Charles Lyons has a brief piece on “Strauss and Identitarianism”:
Leo Strauss is an important 20th century thinker on the American Right, particularly the neoconservative movement. He had a very strong Jewish identity, and viewed his philosophy as a means of ensuring Jewish survival in the Diaspora. Strauss believed that liberalism was good for Jews because the illiberal alternatives on the left (Communism) and the right (Nazism) became extremely hostile towards Jews. However, Strauss believed that liberalism was not ideal because liberal societies tended to break down group loyalties and group distinctiveness – both which are essential for the survival of Jews.(1) As an identitarian, I too am concerned about the preservation of my White, that is to say European, identity within a liberal society. As we have seen with liberalism, it has led to the deracination of our people through globalism, immigration, and multiculturalism. With the ascendancy of Donald J. Trump, we now find ourselves with a unique opportunity to combat the forces that ultimately aim to destroy us…
Strauss was ultimately not a liberal. He held the belief that inequalities exist amongst people and were inevitable, and he advocated rule by an aristocratic elite who pay lip service to the masses while not actually sharing their beliefs. Given that Strauss was very concerned about Jewish survival, it is reasonable to assume that Strauss believed that this aristocracy would serve Jewish interests. I think we can all agree that it is time for an aristocracy that serves our interests.
In 1952 Strauss published Persecution and the Art of Writing where he talks about exoteric and esoteric language. External exoteric language is directed at outsiders and an internal esoteric language is directed at in-group members. Exoteric language is often expressed in the language of moral universalism to appeal to the masses. Universalist rhetoric to mask particularist causes is the hallmark of many Jewish intellectual and political movements (this should sound familiar to any of those who have read the work of Kevin MacDonald). This is where the alt-right can learn from Strauss.
Trump has shown himself to be a master of exoteric language, some of which liberal news outlets characterize as ‘dog whistles’, with the esoteric meanings being translated amongst the Alt-Right.
Similarly, lefties like Obama deploy an exoteric/esoteric linguistic schema. In public, he speaks of the ‘potential’ of America, or liberal humanist notions of ‘justice’ and the like. Privately, or in Obama’s case, publicly when he goes off the teleprompter, his hatred of whites shines through, as he talks of ‘bitter clingers’, ‘typical white women’, ‘police acting stupidly’, and the like.
In both instances, from either the Trumpian end of the spectrum or The Organizer’s end, such rhetorical strategies allow the speaker a degree of plausible deniability.
