We’re collaborating with some folk at Ave Satanas Podcast (ASP) and Free Society Satanists to bring you a miniseries looking at Might Is Right — ur-text of Satanism and an infamous work of proto-fascism first published in 1896 by Arthur Desmond a.k.a. “Ragnar Redbeard”.

To be clear: Might Is Right sucks, both as a book and ideology. It’s full of doggerel, bigotry, and contradictions. But we’re gonna talk about it, chapter-by-chapter, from the perspective of modern, anarchist Satanists who feel that racism, misogyny, antisemitism, and tyranny are “bad, actually”.

Livestreams (mostly) take place alternating weeks 9 p.m Eastern / 6 p.m. Pacific, including Friday, Sep. 5 (0100 UTC Sep. 6), with podcasts released the following Saturday (Sep. 13), and new recordings taking place every two weeks:

RSS feed: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2383108.rss

(copy and paste the URL into the podcast app of your choice)

Folk who have thoughts on MIR and want to weigh in are welcome to join us on Twitch.

Assuming we can make the technical stuff work, the idea is for us to talk this week about the background of Arthur Desmond and Might Is Right, and why a piece of shit book like that is even worth investigating almost 130 years later.

(Spoiler: Anton LaVey plagiarized it for The Satanic Bible.)

Since we’re springing this on you suddenly, the chapter-by-chapter stuff won’t start until Friday Aug. 22, giving people time to do their reading and weigh-in. The first one will prolly be messy, but also to do some open table-setting about why we are bothering with this project now.

We’re using the mechanically impressive “Authoritative Edition” that Trevor Blake put together and published in 2019, harmonizing and annotating various versions, but nobody else ought to feel obligated to use that one rather than any of the free versions you can find floating around on the Web.

Frankly, if you follow along reading the 1910 edition published by “14 Words Press”, you are in some ways getting the more genuine and relevant version of this rancid fucking text, what it is all about, and it’s cultural significance than Blake’s version which falls all over itself in apologism.

This is not really a fun book to read, and if you haven’t read it before, maybe it’s not worth your while.

However, the fact that is bad actually helps to explain a lot of the stuff you see around you today, and the continuity of shit like incels and “anti-theist” antisemitism is also useful.

* * *

Book editions

• 1896: [Link]
• 1910 (by 14 words Press): [Link]
• 1927: [Link] 
• This chapter: [Highlighted]

Ep. 3: Chapter 3 “Spinning the Web” (pages 83-129)

The spinning of the web. The Ship of State, a pirate ship. ‘All men are created equal’, is the strident doctrine of the maniac. 

This chapter well-encapsulates the very best and very worst of Might Is Right. We’ve said before, this book (like The Satanic Bible) lands best when you are 14 years old (and white, and male). The good ideas are legitimately good, and some of them are phrased well. If you are not well-read, you’ll think that this book originated something worthwhile and therefore is worth holding on to.

But if you’re old enough (or have read a lot of political critiques already by that age), then the good stuff isn’t so precious and then you’re not so invested in making excuses for it or preserving it.

You can recognize that every worthwhile critique made here (“law is not self-enforcing, courts aren’t actually fair, people who are wealthy got that stuff not by any virtue but by violence, maintained by violence”) is fatally flawed by the belief — based on no evidence — that some people are from birth fundamentally superior and others fundamentally inferior.

If you can drop that fallacy, so many more things become insightful or at least useful. But you can’t separate the two ideas because the author links them together so completely.

Ragnar can only critique the fictions of liberal democracy from a position of white supremacy and proto-fascism. He can only point out the hypocrisies — which are valid — and then resolve them with, “Inequalities are all deserved rather than products of unequal systems.”

You can’t keep the critiques without also keeping the underlying reasoning or the solutions.

Section 1

In all lunatic asylums may be found inmates, who fancy themselves kings and queens, and lords of the earth. These sorrowful creatures, if only permitted to wear imaginary crowns and issue imaginary commands, are the most docile and harmless of all maniacs.

