Force, Faith, and Custom
by John MacBeath Watkins For most of human history, we have been ruled by force, faith, and custom. Force is easy enough to understand. The man on horseback in the expensive armor, helped by his knights, could physically compel commoners into doing his will (and for most of history, it was men who held this role, especially in young dynasties where someone had to establish dominance.) Any enemy to liberal democracy will need to align themselves with force, in the form of the police and military. They will also need to align themselves with a politically potent faith community, and assure the people that they will be comfortable with the return to faith, force, and custom by aligning themselves with traditional mores. Sexual mores, in particular, are also tied in with religious teachings. Allow me to make an aside here. Liberals often mourn that the working class votes against their interest in putting into office politicians whose economic policies favor the rich. If that i...
