How to Destroy America in Three Easy Steps

1. America's Enduring Foundation: Natural Rights, Equality, and Limited Government

The philosophy of the United States centers on three central principles, as articulated in the Declaration: on the reality of natural rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that preexist government; on the equality of men before the law; and on the notion that government is instituted only to protect those preexisting rights and equality of men before the law.

Self-evident truths. The American creed, enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, posits that all individuals are endowed with inherent, unalienable natural rights by "Nature and Nature's God." These rights—life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness—are not granted by government but precede it, making them inviolable. This foundational belief, rooted in Judeo-Christian morality and Greek reason, asserts that human beings possess inherent value and the capacity for reason, which necessitates freedom.

Equality before law. The founders believed all human beings are equal in their rights, regardless of natural talents or circumstances. This concept, a radical departure from historical norms that often justified social hierarchies and slavery, meant that the law must treat everyone alike, without distinguishing based on characteristics beyond their control. Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. later invoked this principle to fight for the rights of black Americans, seeing it as a "promissory note" yet to be fulfilled.

Limited government's role. Government's sole legitimate purpose is to protect these preexisting individual rights and ensure equality before the law, deriving its "just powers from the consent of the governed." To prevent tyranny, the Constitution established a system of enumerated powers, checks and balances, and federalism. This structure aimed to allow necessary governmental action while safeguarding minority rights from the "tyranny of the majority," ensuring that government remained a guardian of liberty, not its source or master.

2. The Disintegrationist Philosophy: Malleable Humanity and Unlimited State Power

In short, the Disintegrationist alternative posits three specific counters to the Unionist philosophy: that human nature is infinitely malleable, and thus carries no inherent rights; that equality before the law is injustice, and that equality in every aspect of life must be our goal; and that government is the only allowable mechanism for dispensing privileges and achieving equality of outcome.

Human nature as Play-Doh. Disintegrationists reject the idea of fixed human nature and inherent individual rights, viewing humanity as infinitely malleable and perfectible through social engineering. This perspective, echoing thinkers like Rousseau and Marx, blames societal systems—especially private property and capitalism—for human shortcomings, rather than individual choice or inherent flaws. This belief system offers the seductive promise of absolution from personal responsibility, attributing all failures to the "system."

Equality of outcome, not law. This philosophy argues that equality before the law is insufficient and even unjust, as it perpetuates existing power hierarchies. Instead, Disintegrationists advocate for "equality of outcome," which necessitates unequal treatment under the law to achieve uniform results across all aspects of life. This Rawlsian logic, often expressed through concepts like intersectionality, conflates any disparity with discrimination, leading to a never-ending cycle of governmental intervention and the erosion of individual rights.

Government as ultimate arbiter. Disintegrationists see government not as a protector of rights but as an overarching cure-all, an unlimited power administered by elites for the "betterment of the masses." They dismiss constitutional limits like enumerated powers, checks and balances, and federalism as barriers to progress, arguing that "the government is us" and therefore justified in exercising all powers to achieve its goals. This view transforms government into a moral authority, dispensing privileges rather than protecting inherent freedoms.

3. Unionist Culture: Tolerance, Virtue, and the Spirit of Liberty

Our culture of rights—and tolerance for the expression of those rights by others—is clearest in the Unionist attitude toward free speech.

Tolerance for all rights. Unionist culture demands a robust defense of individual rights, even when their exercise is unpopular or disagreeable. This includes a strong commitment to free speech, recognizing that a free marketplace of ideas is essential for progress and a bulwark against tyranny. The founders, despite their own flaws, understood that restricting speech, even "immoral" speech, grants government a dangerous power that can be used to quash dissent and lead to stagnation.

Virtue through social fabric. Rights alone do not guarantee a decent society; they must be balanced by a culture that promotes virtue, primarily through strong, non-governmental social institutions like family and church. The founders believed that a moral and religious populace, steeped in duties and responsibilities, was essential for a free society to thrive. Alexis de Tocqueville observed Americans' propensity for forming voluntary associations, which built social capital and provided a crucial check against governmental overreach.

Adventure and self-reliance. American culture has historically celebrated a spirit of entrepreneurial adventure, risk-taking, and economic freedom. This ethos, rooted in property rights and the right to one's labor, has driven unprecedented prosperity and innovation. It fosters self-reliance and a willingness to build new lives, rather than relying on government handouts. This cultural value recognizes that true economic progress stems from individual initiative, not central planning.

4. The Disintegrationist Cultural Assault: Suppressing Rights and Undermining Institutions

The Disintegrationist culture warns that freedom is a rough business, cruel and unsparing.

Destroying rights for "safety." Disintegrationist culture views individual rights as chaotic and risky, advocating for their destruction to prevent "misuse" and ensure collective "safety." This manifests in calls for "hate speech" laws, social media censorship, and "cancel culture," where dissent is met with overwhelming social and professional pressure. The goal is to impose conformity, often by characterizing opposing views as inherently discriminatory or dangerous, thereby justifying their suppression.

