I imagine that liberals are able to identify themselves with the heroes in many movies they see. Movie protagonists are often modeled after a progressive’s self-image. There’s the nerd who’s smarter and more compassionate than everyone else, the misfit who at first nobody respects but turns out to be better than regular people at everything, the girl who’s prettier and obviously better at everything than everyone else but has to learn self-confidence… I can’t say that I see myself in any of these characters. Maybe it’s my reactionary contrarianism. Maybe it’s my mediocrity being too apparent to deny.
There was once, though, when I could really identify with a movie character. In Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, there’s this Imperial soldier who points his blaster at Han Solo and says “You rebel scum.” Just that once, it really felt like me up there on that screen. Thank you, George Lucas. It was exhilarating.
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Throne and Altar 
Are archbishops who publicly confront Bergoglio rebels?
You would simplistically portray the situation as evil rebels against necessary imperialism, but what is actually happening is that the fight of archbishops and cardinals against other archbishops and cardinals is spilling into the open.
But that actual situation doesn’t allow you a convenient moral high ground.
What’s happening in the Church is all part of the original rebellion. Those who bugger boys, and one another, and who facilitate, shelter and protect those who do so, can only be on the side of the original rebel. I took Bonald as interpreting Star Wars, something I have never seen, as an allegory of that original satanic refusal to serve, with Solo identified with the satanic side. Being an example of a modern Hollywood hero makes this a reasonable conclusion.
While I sympathise with Bonald’s respect for authority, it cannot be denied that the antinomian tendency can, from time to time, usurp legitimate authority. Fortunately, ultimate Authority is quite impregnable, no matter how it might seem from our clouded perspective.
I can’t really identify with him because I am no-where near as cool or badass, but Clint Eastwood’s character in High Plains Drifter was always one of my favorites. The themes of sin, penance and redemption (damnation for those who don’t repent) are masterfully portrayed.
It seems pretty common on the Outer Right to invert the narrative in Star Wars so the Empire is the good guys.
I usually identify with Javert in movie versions of Les Miserables when he is fighting against Marius and the other republicans.
I especially cherish the scene wear Enjolras gets justly executed.
I also identify with those loyal to Captain Bligh in Mutiny on the Bounty (at least in the book; I don’t remember the movie version with Charles Laughton and Clark Gable very well).
Imagine if Luke had just taken Darth Vader up on his offer to rule as father and son – peace in the galaxy!!! Ahh, what could have been.
Isn’t one version of Mutiny on the Bounty a possible near occasion of sin?
Then you should watch Mel Gibson movies more often because unlike other filmmakers the protagonists in his movies are actually lovable. Just think about kind Edward I
LOL
Dear Bonald,
I cannot thank you enough for this. You have put into words so much that I was unable to. I just saw Our Holy Father in Phoenix Park. What a wonderful week! And I return home to so many “conservatives” calling on the laity to call on the Pope to resign!! What cheek! Lutherans in all but name was my first thought.
That one peter 5 passage you excerpted was especially chilling.
Obedience takes patience discipline// it’s the long game. It occurred to me a
couple of years ago that perhaps God has willed us a Pope with a liberal veneer at this time to keep some wolves at bay, we cannot know his plan. I want to trust like a child like a sheep and await His plan.
Does one peter 5 think a democratic pope would be able to say gender ideology is of the devil, as Our Holy Father has? Nope! Only sovereigns can protect us from fads. If only our nation states were run more like the Holy See.
And you are right about the laity. Uppity proud stupid and disgusting. “Conservatives” are too Catholic for the pope but nothing but a sea of ladies in denim trousers, feminists in all but name (both the men and women), weak men confused by democracy and
television, screen addicted children etc. etc. how about we laity start reforming ourselves before we tell the pope what to do? The laity is gross.
I had a very democratic pastor who loved Americanism pride parades feminism etc. I kept my mouth shut and listened and learned. Because he was a priest of more learning than I will ever have, who represented Christ.
Let’s obey and trust!
Thank you
Thank you for the encouragement, Lady Katie. So far, my take on these issues has been very unpopular.