[Note: for several years the following text was distributed monthly on the usenet newsgroup alt.revolution.counter. Distribution was abandoned at some point in 2001, when it seemed that discussions had altogether petered out.] Expires: 1 Dec 2000 00:00:00 GMT As always, comments are welcome. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 1. What is the purpose of alt.revolution.counter? The discussion of counterrevolutionary perspectives on society, politics, culture and religion. The newsgroup was originally started by Catholic integrists and others of similar persuasions attached to Christianity as the basis for culture and politics and opposed to the ideals of the French Revolution and its progeny. It has developed into a forum for the discussion of all aspects of counterrevolutionary and related thought, including American paleoconservatism, the European New Right, Southern Agrarianism, Integrism, Distributism, monarchism and ethnic nationalism. 2. What is a counterrevolutionary? One who believes that the leftward trend of recent times (which some extend back to the Middle Ages) is irredeemably destructive and recognizes that it has triumphed. Egalitarian hedonism has become the guiding principle of almost all present-day political institutions and discussion. As a result, conservatism as it has been conceived in the past is no longer tenable because there is not enough left to conserve; fundamental changes in the direction of society are required. 3. What do counterrevolutionaries oppose? In general, they oppose the tendency of modern society to take nothing seriously other than the impulses and desires particular men happen to have and the establishment and maintenance of a universal rational order designed to organize all available resources for their maximum equal satisfaction. The modern order is universalistic, materialistic, egalitarian, and hedonistic, and counterrevolutionaries don't like any part of it. 4. What do counterrevolutionaries favor? The things that don't fit into the foregoing scheme of things: the Good, the Beautiful, the True, God, love, loyalty, family, local and ethnic particularity, and so on. 5. Are all counterrevolutionaries the same? No. Schools of thought include: a. American Paleoconservatism. Bring back the pre-1861 (or at least pre-FDR) republic. Down with the neoconservative revisionists and other left-wing deviationalists. Keep government small, limited and local. Bring back the Protestant ethic. Build communities of individualists. (Typical query from other counterrevolutionaries: isn't the present situation a necessary outcome of the thought of John Locke and Thomas Jefferson?) b. European New Right. Down with all universalisms. Long live the Europe of 100 flags, the Fourth World, and polytheism. What we need is a fundamental shift in our collective consciousness and philosophical and epistemological foundations. (Typical query: exactly what does this all mean? Is this the wish list from outer space, or is there something here that can be taken seriously?) c. Neo-Confederates and Southern nationalists. Paleocons with a drawl. Down with the Yankee neo-puritans; long live the Montgomery Constitution of 1861! d. Integrism. Long live Christ the King! e. Distributism. Decentralize economically. Promote small business. Build a nation of independent property owners. f. Monarchism. Long live the king! g. American Populist Right. Down with the feds. Support the RKBA (Right to Keep and Bear Arms) and your local militia. Become a sovereign citizen. Barter instead of using those FRNs (Federal Reserve Notes). Fight the ZOG (Zionist Occupation Government). h. Ethnic nationalism. Let's have a politically independent state as the vehicle for the collective life of each people. (Typical query: isn't partitioning a state on ethnic lines messy when transfers of populations are required? Also, once there are separate ethnic states, what then? Is Sweden really the ideal? If we're looking for a fundamental political attitude, can ethnic nationalism really fit the bill?) 6. Since counterrevolutionaries are so different from each other, how can they all fit into a single newsgroup? Their views on the ills of modern society are often broadly compatible, as are some characteristics of the societies each would promote. The discussions in a.r.c. can be useful in developing the counterrevolutionary diagnosis of modern ills and bringing out the strengths and weaknesses of proposed remedies. 7. Are counterrevolutionaries racist sexist homophobes? As a general thing, yes. They tend to think that socially-defined sex roles and ethnic loyalties are OK, and so qualify on all three counts. 8. My ex-wife in Ulan Bator wants to join a.r.c. so she can discuss her plans for bringing back the Mongol Empire but with more of a theocratic emphasis. She has Internet email but not Usenet access. What can she do? Your ex qualifies for our outreach program to third-world women of color who reject the traditional patriarchal family. Accordingly, she should send email to jk@panix.com asking for a connection to the a.r.c. mail gateway. (Others may also request the connection.) 9. Are there any special a.r.c. no-no's? Crossposting. At its best alt.revolution.counter has been a haven for discussions of a sort not found elsewhere on the net. Crossposting makes it impossible for it to serve that function. 10. How can I find out more? Listen to the discussions, join in if you wish, and take a look at our companion postings, the a.r.c. Resource Lists.