Tearing down social institutions. Family and church, traditionally seen as pillars of American society and inculcators of virtue, are attacked by Disintegrationists as barriers to a "greater, more fulfilling freedom." Influenced by Marxist and second-wave feminist thought, this view portrays traditional institutions as patriarchal and repressive, advocating for their dismantling in favor of government-provided privileges and a "sexual utopia" free from traditional moral constraints. This creates a vacuum that government is then expected to fill.

Quashing the spirit of adventure. The entrepreneurial spirit and economic freedom are condemned as sources of inequality and exploitation. Disintegrationists, often echoing socialist rhetoric, portray wealth creators as "greedy leeches" and advocate for government control over markets to achieve "economic fairness" and security. This shift from a culture of striving to one of expectation undermines the dynamism that has historically driven American prosperity, replacing it with a demand for government guarantees.

5. American History: A Triumph of Ideals Over Imperfection

The Unionist history of America is a shared creed-based history of tragedy and triumph.

A uniquely magnificent seed. Unionist history acknowledges America's flaws but emphasizes its founding on uniquely glorious ideals of freedom and liberty, expressed in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Despite the hypocrisy of slavery at its inception, many founders recognized its moral evil and laid groundwork for its eventual abolition. This perspective sees American history as a story of an "American moral immune system" that, though challenged, ultimately strives towards its foundational principles.

Struggle and self-correction. American history is a narrative of continuous struggle to live up to its founding ideals, with progress achieved through adherence to those principles. The Civil War, for instance, is viewed not as a break from founding principles but as their fulfillment, leading to the end of slavery. Subsequent movements, like the Civil Rights era, further extended the promise of equality to all Americans, demonstrating that by harking back to its moral roots, America has consistently moved towards a "more perfect union."

Global force for good. America's history is also one of immense global benefit, from liberating Europe from tyranny in two World Wars to leading the fight against communism and powering the world economy. While acknowledging shameful acts like the treatment of Native Americans or Japanese internment, Unionist history asserts that America's overall impact has been overwhelmingly positive, raising billions from poverty and spreading the ideals of individual rights and democracy worldwide.

6. The Disintegrationist Historical Narrative: America Born in Sin, Irredeemably Flawed

In the Disintegrationist view, America is corrupt, a ruse and a sham promising liberty but actually guaranteeing tyranny.

America born in sin. Disintegrationist history asserts that America was founded in evil, dating its "true birth" to 1492 (European arrival, bringing imperialism and disease) or 1619 (importation of the first African slaves). This narrative, popularized by figures like Howard Zinn and the 1619 Project, claims that America's economic might, political systems, and cultural elements are all direct outgrowths of slavery and anti-black racism, making the nation inherently and irredeemably corrupt.

History as a weapon. For Disintegrationists, history is not a bond but "acid," serving as a weapon to argue that modern problems are merely manifestations of a deep-seated, incurable "philosophic and cultural cancer." This selective focus on America's sins, often ignoring context or subsequent progress, aims to dismantle the notion of a shared national identity. It frames American history as an unending litany of horrors, where progress occurs despite America's nature, not because of it.

Perpetual victimhood. This historical revisionism fuels a narrative of perpetual victimhood, where all current disparities are attributed to historical injustices like slavery and Jim Crow. It dismisses racial progress and argues that "institutional racism" has merely shapeshifted. This approach, while highlighting real past injustices, often downplays individual agency and the significant advancements made, making it difficult to address contemporary issues effectively and fostering division rather than unity.

7. The Great Choice: Union or Disintegration

Our two visions of America—Unionist and Disintegrationist—are starkly different. They do not represent two ways of reaching the same goal. They represent, instead, two absolutely divergent goals.

A nation at a crossroads. America faces a fundamental choice between two irreconcilable visions: Unionism, which believes in America's foundational goodness and potential for continuous improvement, and Disintegrationism, which views America as inherently flawed and beyond redemption. This conflict is not merely political but strikes at the core of national identity, philosophy, culture, and history, leading to deep societal polarization.

The cost of division. Disintegrationism, by systematically attacking the pillars of American identity, promises not unity but further fragmentation. By politicizing every aspect of life—from sports to family—and demanding conformity to its worldview, it erodes trust and fosters animosity among citizens. The author warns that this path leads to a "slow drift into enervation," where individual freedom is replaced by collective security, and citizens become "timid and industrious animals" under governmental control.

Remembering what unites us. To avoid national divorce, Americans must remember and champion the foundational principles that built the country: individual rights, a culture of robust debate and virtue, and a shared history of striving for a more perfect union. This requires acknowledging flaws while celebrating triumphs, fostering personal responsibility, and trusting citizens to apply these values. The choice is to either "hang together" by embracing our shared American adventure or "hang separately" by succumbing to the forces of division.

Last updated: October 19, 2025