It’s going to be another “theme week” this time and if that is not satisfactory, it probably wouldn’t be happening if it were not already done. I was feeling more generous than I probably should have been and already had it done and don’t wish to see anything go to waste. So, this week will go ahead as usual for the most part, I just probably won’t be as “social”. Once done, however, things will be changing as your resident mad man is going on strike. Or, call it a hiatus, a vacation, a reassessment of priorities, Johnny Paycheck moment, as you please. The point is, I will not be posting as usual but taking a little break. Or, it may be a long break, it may be an indefinite break. I’ll have to see how it goes. Of course, if I decide to give it up and devote myself entirely to being a madman of leisure, I will, of course, say so but, if not that, I would expect to be posting considerably less frequently. From my perspective, it has felt like I’m getting more frustration than satisfaction from doing this, increasingly so lately, and while I cannot complain about the numbers, I can complain about the complaints because that is 90-95% of what I hear. I am also not at all in the same sort of situation I was in when I first started to “get involved” and promote monarchy in a public way.
In short, it has become increasingly more difficult for me to answer the question, when I get some static from some person or people, “why do I bother?” And, more and more lately I’m asking myself that and telling myself, “I don’t need this”, “I don’t have to put up with this” and realizing that I don’t. I really don’t. One of my ideas of personal happiness is not having to deal with unpleasant situations or unpleasant people and I have reached the point where I am able to achieve that more than ever before. I am the king of my particular hill, arranged to suit my oddities and I don’t have to deal with anyone I don’t want to deal with. It probably doesn’t hurt that the only outsiders I do have to deal with occasionally are people like hunters or energy company reps who are ready to totally agree with anything I say, to say or do anything to keep themselves in my good graces. Perhaps I have been spoiled but while I have never been much bothered by dealing with republicans (who are almost pathetically amusing most of the time) it is the “friendly fire” that is most annoying to me. If people want to gripe or complain about me or what I do, that doesn’t really bother me but doing it on my e-property does bother me. The way I see it, it’s like a guest coming into your home and insulting you.
There is also the fact, which I have mentioned before, that I am not a mind-reader and I can only go by what people tell me. I don’t know what most people think because most do not speak up and for those that do, the negative tends to drastically outweigh the positive. As I said on Twitter recently, I generally have a little over 3,000 readers a day and yet, going by just what those who speak up say, roughly 98% invariably have some sort of problem with I what I do or say. And so, again, I find myself saying, I don’t have to put up with this. There is also the long-standing irritant of people who think they have any business telling me, on my own e-space, what I can or cannot talk about. It becomes very tiresome, knowing as soon as you hit the post button, that someone is going to complain about it. Then there’s those who want to pick at every little thing concerning constitutional monarchs who have little to no freedom to act at all but are willing to give make every excuse for absolute monarchs who could act differently but choose not to. There is also the whole, “I’m a monarchist but,” crowd or those who are constantly asking just how far loyalty has to go, as if their primary goal is to find some justification to be disloyal rather than …oh well, don’t get me started. But, who cares anyway? I’m probably rattling on here to no purpose. It’s been cumulative and I’m just fed up at the moment. So, the bottom line is that I will be posting what I already have finished for this week and after that will be on hiatus and see how that goes.
No negative comments here! As a first generation American of White Russian decent I agree with you on many counts and in general enjoy your writing. Especially the history of the Romanov family. Wishing you well and hope you find your way back.
ReplyDeleteIt's a sad fact of human nature that the negative will always be most visible in comparison to the positive. Think about it, when was the last time you sent a letter to company or a person saying that you're satisfied with their product or service? Usually whenever people contact someone with regards to a product, it's to complain, not to praise. The same applies here. Try not to think too much the idiots, naysayers and critics -- they are a visible minority I assure you. If we're not saying anything, it's because we're satisfied with what you're doing. And you are doing very good work here.
ReplyDeleteAnd believe me, most of us are of that mind. I cannot understate just how important blogs like this are for monarchism as a worldview. God knows there are few of us speaking up as is, so the last thing we need is for one of our brightest and most active to take an indefinite "vacation".
However I do appreciate how frustrating it is that other "monarchists" are usually the main culprits. With monarchism as sidelines as it is, it's nothing short of self-destructive for us to be divided by petty differences and rivalries. What we need to work towards, always and above all, is the revival of monarchy as a political form in today's world. Anyone who impedes this is to be regarded as an enemy to be removed, regardless of whether they support a king themselves or not.
