While the injustices and tragedies which blight our history often seem to overshadow any positivity, this does not mean that genuine Americans who opposed ignobility and tyranny were silent or inactive. On the contrary, history abounds with them and they remain a constant force of life today.
Rightists who want to preserve the stranglehold of Western Civilization's traditions on our society always have extensive reading lists and frequently cite the names of their heroes. Leftists, who were once proud of our nation, in recent decades have had a dangerous tendency to disavow American history completely and have even found it fashionable to dig up 'dirt' on American heroes (even those as benign and uncontroversial as Martin Luther King) for no other reason than to diminish the legendary awe which surrounds their lives. While academic historians should strive to uncover the entire truth (even the unflattering bits) and present history in an honest manner (without lying by omission), the direction of our culture is not determined by history professors. Our nation's course is determined by the energy, the passion, and subjective feelings of idealists and those who dare to dream of what the future can hold.
By focusing on our (imperfection-riddled) history entirely as it was, without thinking of possibilities outside the box, we lock our path firmly to the trajectory set by past events. Moreover, to dwell within the pessimistic paradigm which the left has whipped up ensures that our present path will lead to an American disaster and a Western victory (as fans of Western Civilization have gained much ground in the US and Europe in recent decades).
The best way for political and social reformers to fundamentally change society's course is to find inspiration from the romantic past--the version of the past that could have (and should have) been; a perspective where we become acutely aware of doors regrettably unopened and paths untaken. What we think America should have been in the past tells us a lot about how we think it should be in the future.
From our perspective, the goal of the heroic American thinkers, organizers, and fighters of the past was to remove America from the path of Western Civilization, and to correct its course to a path leading to an authentically American Civilization. We cannot do this without being idealistic, without breaking free from the Eurocentric constraints placed upon us by the past, and, most importantly, without sincerely believing in America as a positive force.
We cannot change our culture by being cynical and pessimistic, nor can we improve American culture if we believe it to be unsalvageable from the outset. We cannot achieve victory without providing idealistic visions for a future, more compassionate and noble, American society free from the prejudices and ignobility which has plagued our past.
Below are selected writings from Americans who believed that we could one day achieve the American Dream of freedom for all who come to these shores and fair opportunities for all who inhabit this continent. We do not necessarily endorse everything that the included authors have written, but intend that their perspectives will give a much needed positive-spirited counter to both the pessimism of left-leaning academics and the abundance of rightist propaganda urging for America to remain a cultural colony of the West (and necessarily preserving the prejudices which come with such a Eurocentric worldview). As such, we should be vigilant to spot any potential prejudices or other shortcomings of the authors. But we must not waste our time and energy by dwelling on their mistakes or attacking them for their oversights; we can only correct them by forging a new, superior vision free from their errors. They rest in the past. The future which awaits is to be found in our hands and our beating hearts.
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While this list focuses mainly on authors, texts, and history connected to the United States, it makes an effort to include any authors whose work can be viewed as aspiring towards an authentically American (i.e. New World as opposed to Old World) Civilization based on noble values. The political entity of the United States does not define what American culture is; it merely happens to be the current body governing millions of English-speaking Americans and the most populous country in the New World. It is only as American as its expression of American values, and history has demonstrated that it has tended to support Western values nearly as often as it has chosen American values... New World countries outside of the United States share similar experiences as the victims of colonialism (and courageous revolutionaries willing to fight for independence), in addition to finding ourselves engaged in the same present-day battle to rid our nations of Western influence.
As citizens of the United States, we may believe that the American Dream has shone the brightest and come the closest to becoming a reality within our own nation, but we must acknowledge that this is a dream shared by all nations of North and South America--a fact which the USA recognized with the Monroe Doctrine (1823). As such, any attitude encouraging unnecessary animosity amongst or between any people or sovereign states in the American continents is anti-American.
Quotes have been sorted into the following categories. This is a work in progress; categories may change in the future.
- American Civilization and culture is distinct from, and antithetical to, Western Civilization
- Multi-ethnic and cosmopolitan society; nation of immigrants
- Contemporary issues: moving forward towards a better future; lending prospective support to activists engaged in ongoing issues
- Native Americans
- Slavery, Civil Rights, Blacks, and African-Americans
- Women's issues, anti-sexism, feminism
- Other forms of anti-tribalism (anti-Zionism, anti-White Nationalism, anti-humanism, etc.)
- Environmentalism, anti-consumerism, self-sufficiency, autarky, labor, and economics
- Religion and spiritual movements: Christianity, Islam, Gnosticism, Native American religions, and others
- Government and politics; especially concerning the tribalism and tyranny of the majority of democracy
- War, resistance, civil disobedience, ending initiated violence
Additional information:
- Reading List Additional Quotes (additional quotes from sources included on the list below).
- Reading List Supplement (quotes from sources not included on the list below).
To nominate new quotes/authors, point out typos or broken links, or suggest ways to improve formatting, post comments on this page.