As for the American People of to-day: is not their written constitution but a cunningly constructed straight-jacket?-their moral codes, padded prison- cells: their statute laws, handcuffs and leg-irons?- their Captains of Industry, keepers and turnkeys in clever disguise? One hundred years ago they ostensibly commenced ‘independent’ operations with the richest continent on earth as their private property—their subrscribed (sic) capital; and during the whole of that period, have they not been as busy as so many relays of draught beasts-of-burden, pumping the tremendous natural wealth out of their home soil, and pouring it over-sea, into the cess-pools of Europe?
…
Is not that the work of lunatics?

They smashed and splintered the wooden political yoke of an English king and then proceeded to rivet around their necks a bran new yoke of bolted steel, which they had forged especially to fit themselves; and which they dignified under the name of ‘ ‘Constitutional Freedom”.

…

How absurd of men to hurrah over their ‘glorious political liberty ’ who have not even been able to retain possession of the substantial products of their own laboriousness. After a century of ‘constitutional progress,’ ten per cent of the population are absolute owners of ninety-two per cent of all the property.

(Jack) Lulling us into a false sense of security here… starting off pretty strong with points that most of us here could agree on! 

Section 2

To all contempory demagogues, the high-sounding phraseology of the “Declaration” is as honey from paradise. Everywhere its seductive abstractions are the Avatars of anarchism, communism, republicanism, and scores of other zymotic convulsionisms. Why then should sane men continue giving lip-service to this subtle deception?

Section 3

The second and cheaper method is, first of all to innoculate those intended to be exploited, with some poisonous political soporific, superstition, or theoria; something that operating insidiously, hypodermically, may render them laborious, meek, and tractable.

The latter plan has ever proved itself most effective because, Aryan populations that would fight to the last gasp against undisguised military despotism; may be induced to passively submit to any indignity or extortion, if their brains are first carefully soaked in some Abstract Lie.

At the period of the War of Independence, North America was far too wide, far too sparsely settled, and far too poor in concentrated wealth- to be effectively ruled and plundered upon the standing army principle: either by King George or the successful Junta of power-wielding Revolutionists.

Hamilton, Hancock, Jefferson, Adams, Madison, Henry, and all the vested material interests that stood a solid phalanx behind those voluble patriots cast about for some safer method of ruling the minds of the uninformed but extremely valorous yeomanry, backwoodsmen, and mountaineers.

…

The old systems of Jurisprudence and Government (founded on naked force) were cleverly retained even amplified; and at the same time the white skinned populations were cunningly proclaimed ‘free and equal.’ Never having enjoyed genuine personal freedom (except on the Indian border) being for the most part, descendents of hunted-out European starvelings and fanatics, (defeated battlers) they now stupidly thought that they had won Freedom at last by the patent device of selecting a complete outfit of new tax-gatherers every fourth year.

Section 4

Indeed, our Grand Vizers (heaven bless them) not only plunder living generations, but they even make Futurity contribute to their hungry rapacity.

Their schemes of financial legerdermain are of unparalleled brilliance and grandeur. They borrow thousands of millions upon National Credits from the Usurers, and then proceed to apportion the money unto each other, under the elaborate pretence of needful public expenditure, redeeming the currency, etc., etc.

In order that the Jew may be secured in his usurous ‘slient-per-shent,’ oppressive taxes are laid on the Peasantry, wherewith to pay the annual interest charge upon the Bonded Millions. All of these tributes are collectable (in appreciating gold) at the point of the Supreme Courts bayonet. However, military assistance is very seldom needed to enforce the tax-collectors demands, because most Americans are exceptionally docile and ‘good.’ No need of coercion with a palsied people, ever eager to obey the slightest nod of their—Masters.

…

In days not long gone by, men of our Race have hung bribe-takers with scant ceremony; and even rolled the heads of Kings into the executioneers basket.

If we are not to be robbed now of everything we possess and reduced to conditions of absolute State servitude, we must not shrink from doing so again. Despotism, if it is to be overthrown, must be fought with its own weapons, and the vilest of Despotisms are ever founded upon Majority Votes.

…

Americans have yet to learn, that each generation must fight out its own good fight, and not rely for the preservation of its hardihood and independence, upon moth-eaten parchments: nor on fraudulent statesmen, ‘ now in the graveyard—statesmen who spent their petty babblesome lives; not in doing heroic things, but in founding and enthroning the abominations that afflict us all to-day, like a palsy. Our national hero-worship badly wants reconstruction.

