more legitimacy (and therefore should be given no more credence) than anybody else’s belief system…right?

We are constantly being forced to choose between two narratives…with both insisting that they are presenting “the true story.” We must choose…we have no choice. To put it simply: we live in a world of “this versus that,” and master-manipulators are employed at every turn.

Recently, an avowed “socialist” (communist) named Zohran Mamdani was inaugurated as the newly elected Mayor of New York City. In his inaugural speech, he offered the following quote: “We will replace the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism.”

This would be a great starting point for a discussion between friends.

Here is the choice that we have before us: “the frigidity of rugged individualism” versus “the warmth of collectivism.” Don’t be hasty…consider Mamdani’s proposition carefully: Certainly, it seems like there is a lot of “toxic masculinity” embedded in the concept “rugged individualism,” right? After all, it promotes an attitude of self-interest that is akin to ignoring the needs of my neighbors if that is what it takes for “me and mine” to prosper. Well, that certainly doesn’t sound very loving…does it? And yet, that is exactly what was required, in 1602, to keep this nation’s first community, the Jamestown settlement, from complete disintegration due to widespread starvation.

The settlement initially implemented a socialist-like system of commonly owned land, farmed by pooled labor, resulting in communal food-supplies. The result was abysmal, and the winter of that first year was brutal. You might say that “the warmth of collectivism” was nowhere to be found, as neighbor turned against neighbor, in a battle to survive the lack of food caused by the refusal of the industrious to provide for the freeloaders. Everybody suffered! Everybody starved!

In the spring, the leaders decided to give each family (that survived) their own separate plot of land from which they could sustain themselves while “laying up a store” for the coming winter. Indeed, those who worked the hardest prospered the most, but everyone understood that it was their responsibility to provide for themselves, and NOBODY starved from that point on…LESSON LEARNED! Yes, human-nature is an irrefutable reality…an undeniable observation…and an unalterable condition. You could even go so far as to say that human nature is a universal (absolute) truth.

And yes, you may have an agenda…Mandani certainly does…and you may have a wonderful story that reassures the listeners in a manner that gives them great comfort (perhaps even a sense of warmth). But when the reality is vastly different from the “public opinion” generated by a charlatan, sooner or later, the “warm fuzzies” give way to the cold, hard facts. This reoccurring tragedy has befallen the human race often throughout our history, and some new sordid form of tyranny is always the result.

Our Founding Fathers bequeathed to us an unprecedented opportunity to experience individual-sovereignty, human-dignity, and freedom of conscience. Some of you may believe that this is a false narrative concerning this nation (which you may hate). And some of you may have an agenda to destroy this nation…and replace it with something a little more “utopian.” To you I say, “good luck” if you intend to take it by force. You might find out that there is more of that “rugged individualism” (and dare I say, “toxic masculinity”) around than you thought.

Don’t ever underestimate the tenacity of patriotism, just because patriots prefer a peaceful debate (Charlie Kirk). If you do, you will soon find out that we are a scrappy bunch when push comes to shove! We are simply giving everyone a chance to sort things out!