So please, MM, do not be disheartened. You're doing good work here, and it'd be a travesty if this were to be stopped because of mindless idiots who are complaining about inane details. Ultimately, they'll be the ones left behind in the dust of those actually making a difference,
I suppose I am in the minority there too. Not long ago I sent a letter of appreciation along with a sizeable check to someone who I thought had always done a good job and just for giving me something to look forward to for a long time. However, I probably do not enough myself but where I will differentiate myself and what I do here is that this is not a product or a service. If people were paying for what I do here and did not feel they were getting value for money, that would be perfectly understandable but I'm not selling a product or providing a service. I don't even allow ads because I doubt they would generate enough to be worth cluttering up the place and because I'm not doing this for any gain. Complaining about something that is free seems a world apart from complaining about a product or service.
DeleteUnfortunately, your blog is not the only example of this. I can't count how many times I've seen examples on the internet of people complaining about things they never paid for, whether it's blogs, webcomics, popular websites, mods for computer games, or videos on Youtube, It seems that people here want everything for nothing, and woe betide anyone who dares do or say something they don't like.
DeleteThe internet is a breeding ground for complainers, an unfortunate side effect of it being a place where anyone can freely express an idea or opinion. My advice would be just to ignore them, for they are well and truly inane.
For one, I would like to say again that I truly appreciate what you are doing here. You've allowed me to develop my own particular philosophy towards monarchism, which has enabled me to make myself a respected voice on the topic amongst my peers. Even if I don't convince anyone to become a monarchist themselves, they at least recognise that I'm perfectly reasonable behind it and that monarchism can work as a political model, and that I think is not without value. You are doing brilliant work. Don't be disheartened.
I am a longtime reader but rarely comment. I greatly appreciate the work you do and the vast amount of information and history available on your blog. You could count me as one of your converts. I was thoroughly steeped in the republican view of history and enlightenment ideas when I discovered your blog. However, the quality of your work kept me coming back, which eventually led to my questioning my long held ideas about history, monarchy, and the nature of government, until I am now a monarchist. So thank you for the work you have done. Should have said this long before now.
ReplyDeleteSame here!
DeleteKentish Monarchist speaks the truth- people are far more likely to respond to something they disagree with than something they find themselves nodding in agreement to, mainly because it feels somewhat pointless just to add a comment saying "I agree" without contributing anything of worth to the conversation. It is an unfortunate fact that monarchists are often as susceptible as our "friends" on the Left to schisming over pointless details, and making the perfect the enemy of the good. But don't feel disheartened. As someone who has definitely been influenced by your blog in my political views, to the point that I now describe myself as a "pan-monarchist" as a result of your posts on the topic, I can testify that you're not wasting your time here; you're having a tangible impact. On the other hand, let's face it, people will never agree 100% on absolutely everything. The problem is with those who are unwilling to shut up about their disagreements long enough to make common cause on those issues where we're united, and I suspect that these people are the ones you're frustrated with. Such people are dead weight, and I think that often they just like the idea of being a monarchist (monarchism is, after all, unusual and therefore "interesting") without having any real desire to have an impact in the real world. They're internet-only monarchists.
ReplyDeleteUltimately, if you were to disappear from the web, it would leave an empty hole in my morning routine where I usual read your latest posts, MM. I'd be sorry if it came to that.
I doubt anybody would really miss me all that much. As for the other side, maybe it's a case of the grass being greener but it seems to me they are not so divided, at least not to the detrimental extent that monarchists seem to be. A leftist may absolutely hate another leftist but so long as they are tearing up the right-wing people, they let them be. If you can't help, at least don't hinder -that's always been my view.
DeleteRather than disappears completely, you can choose to make your blog a private one, where only those that are invited can log in. A great deviation from your original plan, I know, still it is a viable option.
ReplyDeleteI do that already on my personal blog (though that is mostly because what I talk about there would not be of the slightest interest to most readers here -my tastes are evidently quite out of the ordinary for most monarchists). For this blog, I just don't think I'd have the time to keep up with giving permission on an individual basis. Alas, the computer nerds have yet to invent an idiot filter.
DeleteYou're entitled to do whatever you want, but I for one enjoy reading your posts, even if I don't read all of them and don't always agree with everything you say in all of them.
ReplyDeleteIf I've said anything negative, I apologize, and the primary reason I didn't say more positive is simply that you know more about this than I do, and it would get tedious if every positive post I put basically said the same thing: "Wow, I didn't know that, thanks for the information!" I could type that without having read anything you wrote. But you have inspired me to think about some things, I will say that much--and I probably should have posted when it was positive. It is, unfortunately, a lot easier to post when things are negative, and I don't pretend I'm not guilty of that.
Just know that, if you do leave, you will be missed.
Allow me to add my name to the list of those appreciative here. I seldom comment because I seldom need to ask for clarification, and on those rare occasions when I do disagree with your conclusions, it's usually only a matter of hair-splitting. Let it be noted, though, that I don't just think you have probably the best monarchist blog on the internet; you have one of the best historical blogs in general, and I often find myself going into your archives in my own historical research.