Section 5

Under the hypnotic spell of a ‘free and equal’ dream, Americans have been hustled into a convict-prison of laboriousness, to piratical masters a thousand times more terrible and more unyielding than any history can describe. All that is now left of Liberty is its name, and the harmless privilege the common people have of scolding their Proprietors in vulgar editorial diatribes; at or about election times. Occasionally they do descend into the streets, indulging in sanguinary vociferations upon the same general principle that impels a mangy cur to howl most dismally—if struck with a brick.

…

Even should America’s servile multitudes appeal to the arbiterment of Physical Force; they cannot possibly win. Possessing neither the strength, courage, brains, arms, money, nor leaders: they must be blown into eternal fragments by their masters highly trained artillerists, and scientific destroyers.

Section 6

The citidal (sic) of Power is now consolidated and prepared with the most improved armaments to repel any assault, no matter how well sustained. The nation is now intersected in all directions, with iron highroads and splendid waterways, whereon armies and navies may be moved from city to city, with facility and dread effect. The war of Secession, (or rather the war for the annihilation of Self-Government) demonstrated conclusively that a Centralized Authority, resting on herd-votes of the vulgar and fanatic- is (in practice) military Absolutism. There is no other Power in the land that can effectively hold it in check. The Czar of Russia possesses less actual authority than our Federal Government. With a standing army in the hollow of its hand, it can do exactly as it pleases, i.e. if it can collect enough revenue to purchase ‘statesmen’ and pay the salaries of its praetorian cohorts.

…

What is viler than a government of slaves and usurous Jews? What is grander than a government of the Noblest and the Best —who have proved their Fitness on the plains of Death?

…

How can they be even considered men, whose whole lives are governed by cast-iron regulations; whose every movement is circumscribed and restrained by penal threats —even whose secret thoughts are in a constant state of silent repression?

It is no apology whatever, to affirm that the People themselves enact all laws that they are commanded to obey. Even that statement is a falsity and if it were true; it would not justify majority Dictatorship, or any other kind of Dictatorship.

The Constitution, under which all other laws are born, was accepted, not by us but by bewigged individuals who are long since rotten. We are ruled, in fact by cadavers—the inhabitants of tombs. Why should agreements made by coffined dead men, bind and mortgage living, pulsing, breathing beings?

Section 7

By what rational method can any two litigants be placed in a position of unconditional ‘Equality before the Law?’ First of all, plaintiff and defendant always possess totally different physical and mental characteristics, different personal magnetisms, and—different sized bank balances. Also all judges, juries, and legal officials are unequals in temperament, ability, courage, and honesty. Each one has his own peculiar idiosnocracies (sic), prejudices, inferiorities, superstitions, and —price. Each again, may be more or less dishonest and more or less subject to financial pressure, or caste bias.

…

Statute Law may formally confer equal rights and privileges upon unequal citizens, but it cannot enforce itself—it must execute its mandate through human media, and that media is full up to the brim, with superiorities, inferiorities, and inequalities.

…

When an army of occupation settles down upon an enemies territory, it issues certain ‘rules of procedure’ for the orderly transference of the property and persons of the conquered; into the absolute possession and unlimited control of the conquerors. These ‘rules of procedure’ may at first take shape as orders issued by military generals; but after a time they develop themselves into Statute Books, Precedents, and Constitutions. Indeed all Law is now and ever has been, the mandate of successful belligerents or rather the mandate of the few masterful personalities that ever inspire the operations of successful belligerents.

…

Brigandage necessitates inequality: and every government on earth, is organized and enthroned Brigandage.*

* “Have we not shown that the Government is essentially immoral?” —HERBERT SPENCER.

…

Las Casas, the Spanish Jesuit, was the first in America to spread about the false, subversive, and shameful theory of ‘equal human rights’…

Section 8

Every atom of organic matter has its own vital peculiarity. Every animate being is different in osseous structure and chemical composition. Ethnology, Biology, History, all proclaim Equality to be a myth. 

