Forget fusionism and develop civic integrity

Lee Edwards’ essay, “Toward a New Fusionism,” National Affairs, No. 36, Summer 2018, tacitly lays the groundwork for acceptance of an available culture wherein inhabitants may voluntarily offer mutual, comprehensive safety and security---the human being’s common good. In this culture, a civic people collaborate for individual happiness with civic integrity and develop statutory justice whereby dissidents such as criminals are constrained and encouraged to reform. A neglected agreement to collaborate is offered (since 1788) in the preamble to the U.S. Constitution, hereafter “the U.S. preamble.”

A culture of Security may be established through three collaborations: for civic integrity, under a civic agreement, and practicing the process to discover the-objective-truth. By “civic” I mean behavior that provides individual happiness with mutual, comprehensive safety and security rather than supports competition for a dominant opinion.

This way of living may emerge from “the conservative movement” if conservatives forego emphasis on “tradition” so as aid human living at the leading edge of integrity. The-objective-truth may be discovered but cannot be constructed by reason. In other words, the-objective-truth does not respond to reason or other human constructs.

Conservatives of all types are more likely than social democrats to choose to discover the-objective-truth and understand how to benefit. In other words, conservatives are more likely to acquire the self-discipline to conform to the-objective-truth yet strive for individual happiness. That is, by developing fidelity to the-objective-truth, conservatives may maintain civic integrity without compromise, surrender, or subjugation to others. In other words, conservatives may choose to neither initiate nor tolerate deceit.

Integrity is a process: do the work to understand whether what is perceived is actually real or a mirage; do the work to understand how to benefit from the discovery; behave so as to benefit; publically declare the benefits obtained by the behavior; listen to public reactions to the understanding so as to collaborate for mutual improvement; remain open minded for discovery that requires change in behavior so as to lessen misery and loss.

The framers of the 1787 Constitution had negotiated a clean revolution from the influence of colonial England. However, the signers (2/3 of the delegates) knew that some debates had not resolved weaknesses, so they provided for future amendment by the people. The preamble states the purpose and goals of legally changing the Confederation of States to a Union to serve the people in their states. Some framers objected to the clean break from Blackstone common law with its clergy partnership, some wanted the states to control the nation, and other complaints kept 1/3 of framers from being 1787 signers.

The required nine states ratified the legal change on June 21, 1788. The next day, dissenting states were separate countries, as specified in the 1783 Treaty of Paris. But within two months, two more states joined, so there were eleven states when the U.S. began operating on March 4, 1789.

The Union grew to 33 states when in 1861, War Between the States over the erroneous Biblical opinion that slavery is a god’s plan exploded. The offender, the Confederate States of America, listed grievances then declared secession, concluding that there could be no peaceful settlement because the north was influenced by “more erroneous religious belief.” The erroneous belief was that blacks were slaves because of previous sin and that only God could decide when repentance had been served. The erroneous religion persisted for at least a century after the Union’s military power settled two questions: may states secede without military dominance over the Union and is slavery ultimately intended?

A remarkable reform occurred with the civil rights and voter-rights acts of 1964-5, but five decades after that have been a disaster. AMO---Alinsky-Marxist organization has created one victim identity after another: race, gender, sexual preference, gender preference, and coalitions of special identities. Christianity, the offender against the preamble, has victimized itself with factional child abuse and parishioner abuse as well as the 1968 emergence of African-American Christianity. What civic agreement in Africa attracts a black American to choose tribal division as African-American? Did African-American Christianity originate in America, Ethiopia, or where? What happens now?

We the People of the United States may, at last, consider and promote the civic agreement that is offered in the preamble to the U.S. Constitution. By that agreement rather than arbitrary classism, the people---fellow citizens as well as resident aliens---divide into the willing and the dissident. The willing people collaborate for individual happiness with civic integrity and discipline local, state, and national governments so as to constrain fellow citizens who cause actually-real harm. Neglected and repressed since June 21, 1788, it will take a few years for the preamble’s agreement to become influential for civic integrity.

Like the consensus attempted by Frank Meyer built on the fear of communism, the people now face a common danger: popular conversion of the American republic into a social democracy. Awareness of this threat can emerge from both the left and the right. However, both sides must turn their backs on scholarly phrases that establish political separation---phrases like “ordered liberty,” “classical liberals, “the Founders,” and “blue-collar billionaire.” Most importantly, conservatives may decide that they do not want civic collaboration about the characteristics of their gods or other traditions, and lead in the separation of church from state at last. The Republicans could lead the amendment of the First Amendment so as to defend and promote every individual’s pursuit of civic integrity, leaving religion or spirituality or none as a private choice.

If there is a new fusionism conference, it ought not to try to go back to 1776’s “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” I hope these ideas can be presented. “Fusionist John McGinnis” (quoting Edwards) could choose to be the champion. McGinnis may have observed in just two years our change in focus from the U.S. preamble as the civic, civil, and legal agreement under which fellow citizens may collaborate for statutory justice to its leading edge vision of individual happiness with civic integrity.

Copyright©2018 by Phillip R. Beaver. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted for the publication of all or portions of this paper as long as this complete copyright notice is included.