In 1967, German activist and social scientist Rudi Dutschke put together his plan for how to revolutionize America. He called it the “long march through the institutions.” Dutschke was a Leninist who was inspired by Mao’s Red Army and their “long march” across China bringing destruction to everything in their path. Half a century after Dutschke coined his term, I think we can say the Marxists won. They won the culture war.
We have lost all our institutions that Americans, patriots, and Christians used to occupy. And by institutions, I mean numerous state governments, major businesses, entire judicial circuits filled with activist judges, the banks, the medical field, and any place with influence in society. We lost it all.
One of the hard realities is that we might be in a worse position now than our forefathers in 1776. The Founding Fathers at least had a structure and societal framework that they were able to tap into.
George Washington, an elite landowner descended from English Lords and nobles, was able to personally finance the early stages of the war effort.
John Hancock, a New England merchant and ship owner, was able to use his ships to smuggle goods that were prevented from docking in Boston Harbor because of Royal Naval blockades.
Gen. Joseph Warren, one of the heroes of the initial conflict in Massachusetts in 1775, was a surgeon in the medical field.
There are many such examples. But the question remains, who can we call upon in the 21st century to commence a “reconquista” of our American institutions, and do our own long march of revitalization bringing virtue and liberty back to American life?
Sure, we have armed patriots with a 2nd Amendment like we did in 1776, but what wealthy businessman can we call upon to finance a war effort against tyrants? If your first answer is Trump or Elon...bro, you’re not going to make it.
Conservative commentator Jesse Kelly put forward, what I think, is what we ought to avoid, then I will spell out what I think likely needs to happen. In the Twitter thread, Kelly describes why it would be a worthless effort to protest the indictment and arraignment of former President Trump in New York City outside Trump Tower.
“Here’s why you shouldn’t protest in blue cities and why you should DEFINITELY stay out of NYC tomorrow.
Remember Mike Tyson? We all watched him knock people’s heads off for a living. But you know what we didn’t watch?
The work. The road miles. The sparring. The bag work. Years and years. Hours and hours of work turned him into that knockout beast we saw on TV.
Know why you should stay out of NYC with your protest?
You haven’t done the work. The communist street animals get to protest in those places because they’ve spent DECADES seizing political power in them. Now they’re protected from up on high.
But you don’t see that decades of winning local elections and activism. You see the animals in the street and say, “Hey, I should be able to do that too!”
But you can’t. You’re not ready to step in the ring with Tyson.
Tyson is dying for you to step in that ring though. ANTIFA has their MAGA outfits ready. You’re already texting with the FBI and you don’t even know it. You’re not trained. You’re soft and unprepared. If you’d followed the @julie_kelly2 reporting on January 6th, you’d know that.
They’re waiting for you. They want you to come. But you can’t yet. Go spend decades winning local elections and putting in the work.
The work comes first.
That’s all.”
We are now at a juncture where it is all about power dynamics. The Left (i.e. godless Marxists) control every major institution because the Left has been working since 1967 to seize control.
It is time for the Right (i.e. constitutionalists, conservatives, Christians) to take a tactical retreat and reassess where we can consolidate power. I would argue, as it has been argued many times before, to retreat to the places where you’re most likely able to recruit people to the cause, and that is suburbia and rural America.
If you and your family were to set up shop in a rural community and plant down roots, then commit your family lineage to that place for generations. Plant a church. Start businesses. Have your family-run business owners run for county commission. Plant gardens and develop church-run farmers' markets where you know that the Smiths grow the best peppers this side of the Ochlocknee. And you know that the Johnsons will split half a black angus cow with you from the Green Family Farm.
Get off the corporatism and rely on local resources to create independence for not just your family, but other families around. And when your operations get so large, you’re able to hire on the neighbor boy as a shopkeeper for his first job. If you have a bunch of kids, of which I advocate you do, you can hire the sweet neighbor girl as a babysitter for when your wife is leading a craft class at the church or you’re in a board meeting for the Christian school that you opened.
Skills are being honed. Independence is being created. Most significantly, power is being consolidated to virtuous Christians who are best suited to govern justly. Before you know it, the county commission is entirely occupied by members of your church and the majority of the local police force are young men who grew up in your church and community.
Now you have this real, deep community, that can withstand pandemics, food shortages, and inflation. This will bleed over to the larger communities and the adjacent counties.
This is what Christ said when he said “the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed.” It’s slow moving, but it’s all encompassing.
And by the time you’re gone and your great-grandchildren are taking up the mantle, the influence of your conservative Christian community is felt throughout the region.
It’s ok, take the tactical retreat. Regroup, and launch the American Reconquista.
Grant Allen can be reached by email at grantallen@iheartmedia.com. If you’re interested in reading his other posts, check out his archived content or learn more about him by checking his short bio here.