…

From the soles of his feet to the crown of his head—the bones, skin, and flesh of his body—even the grey brain pulp—the electric nerves and tissues—mental ganglia, and internal viscera of a man belonging to the African, Mongolian, Semite, or Negrito breeds are all fundamentally different in formation, constitutents (sic), and character; from the corresponding anatomical sections in men of Aryan descent. The points of nonresemblance may be superficially imperceiveable (sic), but they are organic —deep seated.

…

What white father for example, would encourage the marriage of a hulking thick skulled Negro with his beautiful and accomplished daughter? Would he enthusiastically ‘give her away’ to the matrimonial embraces of a Chinamen, a Coolie or the leper-hugs of a polluted ‘mean white’? Is there ten such citizens even in North America, where equality of birth and condition, is so much speechified and—never seen? Is there five? Is there one who would not rather see the daughter of his loins, stiff, stark, and cold in her shroud? Should that one exist (he being of sound mind) let him speak. Then, and only then, can this diabolical gospel of intrinsic equality be reconsidered.

Meanwhile, plain practical citizens are justified in regarding it, not as a self-evident truth, but an insolent, malignant, and abominable lie—a lie that shall yet be stamped out forever—with blood and fire.

You have only to look at some men, to know that they belong to an inferior breed. Take the Negro for example. His narrow cranial development, his prognathous jaw, his projecting lips, his wide nasal aperture, his simian disposition, his want of forethought, originality, and mental capacity: are all peculiarities strictly inferior. Similar language may be applied to the Chinaman, the Coolie, the Kanaka, the Jew, and to the rotten-boned city degenerates of Anglo-Saxondom: rich and poor. Vile indeed are the inhabitants of those noxious cattle kraals: London, Liverpool, New York, Chicago, New Orleans: and yet, in those places is heaped up, the golden plunder of the world.

Ethnographists of the very highest authority, assert that over ten thousand years ago, the black, white, and yellow types of men-animals were as pronounced, and as ineffaceable, as they are to-day. The hieroglyphics and records of ancient tombs and monuments, cunieform inscriptions, antiquarian researches, and the systematic study of pre-historic skulls and skeletons, all bear the same uniform testimony.

Section 9

Even the giddy doctrinaire who so cunningly concoted the bombastes-furioso fictions of the Declaration * could not apparently have believed them himself. Was he not a slave-driver (residing among slave-drivers,) who bought and auctioned human cattle for dollars and cents all the days of his life?
—
* Mayhap, Franklin (who had a comic vein,) wrote them as grinning jokes. By the way every signature, attached thereto represents a slave-holding, slave-trading constituency. All the colonies traded in [n-slur].

…

No one can study the laborers on a farm, the ‘hands’ in a big foundry or factory, the seamen in a large seaport, the nomadic hirelings on a railroad construction gang: or the clerks and salesmen in a city warehouse, without perceiving at a glance, that the vast majority of them are extremely poor specimens of humanity.

The ideal type of manhood or womanhood, (that is to say, ‘Ye Thoroughbred”) is not to be found among these captive hordes—for captives they really are. Their heads are, to a large extent unsymeterical- their features distorted, ape-like, unintelligent. Their bodies are out of all proportion, dwarfed, stunted, diseased, malformed, cretinous.

Their movements are contracted, artificial, ungainly, and their minds (outside of routine) are utter vacuums. …

Nine-tenths of them are positively repulsive in language, mentality, and in general appearance. They even display an extraordinary low average of animality; and upon the slightest exposure perish off, like sheep that have the lung worm. Heated rooms, woolen clothing, and stimulating beverages, are the means whereby their watery blood is kept in languid circulation. For all that, they breed like rabbits; but every new generation is feebler, and more debased than its predecessor. All the scientific evidences of mental, moral, and bodily deterioration, are markedly accentuated in them: and -their timidity is proverbial.*

* “The brave man may fail sometimes, but the coward fails always.” Angelo Mosso. 

^David: Interesting that the fuller quote here is apparently: “Let us remember that fear is a disease to be cured; the brave man may fail sometimes, but the coward fails always,” and it’s part of a longer section about how people can be transformed by education, and people can be taught to be brave.

Footnote: When the Roman Empire was tottering to is fall; the worship of the State was an established cult: just as it is to day. Better – to adore blocks of wood or stone, than bow our hearts, our heads and our knees, before those troops of Unclean Beasts —Politicians!

