Conquering Leviathan: A Movement to Disassemble Governance | Defy the State
In his latest book, "American Leviathan", conservative activist and founder of American Majority, Ned Ryun, takes a critical look at the growth of federal power in the United States and the potential threats it poses to individual liberty and self-government.
Ryun uses the metaphor of the Leviathan, a large, sovereign state, to describe a federal government that has grown beyond the founders' intent, dominating political, cultural, and economic life. He argues that this growth is both historical and ideological in origin, with important turning points such as Progressive Era and New Deal policies, wartime expansions, and later administrative-state developments moving power from the states and citizens to the federal center over the 20th century and into the present day.
The book highlights several key consequences of this growth. Ryun links the rise of the "Leviathan" to diminished local control, weakened constitutional checks and balances, increased regulatory and bureaucratic authority, and cultural effects that stifle dissent and private initiative. He frames these as threats to republican self-government and individual liberty.
Ryun's argument is activist and prescriptive. He urges constitutional restoration, decentralization, civic renewal, and political organizing as remedies to roll back the Leviathan. He sees the Leviathan as an uncontrollable, ever-growing, and ravenous beast that devours any prospect for representative democracy or individual liberty.
In "American Leviathan", Ryun identifies the administrative state, the national security state, and the Deep State as distinct entities but recognizes them as parts of the same entity: the Leviathan. He argues that Progressive Statists, who demand a fundamental transformation of the American system of government and the elevation of the State at the expense of individual liberties, depend upon a rejection of God, so that they can claim His powers as their own.
Ryun's book is considered a life-saving axe for those "in case of emergency, break glass" moments in defending the country from those who wish to destroy it. He implores readers to "break the State" and describes exactly how President Trump should do so in a final chapter entitled "Slay Leviathan."
In the Old Testament, Leviathan is a sea serpent and demon associated with the sin of envy. Ryun compares the American Leviathan to this theological Leviathan, representing the deadly sin of envy. The administrative state originated from a group of American intellectuals who were fascinated with Hegel's philosophical defense of authoritarianism. The frontispiece of Hobbes's Leviathan shows a monarch clutching the symbols of earthly power and spiritual power, with the monarch's body formed from hundreds of faceless individuals who, through their actions to support the king, embody the State.
In conclusion, Ryun's "American Leviathan" offers a compelling critique of the expansion of federal power in the United States and provides a call to action for those who value individual liberty and self-government.
- The administrative state, national security state, and Deep State, as per Ryun's analysis in "American Leviathan", are all parts of the Leviathan, a metaphor for a dominant and overgrown federal government.
- Ryun argues that the growth of the Leviathan, which threatens republican self-government and individual liberty, has roots in historical and ideological origins, including Progressive Era and New Deal policies, wartime expansions, and subsequent administrative-state developments.
- In the book, Ryun emphasizes the need for constitutional restoration, decentralization, civic renewal, and political organizing as remedies to curb the growth of the Leviathan.
- He warns that the Leviathan, if left unchecked, could devour any prospect for representative democracy or individual liberty, likening it to the theological Leviathan, a sea serpent and demon associated with the sin of envy.
- Ryun's argument is not only critical of the current state of affairs but also prescriptive, offering a plan for President Trump to 'Slay Leviathan' in the final chapter of his book.
- The ideas presented in "American Leviathan" are particularly relevant in today's conversations about policy and legislation, freedom, education and self-development, and job-search, as they revolve around the protection and expansion of individual liberties.
- Furthermore, Ryun's book can serve as a reference for general news, crime and justice, sports, and football (American football especially due to the political implications often associated with the NFL), as it discusses the effects of government power on cultural and economic life.
- Regarding freedom of speech, it's crucial to engage with diverse perspectives, including those presented in works like "American Leviathan", as they fuel critical thinking and the continuous development of skills-training and career-development, contributing to the overall advancement of our society.
