Editor’s Note: The video based on this essay can be found here.
The Alt-Right is quite often accused of collectivism. We generally hear this from libertarians and conservatives who hold individualism to be a near-religious value. While there is certainly some truth to such a claim, there are a number of incorrect assumptions about individualism and collectivism that I want to dispel.
But before I do, I should clarify exactly what these terms mean. The words individualism and collectivism can mean slightly different things depending on the context; but for the purpose of this video, individualism refers to an emphasis on the individual over the whole, whereas collectivism refers to the opposite.
Given that civilization is a group endeavor – and that individuals all benefit from a healthy, functional society – it seems silly to place individual needs before those of society overall. In fact, excessive individualism is a large factor in why the West is currently sleepwalking towards an existential cliff.
Thanks to individualism, happily encouraged by mass media and pop culture, many people of European heritage no longer see themselves as part of an ethnic group. They pass their time in frivolous ways, seemingly indifferent to the survival of their culture and civilization. Why bother having children, if the highest goal in life is comfort and personal, hedonistic pleasure?
Individualism also prevents people of European…