ReplyDeleteWhy I think that I like your perspective so much, MM, is that you're very much a realist. You seem to understand that the political, religious, and cultural situation of the world will not improve spontaneously overnight, but requires of all of us a long, hard slog over many years if not many centuries. I'm going to guess that most of those who are aggravating you here are probably quite young, and likely brimming with the arrogance of youth. I teach in a college, so I know the type very well. It's also a generational thing, what with the Facebook-campus-quad culture of nowadays. If I'm right, one can hope that the real world will smack these people around enough to let them know eventually that they need to get off of their ideas, listen far more than they speak, stop expecting utopia tomorrow, and argue only when the result will be constructive. And work, work very hard. The greatest work that can be done today is education, to my mind, and that's exactly what you're doing here, MM, and you're doing it admirably.
What you're doing here is invaluable. Were you to stop, the internet would be a much poorer place for it.
I appreciate that, it may just be that I don't have what it takes. For instance, you're teaching in college -I take my hat off to you. I tried teaching for a while, just for the experience, and I didn't last long at all. At. All. It took every ounce of grit and self-discipline in me not to throttle the little monsters before half a day was done. So, I may be, no I doubtlessly am deficient in necessary areas. And the less I have to deal with people, and disagreeable ones in particular, the worse I am probably becoming.
DeleteDear Sir,
ReplyDeleteI wanted to comment on your blog (and recommend my own to you), as we share some common viewpoints, differ upon others, but could certainly have some spirited debate. Allow me to begin my stating that I am a United States citizen, former officer, veteran and graduate of one of our elite federal military institutions. More importantly, I am a follower of Christ...and therefore, 'at odds' with much of our modern "progressive" ideology. I too, share a great empathy for the fate of the last Imperial Family of Russia...and have contributed to the literature on the subject (fear not, I believe the Romanovs will return to power shortly). However, I feel there is something to be said for what should always be one's first duty after that given to God...and of course, that is to one's people. Had I lived in the late 18th century, I'm certain I'd have been in one of King George's regiments. Had I come of age in the 1860's, I'd have likely been wearing Confederate grey. As fate had it, I was born into the system I was, and chose to offer my services to it in belief that offered the greatest protection of my family, community and heritage. Things change...they did then, they will undoubtedly change in the future. Would I be "happy" for the U.S. to revert to the reign of Her Majesty the Queen? Likely not, as Great Britain is an empty shell of its former self, and more philosophically "Communist" now than we are soon to become. What about falling under the banner of a restored Imperial Russia? I'd be pleased to see a "Christian" kingdom again, but would sooner die than betray family and friends should a new "Tsar" invade my homeland. So I offer, to someone who I'm certain I'd agree with on many articles, that the truest evidence and demonstration of nobility may be that of loyalty...loyalty to God over all else, family immediately thereafter, and to principle at the bitter end. If, after all, God is our real King, then are we not all "ambassadors" on a foreign shore to begin with?
I can't see myself arguing all that much with anyone who would have been for King George, General Lee and the Romanovs. And I am glad to know you have done your service. I have always been a little wary of those who hold absolutely no affection or attachment to their native soil.
DeleteI'll add my voice to those above.
ReplyDeleteI sympathize with the "I don't have to put up with this." I can't speak for all of us "long time lurkers" but a number of us enjoy the leisure of staying out of controversy. I'm sure many of us are reading your work, nodding soberly and contemplating ideas but fail to jump up in defense because of a desire to stay out of the controversy. In sum, you're a better man than most because the most of us are spineless.
If you feel you must go, I will respect that, but you will be missed. Perhaps you could simply write but remove the avenues of controversy. Shut down the comments and other forums in which the plebs agitate and simply disperse wisdom from on high. Get a more garrulous and loyal friend to run the facebook page and handle the dirty work - every good Augustus needs their Agrippa. People can make fun of the ivory tower, but that's mostly because they're disgusted at their own mud hovel. I may disagree with Nietzsche on many things, but a hate for ressentiment is something we share.
Please rest up! And know many will be hoping for your return.
I appreciate that. If I could ignore or refrain from challenging certain people that would doubtlessly help but so far that has proven difficult. I could also certainly do with an Agrippa but those who I would trust with such a position would have even less time for it than I would and I don't have as much time as I need to keep up with it all myself.
DeleteI'd hate to see you go, I like what you have to say and it would be a great loss if you quit (especially for monarchists, not much of us around these days).
ReplyDeleteBut I understand how people can be a bother, and would not fault you for getting fed up, Lord knows I feel the same after some of my daily interactions with people in real life.
