Our Editorial Policy

Planning for the future

In light of recent events, I feel it necessary to clarify the editorial policy of Old North State News, just to make official what has probably been long apparent. If there are any questions or concerns, please feel free to comment and I will be happy to consider and reply.

1.     Old North State News (ONSN) is primarily, but not necessarily solely, a vehicle for discussing events – usually political – in the state of North Carolina.

a.     This is not a locked-in-stone delimitation of our scope. From time to time we will fall back on poetry and song, or complaints of a personal nature.

b.     In no way do we presume to be either the first or last word on events in this state, and ONSN should not be your only source of information on any topic.

2.     The scope of review for ONSN is expected to expand in the near future, as we anticipate that the pending dictatorship of the President-elect will constrain the options of state governments, particularly in three crucial areas:

a.     Health care and crisis/disaster management.

b.     The economy, taxation and so-called “entitlement programs.”

c.     Constitutional issues, particularly in regard to the Bill of Rights.

3.     Implicit in 2 above is the assumption that United States is moving toward a neo-fascist, “illiberal democracy,” with all the attendant baggage. Some immediate concerns include:

a.     The two-party system will shortly be a system in name only. While democrats may continue to get elected to offices in deeply-entrenched liberal communities, they will play an insignificant role in national politics.

b.     Elections, when held, will be pre-ordained. At some point, we may be forced to vote (the right to NOT vote was a precious democratic freedom). Regardless, we will neither support nor encourage in any way the advancement of the current ruling party.

c.     The ONSN is atheist as a matter of editorial policy, and non-discriminatory on the basis of religion. Nevertheless, we expect to see increasing intrusion of Christian Nationalism into non-sectarian institutions and activities, including:

            i.     The demise of a free public education in favor of for-profit schools.

            ii.     Racism and ethnocentricity disguised as “Christianity,” resulting in

            iii.   Unrestrained attacks and a relaxation of laws protecting the LBGTQ+ community, people of color, and members of non-Christian religions.

d.     Patriarchy is inextricably tied to the fortunes and futures of the Christian Nationalists. We anticipate and oppose:

            i.     Increasing abuse and attacks on women,

            ii.    Expanding disparities in hiring, pay and promotions that will favor MAGA-affiliated men, and

            iii.   a national abortion ban shortly to be enacted, supplanting state law.

e.     Mass deportation and restriction on the freedoms of immigrants (likely to include green-card holders and some naturalized citizens) will pave the way to “deportation camps,” which will inevitably become convenient dumping grounds for various “enemies of the state.” We condemn this here and now, and believe that a pathway to citizenship for immigrants is a cherished ideal of democracy. Many of those currently involved in designing and implementing the pogroms to come were themselves once “illegal immigrants” (looking at you, Elon Musk).

4.     By now, it should be clear that we are not anticipating business as usual. While that is so, some things will not change, including our language and nomenclature.

a.     We will continue to express ourselves however the fuck we want.

b.     The formerly-Republican ruling party is officially designated the Fascist Party (FP).

c.     No one who became and remains “Republican” on or after 2009 (the Obama presidency) is a traditional conservative as a matter of course, and will necessarily be considered a MAGA member of the FP.

d.     The designation of “Republican” is reserved for pre-2009 conservatives who have previously and continue now to reject the platform and policies of the current FP regime.

e.     The ONSN editorial staff is a card-carrying Democratic Socialist, and believes that Democratic Socialism, as practiced primarily but not exclusively in Scandinavia, is a moderate and highly-successful alternative to run-away capitalism and the oppressive nature of so-called “illiberal democracy.” (On a personal note, if I could go live in Norway, I would move there tomorrow. Norway, unfortunately, has the good sense to severely limit immigration from the USA.)

A final note: There are crises of various sorts around the world (as always), and the USA has been an important player in the ongoing stability of various volatile areas – while a troublesome meddler in not a few other spots. We have now turned away from the ideals of our “empire,” and in some regard that might have been a good thing, except that we turned to something worse – a greedy, hateful and cruel bond with the monsters of world politics: Putin, Orbán, Kim Jong Un, Netanyahu and others. That alone might be enough to sink our republic, but I believe another real danger is about to blindside this administration and leave the rest of us literally foundering. The fight to slow or reverse global climate change has just taken an irretrievable blow, and we have already seen a preview or two of what’s to come. The call is coming from inside the house, and no one in the pending tenancy is even willing to answer the phone.

Stay tuned.