As long as the Ukraine, Taiwan and Iran conflicts don’t spill into outright war between the superpowers, I see the most important news story right now as Donald Trump’s battle to transform America’s institutions, which are dominated by the left.
People want a magic key to understand the world. On the populist right, a widely embraced magical key is critical pedo theory. Scott Greer writes:
This notion imagines that the world is ruled by a pedophile cabal and “systemic pedophilia” is inherent to the current order. These elite pedos are evil by nature, which is why they use space lasers to cause forest fires and wield their weather machine against red states. These right-wingers hoped Trump would battle the cabal as president. QAnoners thought he did so in his first term, clinging to fake news stories about the admin secretly arresting and executing prominent child molesters.
The Epstein announcement came as a shock. Here’s their leader telling them that a core element of their worldview isn’t true. Rather than follow Trump’s advice and move on, they’re up in arms, with some threatening to ditch MAGA altogether. It illustrates how fundamental CPT is to a large cohort of conservatives. Trump bombing Iran and implying he may be open to some form of amnesty didn’t elicit anywhere near this kind of backlash from his base. For a significant number of Trump voters, the pedo cabal matters more than anything else.
Critical Pedo Theory emerged in the mid-2010s. It gained credence as a response to the Left. For years, liberals would condemn right-wingers as racists. Racism is one of the great taboos in American society. The other is pedophilia, so right-wingers began calling leftists kid diddlers to defang racism accusations. The Right’s embrace of conspiratorial populism transformed this rhetoric into CPT. Conservatives were no longer just calling the Left pedos to defend against racism smears–they now concocted an entire worldview centered on pedo cabals. Pizzagate and QAnon soon followed.
I hated how Donald Trump encouraged millions of Americans to believe that the 2020 election was stolen. It wasn’t. On the other hand, America’s institutions came together to legally reduce his chances of winning, and while I passionately condemned the January 6 riots more than almost anyone I know on the dissident right, I now recognize that there was a pragmatic value in showing that in the streets, not only BLM and Antifa will fight back. Sometimes the most honest thing you can do is to punch someone in the face (even though that is usually a terrible idea). The January 6 riots were a punch in the face to America’s reigning political institutions. I’m glad the rioters who broke the law were prosecuted (I did not favor pardoning those who assaulted anyone, particularly police), however, I now reluctantly recognize the value of street fighters on the right.
America’s institutions were largely created by Anglo-Saxons based on Anglo-Saxon traditions. How is that working for a multi-racial multi-cultural nation?
I remember serving on a jury in Compton. The defendant was a young black man. The evidence was overwhelming that he was guilty as charged with drunk driving. The black women on the jury (two or three) said there were too many black men in prison and voted not guilty, which made a conviction impossible. If members of a jury vote on a racial basis like this, juries are useless, and we would be better off with judges deciding verdicts.
On the other hand, I recognize the value of tribal loyalty and part of me admires it. What’s good for the tribe, however, is often bad for the multi-racial nation.
Grok says:
The institutions of the United States, rooted in Anglo-Saxon traditions like common law, individual liberty, and representative government, were designed for a society assumed to share certain cultural norms, such as a Protestant work ethic, trust in civic processes, and a common language. These traditions emphasize decentralized power, personal responsibility, and limited government, which have historically enabled adaptability and resilience. However, in a multi-racial, multi-cultural nation, their performance is mixed, with both strengths and challenges.Strengths:Flexibility: The system’s emphasis on individual rights and freedoms allows diverse groups to pursue their values within a shared legal framework. The Bill of Rights, for instance, protects free speech and religion, enabling cultural pluralism.
Economic dynamism: Anglo-Saxon institutions, particularly property rights and free markets, have fostered innovation and wealth creation, benefiting diverse populations. The U.S. GDP per capita ($81,000 in 2024) reflects this, with immigrants and minorities contributing significantly (e.g., 40% of Fortune 500 companies founded by immigrants or their children).
Civic participation: Representative democracy, while imperfect, provides avenues for diverse voices through voting and advocacy. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and subsequent reforms show the system’s capacity to evolve toward inclusivity.
Challenges:Cultural friction: Norms like individualism can clash with collectivist traditions in some communities, leading to tensions over issues like welfare, education, or criminal justice. For example, debates over affirmative action highlight competing views on merit versus equity.
Trust erosion: Anglo-Saxon institutions rely on high social trust, but polarization and cultural divides have weakened confidence in systems like the judiciary or media. Gallup polls show trust in institutions dropping to 30% in 2024, with minority groups often feeling marginalized.
Structural bias: Some argue these institutions inherently favor the cultural norms of their founders. For instance, standardized testing or legal processes may disadvantage groups unfamiliar with Anglo-Saxon frameworks, perpetuating inequality (e.g., Black Americans hold 3.2% of senior leadership roles despite being 13.6% of the population).
Immigration strain: Rapid demographic change—U.S. Census projects a majority-minority population by 2045—challenges institutions to adapt. Language barriers, differing civic expectations, and integration debates (e.g., over border policies) stress systems not originally designed for such diversity.
Adaptation Efforts:Legal reforms, like voting rights expansions or anti-discrimination laws, aim to align institutions with modern diversity.
Multicultural education and representation in government (e.g., 11% of Congress is Black or Hispanic in 2025) attempt to bridge gaps.
However, backlash, such as resistance to DEI initiatives or immigration policies, reflects ongoing tension between tradition and change.