^David: I have never seen the Roman Empire’s fall be attributed to “worship of the State”. That is brand new to me.

Section 10

If criminals are criminals, by descent, or by birth; is it not equally probable that slaves are slaves by the facts of their breed and ancestry?
…
Yon Otto Ammon cites a remarkable instance, which foes to prove the selective and ethnic advantages of Warfare. He states that all German children born during the Franco-Prussian campaign of ’71, (also the years immediately following,) show a strikingly high average excellence, both of body and mind.

David: A lot of this Franco-Prussian War stuff will not hold up for the biases of Ragnar or his fans if we apply it to the First and Second World Wars.

Undoubtedly new born infants ARE daily coming wailing into this world, with the words—statesman, ramp, wastrel, warrior, priest, philosopher, criminal, thief, king, slave and coward, indelibly branded upon their brows, their hearts and their brains.

…

Although all may be made of clay, in the poetic sense, it must never be forgotten that the clay itself, is composed of differentiated elements. The clay that is in a Blackfellow or a Chinaman, is not the clay that is in a Shakespeare or a Bismarck.

…

Young men are mentally mutilated, systematically “educated” by schools, press, and literature, upon fundamental hallucinations, pyrotechnic shams, and glittering illusions—illusions that are the perennial source of fruitless servile uprisings, social heart-burnings, internecine unpleasantnesses and sundry other secondary symptoms of social cancer. Our Government Educational Sytems (sic) are absolutely under the direct control of Politicians. 

…

Thirty years ago the United States quixotically essayed to demonstrate racial equality, with rifle bullets and bomb-shells; but failed most ignominously. Southern valleys were strewn with Northern and Southern bones, and millions of tax-treasure blown from the lips of cannon without any tangible result, except to demonstrate before an interested world, the utter failure and hollowness of equality principles.

A people that deliberately enters upon a gigantic war in order to firmly establish a Centralized Despotism; and at the same time reduce itself to the social level of the Negro, the Russian Jew, the Coolie, the Chinaman, and the European Serf, must indeed (to use a suggestive vernacularism) have “wheels in its head.”

The “man and brother” lie has certainly succeeded in writing itself in a “constitutional amendment” but in real life it is as far from actuality as ever it was. The “free” negro of New Orleans or Charleston is a more degraded, more despised being; and of less money value to his proprietors now then when it was customary to buy and sell him at the auction block, instead of as at present on the Stock Exchange.

What the late civil war really accomplished, was to degrade the white slave to the lower level of the plantation [n-slur]: and in that respect it was a triumph of ingenuity. The Whites fought—actually fought each other to demonetize (sic) themselves. Equality! Equality! what brilliant deeds have been “perpetrated” in thy name?…
…
Throughout both Northern and Southern states, the social chasm between the highest and lowest human organisms (whether white or black, or black-and-tan), is even more pronounced now, than ever it was previously. For example, although the Negros are a majority in many States, they are never permitted to attain actual administrative power and they never shall.

You cannot paint the Negro white, with laws and constitutions: though you write it in the fire and smoke of wars and revolutions.

Section 11

To solemnly proclaim that “all men are created equal,” is as stupid and unscientific, as to assert that all dogs, cattle, apes and trees are created equal.

…

Where then is the intrinsic equality between…a cosmic-brained Bismarck and that famous Christling, “the good young man that Died.” Cannot a blooded bulldog whip a solid score of lean half-starved street mongrels? Upon exactly the same principle, a small body of bold, self-reliant, brainy men are ever more than a match (under any circumstances), for 10,000, nay, 10,000,000 greasy mechanics. What is a mechanic anyhow but a specially trained slave?—and it would take the spirit of 1,000 American slaves to make that of one live man.

…

There must always be a substratum of victimized organisms. How could the tiger live if there were no lambs to devour? How could there be heros if there were no slaves? How could there be great nations if there were no contemptible ones?

…

Socialism, Christianism, Democratism, Equalityism, are really the whining yelpings of base-bred mongrel-multitudes. They howl aloud for State intervention

Section 12

What power on earth can permently keep the Negro on a parity with the Anglo-Saxon?