I've been reading for some time but never commented I have feared this would happen for awhile now. I pray God would bless you and the work you've done here and hope deeply that you return soon. I for one very much enjoy and appreciate this blog!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you need a brake so I recommend taking one. But I feel I should say something first. It's been over four years now that I looked around at the governments of my country today and came to the conclusion there had to be something better. I started looking around, and began looking more closely at Monarchy. I read a book about Emperor Charles I of Austria, and then I came across your blog. I have not stopped reading your work since and want you to know that you played a large part in convincing me that Monarchy is the best form of government in this world. I know it is hard what you are doing here and I should have said this sooner but you do make a difference even if you do not see the results. I hope that after your hiatus you can return and continue your work. If not, at least know that you did accomplish many things and I will personally miss reading what you have to say.
ReplyDeleteIf you do go offline which, I hope you dont, please leave up this site so at least the work you've already done was not in vain.
ReplyDeleteRunning my own page which has a devotion to Catholic Monarchy and Christendom in general (among the other things it does), I can safely say I understand your pain. Daily I have to hoe the garden for weeds planted by fascists, neo-Nazis, sedevacantists, Far-Right Heretics, and even Byzantines who seemingly join the page just to cause trouble. That and I must deal with crushing news on an almost daily basis, and particularly with events concerning ISIS it has been a particularly trying time for the Kaiser, aggravated only more by the fact that early conflict with Neo-Nazi (and I don't use that in the pejorative, they actually were Catholic National Socialists) SSPX groups who tried to hijack the page and other problems have halted a growth-plan I had projected for the Imperium and with the recent crises I see nothing but problems the Imperium could work to solve if we had moved but a bit quicker or our enemies been halted by the grace of God.
ReplyDeleteBut as I said before, you had a profound influence on me to accept Monarchism and to further go down the rabbit hole of questioning the world around me and gave me the courage to uncover the lies it told me. People told me I was mad, but you taught me not to deny it, but to embrace it! Embrace what I was and what I loved and what I believed with all the fervor of a madman who believe his delusions true and don't look back! I'm so glad I took that advice, because without it I never would've had the courage to finally found the NSIR's social networking pages. Now we're roughly 1,500 strong and we grow at least by one member on one of our pages every single day! In commemoration for what you did for me, I added a Saint Dymphna medal to the necklace of holy medals I wear every single day. You don't have merchandise (unfortunately, but it's something I would consider if I was you! I'm going to try it for the Imperium at some point) so I figured it was the best way I could show solidarity.
Though we might disagree on which monarchies are most important, or maybe on which are superior, I and those who love the Imperium still owe you a great debt even if they don't know it.
My personal advice? Find your fountain of youth. Find what made you want to do this in the first place. Go back to wherever or whatever made you want to do this. Find your inspiration again. Read some book that inspired you and rediscover it, or watch some film again, or go somewhere which made you feel that fire in your chest again. Once you've accomplished that, bite down hard on the bit, grab the bull by the horns, and refuse to let go because you won't give those who hate everything about Monarchy have one less enemy to worry about or have the satisfaction of seeing you give up.
I love this blog. It serves as a beacon of light in the republican darkness. My hope is that you will continue blogging. I have learned a lot from you, not only mere facts but more importantly about applying a monarchist perspective on things.
ReplyDeleteThanks to your advice on this blog I have found the courage to actively promote the cause of monarchy to my friends and others around me. Even in a monarchy such as Sweden were I live this is considered to be a strange behavior so it is not the easiest thing to do and I doubt I would have made it without the help of The Mad Monarchist.
I must give my apologies for not commenting sooner. I have appreciated your blog and have learned quite a bit from your writings and videos. I even plan on requiring my students to read some of your essays for my government and history classes this upcoming year. Your site has been an educational benefit and an encouragement to those of us who have just (in the last couple of years) discovered why monarchy is the best form of government. I understand having too much to do, but please know that your work has had more influence than you know. I hate that so many negative comments have been made. Those of us who appreciate your work haven't commented enough, or at all in my case. I stand with you against republicanism and thank you for your work and energy.
ReplyDeleteGod bless,
Matt Carpenter
Sir,
ReplyDeleteThis Maid begs you very much to continue writing. You one of the very few men of the pit who understand anything of the divine aesthetic and the rightness and orderliness of the world and society and I treasure your work and efforts. If you are not interested, I would hope you allow the continuation of this resource as some kind of joint effort with others so that unapologetic white counterrevolutionary sentiments are not killed in this world.
Strelkov fought under White Guard songs in the Donbass until forced out; the final fate of that war isn't known and certainly his "leaving the reservation" of Putin's was one reason for how the Russian government failed to intervene, but men have gone to battle under the monarchist objective in the western world for the first time roughly since the Second World War, and the modern liberal-democratic ideology is being progressively challenged on many sides. From my own ideological perspective, the Pit must necessarily and ultimately pass and we may have confidence in that.