There have been victories on the global stage, however. The British have won their freedom from the European Union; Syria and Iraq are nearly liberated from the Jihad; and China is breaking Wall Street's global economic hegemony and suppressing organized international crime. The love of Liberty is not something tied to race or nation; but to faith. Faith in oneself, faith in one's neighbor, faith in God.
Each Friday here we recommend an entertainment option for those who still believe in the ideals of forefathers. And in honor of American Independence, we are selecting a television series with that theme, The Swamp Fox.
The Swamp Fox was produced in 1959 by Walt Disney Studios and syndicated on ABC. The series depicted the career of legendary Revolutionary War guerrilla fighter, Francis Marion. Marion, along with his girlfriend Mary (a Patriot spy), his black servant Oscar, and his loyal band of soldiers wreak havoc on the British forces in eight hour-long episodes. The series seem to have been based on the 1847 biography, The Life of Francis Marion by Peter Horry, who served as Marion's chief-of-staff during the war.
In our effete, postmodern culture, men like Marion are considered dead white males, and heroism is an ideal that is treated with cynical scorn. The Manospherian Game Cult, which poses as the alternative to this, likewise offers a counterfeit version of heroism. Some of them go so far as to hold up the PUAs, so-called pick-up artists, as the new heroic breed. This is because genuine faith forms no part of their creed, although they pay considerable lip-service to the concept. But faith is incompatible with their peculiar ideals of superiority and control.
Marion's character illustrates this principle in action. During our War of Independence, the arrogant Royalists were the ones who held to a philosophy not unlike those of the Game Cultists. Marion and the Patriots were fighting against enormous odds. What made them heroic was their faith in the future; this type of faith requires a faith in others, that others deserve the blessings of freedom.
The Swamp Fox has as a common theme the fratricidal nature of a civil war. Marion's enemies are frequently the Tories---former friends, neighbors, and family---who oppose the cause of freedom. Then, as now, the enemies within were typically more dangerous than the enemies from without. Marion's heroic character again comes through; in one episode even he himself must struggle morally with exacting personal revenge on a Tory who killed his nephew against the bigger cause for which his army fights. Often, too, he has to defend Mary, who poses as a Tory to gain information. The selfishness that both the Cultural Marxists and contemporary Game Cultists portray as masculinity is no part of his character. This is because our forefathers understood that Freedom and Justice were either for everyone or they were for no one: freedom for the just and justice for the unjust, equally and impartially. Only a faith in things higher than oneself could bring that about.
The Swamp Fox is representative of a type of media genre that has completely disappeared from Disney and mass-media generally. This genre was called family entertainment. This type of programming had elements appealing to young children, but also elements sophisticated enough to appeal to adults. While the series possesses a few typical Disney trademarks: catchy camp-songs, secret codes and symbols, and the occasional comic-relief; The Swamp Fox is an above-average drama with a solid cast and well-written, often complex plots. The episodes were serialized, one episode led to the one which followed. Walt Disney himself introduced each episode with a brief historical commentary on the plot which followed.
The series is available on DVD and various episodes are available on Youtube and other public venues. The DVD is probably the better option. Eight solid hours of action and good men doing good things---not a bad companion for an extended weekend.
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