…

Virchow somewhat trenchantly recommends:-“accept THINGS AS THEY REALLY ARE, NOT AS WE CHOSE TO imagine them’ ’ —or rather as they have been imagined by dotard philosophers, daft poets, and castrated clerics.

Section 13

This is just shit poetry and that thing about a valley in Java that probably doesn’t exist, but does fit his worldview.

However, this is also where LaVey pulled from for “The Book of Satan”.

Section 14

This circling planet-ball, is no navel-contemplating Nirvana, but rather a vast whirling star-lit Valhalla, where victorious battlers quaff the foaming hearts-blood of their smashed-up adversaries, from the scooped out skull goblets of the slain in neverending war.

And, behold it is good! It is good! It is very good!

,,,

Oh! Would that they [preachers, journalists, politicians] had but one neck and I was— Judge Lynch!

Philosophy of Power (condensed)

• How did government of man by man originate? By force of arms, Victors became rulers.
• But among US government by force is abolished? That is a popular delusion. It is stronger than ever.
• How is it that we do not see it clearly? No need of compulsion with inferiors ever eager to obey.
• How can the Mastership of man be destroyed? It can never be destroyed. It is essential.
• But for one man to reign over another is wrong? What is ‘wrong’? The Strong can do as they please.
• Who are the Strong? They who conquer. They who take the spoil and camp on the battlefield. All life is a battlefield.
  

[bad Nietzsche]

• How can a slave recover his liberty? By re-conquering his conqueror. If he feels that he is not man enough for his master, then he must submit, cut his own throat, or die fighting unsubdued.
• But freedom may be granted to him? ‘Freedom cannot be granted, it must be taken’.

David

• One intentionally good thing from this chapter (can include half-sentence): 
  • Section 6: We are ruled, in fact by cadavers—the inhabitants of tombs. Why should agreements made by coffined dead men, bind and mortgage living, pulsing, breathing beings?
• Weirdest thing from this chapter (good or bad):
  • Section 14: This circling planet-ball, is no navel-contemplating Nirvana, but rather a vast whirling star-lit Valhalla, where victorious battlers quaff the foaming hearts-blood of their smashed-up adversaries, from the scooped out skull goblets of the slain in neverending war. / And, behold it is good! It is good! It is very good!
• OK, the really bad one
  • Section 8: You have only to look at some men, to know that they belong to an inferior breed. Take the Negro for example…

Jack

• One intentionally good thing from this chapter (can include half-sentence)
  • Section 1: What are the grandiose paragraphs of the Declaration of Independence but the weft and woof of a dazing spider web? ………..gossamer meshes.
    • This was the first bit of Anarchism here that I was like, “ok lets see where this goes. It reminds me of the George Carlin bit about not having rights, but having privileges…and just enough to keep us tame. 
  • Or: “How absurd of men to hurrah over their “Glorious political liberty” who have  not been able to retain possession of the substantial products of their laboriousness!”  Once again, good on you I guess, Arthur. Preach that Anarchism buddy. But we know that never lasts with this book. 
• Weirdest thing from this chapter (good or bad)
  • …
• OK, the really bad one
  • Pretty much all of the second half of this chapter.. If I’m being honest. 

Felo de Se

• One intentionally good thing from this chapter (can include half-sentence)
  • Section 4: “The Executive who sells his people into bondage is a Public Enemy, whether he be an elective Monarch or a hereditary King… Therefore, every man’s hand should be uplifted against him.”
• Weirdest thing from this chapter (good or bad)
  • Section 6: “…most Acts of Congress are the Machiavellian work of eminent rogues, curse them … As for the Common Law, it is an inheritance from those interesting old days, when Saxon and Norman earls (they were genuine noblemen then, for they had won their position by risking their lives in battle administered ‘Justice’ direct, per media of knotted clubs, hilted knives, and long handled cleavers. That was the only kind of ‘Law’ understood by our ‘uncivilized’ forefathers”
    • RR is not using the term “Might is Right” to mean, as one would assume “there is no inherent external morality, anyone who succeeds over others is entitled to their victory.” He means might as in literal physical strength. 
    • A lot of this book makes more sense when we accept that it’s not a mistake or oversight when he seems to resent victory through outwitting an opponent rather than being better at squaring off and punching them. It’s actually what he’s trying to say. (But virtue of strength over wit/guile would require the kind of morality he rejects, so…) 
  • Section 7: “The Equality superstition is tolerated by clear-seeing men, for one reason only. It assists them to govern the thoughts: and by governing the thoughts, to exploit the property, energy, and labor-force, of their soft-minded, good natured neighbors: who really believe it to be true—who think it, glad tidings of Great Joy.”
    • No, wait. I take it back. Now outwitting people is good again.
      The only lens to make sense of RR is white supremacy 
• OK, the really bad one
  • Section 4: “Our national hero-worship badly wants reconstruction.” 
    • Less obviously bad, especially with all the racism about, but this really points to the heart of the problem with this entire ideology. (resist the urge to rant about the Hyperborean myth)
    • Then there’s the overtly bad. Too much to pick, but it’s worse here than in the first two chapters.

