An Anonymous January 6th Prisoner
The American Regime
Quakertown, Pa.: Antelope Hill Publishing, 2022
With its striking cover and the mystique of having been written by an anonymous January 6 political prisoner, Antelope Hill’s latest book, The American Regime, was immediately intriguing. Books cannot always be judged by their covers, but I am happy to say that it exceeded my expectations.
The reader is pulled in by the Introduction’s ode to the political prisoners of the Rise Above Movement, along with those patriots who died on or as a result of January 6. Most already know of Ashli Babbitt, but the number of other deaths that are not even known by the dissident Right is considerable. This helps to put the book’s topics into perspective: primarily the cyclical nature of history and political theory, with an emphasis on elite theory.
These aren’t strictly academic concerns, as these topics’ implications have real-world consequences. Furthermore, it helps to avoid the tendency to treat politics as just another form of entertainment. While The American Regime is certainly fun to read, reading it is like being taught by an energetic professor who always makes his curriculum come alive.
While the author’s identity is unknown, he certainly sounds like an interesting, and as Julius Evola would say, “differentiated” person:
But when it became clear that the regime was going to throw everything at me in an attempt to permanently ruin my life in a hissy fit of spite, I decided to do the opposite: something more ancient and absolute than the desire to take the well-trodden path of least resistance awakened in me. This has become my personal hour of decision. (p. 2)
Besides speaking to the author’s noble spirit, the above is also a reference to Oswald Spengler’s The Hour of Decision. Spengler’s influence in fact runs throughout the entire book. As in Spengler, the single most important point which underlies the book is the cyclical nature of time, which is in direct opposition to the modern myth of progress. Whether it is the Jewish Question, the nature of time, or existential evil, the author always tries to identify the ultimate idea at stake instead of being content to deal with merely contingent issues, which by design are invariably safer to talk about.
Of course, the author does not dismiss competing theories out of hand. There is an unfortunate tendency on the dissident Right to completely disregard certain positions and theories simply because they are associated with normiecons, such as the World Economic Forum. In this book, however, the author instead investigates such themes in a manner reminiscent of a Socratic dialogue and gives them ample credit where it is due. Whether it’s the Great Reset or Curtis Yarvin’s theory of The Cathedral, the author treats them more as incomplete rather than simply incorrect.
For example, one single line — “the Great Reset is nothing but the handmaid of the Great Replacement” (p. 214) — could have succinctly headed off the entire debate last month about the World Economic Forum’s relevancy given that it acknowledges both the reality of The Great Reset and that it is likewise part of a larger and more sinister agenda.
The missing piece is the perennial Jewish Question. The author goes beyond even that, however. According to the author, the Jews are merely a vehicle for pure, unadulterated evil to work upon the world. My view is that if Jews are mosquitos that thrive in our swamp of sins, as Captain Codreanu claimed, then cosmic evil is the equivalent of malaria, with the Jews acting as a disease vector rather than the disease itself. Whether you call it Satan, Cthulhu, entropy, or chaos, it is this force which is driving current events. Thus, if there is any silver lining to The American Regime, it is that evil is so destructive that it may end up destroying itself — albeit hopefully without taking us down with it. The elites have summoned forth and unleashed something which they cannot control, because it is a cosmic force which by its very nature is not restricted to merely human designs.
The book’s claims are well-sourced, which is necessary given its strident claims. I was pleased to see a parade of “who’s who” in the footnotes, including citations to every sphere of the dissident movement. Citations are not usually something which will inspire readers to buy a book, but it is useful to have a compilation of sources at hand, much as Ann Coulter’s Adios America was an ammunition depot for immigration patriots. We may have all the facts and sources we need to prove our points, but too often they are scattered across many different articles, videos, and social media posts. Having someplace where they are all presented in one place is quite useful.
Furthermore, the author’s scholarly approach and sources are a boon to the dissident Right because they allow us to gain a deeper understanding of political theory that goes beyond memes and TikTok videos without having to read dozens of books — not that we shouldn’t read them, but because of the ever-present tyranny of time. Normie conservatives can also benefit from it, because the book turns their worldview upside down in a way that is both engaging and measured. Honey, not vinegar, is the key to helping them swallow their red pills.
The tone throughout is neither the crippling depression of the black pill, nor the cowardly optimism of the white pill. Much like Spengler’s writings, The American Regime’s tone is as clear and hard as a diamond. The one thing that the book lacked was practical advice, but perhaps this was necessary to remain focused on an objective discussion of the past and present.
I lament that this bright author is being persecuted, but I take pleasure in the fact that the regime’s oppression has backfired by leading to the writing of a book that has the potential to serve as a unifying force. I didn’t find myself always agreeing with the author, but those instances were few, mostly having to do with religious matters. Perhaps The American Regime can unify the various factions of the dissident Right, and perhaps even some of those normie conservatives who are ready for radicalization. The historical parallels to other influential books written by political prisoners should be obvious.
I for one would like a sequel that is more prescriptive than descriptive. Until then, I will content myself with the book’s closing line: “Death to the New World Order.”
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3 comments
Sounds like a great book. I’m impressed that someone being held in such terrible conditions has the fortitude to sit down and produce a book like this. I guess the Gestapo didn’t consider how much time and motivation they would be affording this man to fight back against the Great Tyranny. I hope other detainees are inspired to resist the attempt to break them. Good luck and God’s speed to them all.
Having just read the first couple of chapters I would highly recommend this text, for it’s measured, serious yet highly readable prose and the clear voice of a sleeping giant awakening to find a pack of goblins sawing the floorboards around his bed.
Because of Thomas Steuben’s review here I bought The American Regime, and I am glad I did. I am reading it for the second time now. It is a diamond in the rough, and it has changed my thinking.
The American Regime has two things Counter-Currents could supply. First, it needs an editor. The content and the organization are great, but it’s obviously someone’s first book, and it needs more polish. A second, well-edited edition could read more smoothly than the first.
Second, it could use more good publicity. If the anonymous author would be willing to do a print interview (so that his voice could not be used to identify him) this should be done.
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