The glitter of possibilism

(*) Published in Spanish as El orégano del posibilismo

Being a professor in a society eroded by liberalism has its advantages. One obtains a first-hand snapshot of society, and also is strengthened. You get used to guiding groups of individuals who do not wish to be governed, and to teaching those who do not wish to be instructed.

From a young age, the modern citizen struggles between a sweet natural inclination for what is good and a fierce revolutionary rebelliousness. The Regime of 78 is in place because its ideological principles are assumed, to a greater or lesser extent, by a large number of Spaniards: the system is not something apart from the people.

In view of this fact, it seems that the proverb “all that glitters is not gold” falls short in describing the positions of political possibilism. The siren songs aimed at seducing the Communion to abandon its principles or to negotiate them, so as to gain efficacy by bringing together more forces in partisan arrangements, are deceitful and foolish.

The proverb does not teach us that gold is bad: it is good. On the contrary, it warns us that the expectations are exaggerated and unfounded.

Some years ago, there were about 8,000 political parties in Spain. Among them, there are quite a few that are driven by the following possibilist reasoning: Among the population, there is a significant percentage of individuals who are in tune with the ideas of party X, they just don’t know it yet. They are in something like a latent or larval state, so it is necessary to find them and inform them in order to activate them so that they enter into a state of adhesion. Those, who have not yet been found, would be the unlimited reservoir of votes and militants missing in this party X, with a program so desirable that it only needs to be applied.

There are variants to this argument: activation could take place with an attractive electoral brand; or through the renewal of rhetoric or media; or through the regression or ideological inversion of the sympathizer (the Overton Window). It is this confusing and hidden tuning that is at the heart of the fallacy.

Just as there are muddled parties or movements that have the infallible vision of communism, they only need to find the keys to activate their innumerable latent militancy, there are parties that have the infallible vision of autonomism, or of the elimination of autonomies, or of the revitalization of the rural world. And likewise, there are those who believe that they can fix Spain simply by gaining representation from the democrats by playing the game they have designed and on their playing field.

Not one of them has as clear a vision as they believe – much less a correct one. They all hit a wall, while stumbling over their own shoelaces. Not only because they start from liberal principles and practices: it is regime politics, not anti-regime. We see in this that they compete over crumbs of the meaningless power of representation of our democracy. And they compete against opponents who have more resources, ingenuity and experience in this fight.

In fact, small parties of this kind, no matter how lively they may be, are used electorally by the bigger parties. The advertising effort of the right-wingers is reaped by the trendy conservative party of the moment, today VOX, which allows this favorable tailwind to grow.

Additionally, those with the most incendiary and anti-systemic rhetoric do not realize that a large part of the population is thoroughly educated in liberal principles, and most of them love this system, even if they vilify certain aspects of it. The fact is that they will not easily move to overthrow a lifestyle they have been formed in and which they prefer.

There is a preliminary work that is necessary, perhaps the only political effort that is possible at certain times. The task of forming in true principles and virtues, that demolishes the falseness of liberalism and gives men the weapons to avoid its influence. The task of forming associations of families, guilds, community organizations, formative groups, which can then be politically articulated, is a priority.

The possibilists will first exhaust the batteries on their sonar, with which they attempt to reach the innumerable multitude of unsuspecting dormant sympathizers.

Roberto Moreno, Círculo Antonio Molle Lazo de Madrid

Translated by Daniel Rodríguez Guerra, Carlist Circle Camino Real de Tejas