Sai

• One intentionally good thing from this chapter (can include half-sentence)
  • Middle 2nd paragraph “Every Fourth of July Americans habitually scream, themselves hoarse over its sounding generalities, making the welkin ring with tin-horns, giant fire-crackers, flag- idolatry, brass, bands, toy pistols, and heard-bellowing generally” I mean dude has a partial point bc I’m sure upcoming tax season is going to suck
• Weirdest thing from this chapter (good or bad)
  • Last sentence of section 3 – ‘ they know, stupidly, thought that they had one freedom at last, by the patent device of selecting a complete outfit of new tax-gathers every fourth year”
  • 4th section -“ those thievish official percolators of Turkey, China, Persia, and Morocco would hang their heads and utter shame of their own clumsy methods of robbery, if they want to build the magnificent mechanism and finesse, where, with American politicians and rich themselves by bullying, the treasuries, stealing public lands, and sweating the revenues”… bro did NOT know foreign policy and is this a pissing match…?
• OK, the really bad one
  • Can I say the whole thing?…

Stuff plagiarized for The Satanic Bible

MIR 1927 Chapter /Page	Might Is Right	The Satanic Bible	TSB Book of Satan
Chapter III / Page 52	Life itself is but a spark in the gloom that flashes out and disappears. Why therefore not make the most of it here and now — Here and Now!	Life is the great indulgence – death, the great abstinence. Therefore, make the most of life – HERE AND NOW!	Book IV No. 1
Chapter III / Page 52	There is no “heaven of glory bright,” and no hell where sinners roast. There is no Right, there is no wrong — nor God — nor Son — nor Ghost. … Here and NOW is our day of torment! Here and NOW is our day of joy! Here and NOW is our Opportunity — to eat or to be eaten — to be lion or Lamb! Here and NOW it is war to the knife — no escape — no retreat. Choose ye this day, this hour, for no Redeemer liveth!	There is no heaven of glory bright, and no hell where sinners roast. Here and now is our day of torment! Here and now is our day of joy! Here and now is our opportunity! Choose ye this day, this hour, for no redeemer liveth!	Book IV No. 2
Chapter III / Page 52	Say unto thine own heart and soul: “I, even I, am mine own redeemer.”	Say unto thine own heart, “I am mine own redeemer.”	Book IV No. 3
Chapter III / Page 52	Raise up also the Clenched Hand and stop the way of them that would persecute you. … Let them be hurled back to confusion and infamy, who devise thine undoing. Let them be as chaff before the cyclone and let the Angel of Death pursue them, nay overtake them. In a pit, they have hidden a trap for thy feet: into that very destruction let them fall. Then, exultant, “sound the loud timbrel.” Rejoice! Rejoice! in thine own salvation.	Stop the way of them that would persecute you. Let those who devise thine undoing be hurled back to confusion and infamy. Let them be as chaff before the cyclone and after they have fallen rejoice in thine own salvation.	Book IV No. 4
Chapter III / Page 52	Then all thy bones shall say pridefully “who is like unto me?” — Have I not delivered myself by mine own brain? Have I not been too strong for mine adversaries? — Have I not spoiled them that would have spoiled me.	Then all thy bones shall say pridefully, “Who is like unto me? Have I not been too strong for mine adversaries? Have I not delivered?	Book IV No. 5