Go West, Young Man

Go West, and Grow Up with the Country.

By guest author Michael Moore.

The United States has a peculiar history with American naysayers opposed to territorial expansion. There were a small number of vocal opponents to both the Louisiana Purchase and the Alaska Purchase who thought that the nation should not grow in territory. Some thought that such purchases were wastes of money, some had an autistic Constitutional basis for opposing such purchases, and some simply were small-minded nobodies.

Growing up in the West, I never understood how people could oppose such obviously good things for the country. William H. Seward, the Secretary of State in charge of the Alaska Purchase, was mocked by a few outlets for buying what they saw as worthless wilderness. These fools called the move “Seward’s Folly” without a sense of irony, given the power of hindsight. Some thought that the United States couldn’t manage such large acquisitions and feared a loss of influence from the Eastern states. Looking back, it is obvious that both purchases were in the best interests of America. Alaska holds massive mineral and fishery value, and the Louisiana Purchase contained some of the most fertile farmland on Earth. Of equal importance, both purchases elevated the spiritual greatness of this country.

Jack London wrote the books The Call of the Wild (1903) and White Fang (1906), both adventure stories beloved by young American men and set in the Yukon and Alaskan tundra. When reading these books, one cannot help but feel the American spirit of adventure. “Go west, young man” is a phrase that was popular in the latter half of the 19th century which encouraged young, hungry men to leave the comforts of the settled East in search of adventure and growth. “Go West, young man; go West and grow up with the country” is a more complete rendering of the phrase attributed to Horace Greeley. Such sayings are indicative of an understanding that the country is still young and full of potential. This sentiment isn’t old. London wrote his books in the early 20th century, and Greeley was active in the mid- to late 19th century.

I wholeheartedly believe that this great nation still has its best days ahead of it. We as Americans are a great people. The doomer and the loser can only see the negatives of the current hour. In no way, shape, or form am I downplaying the problems in our country, of which there are many. That being said, rejecting our history of exploration and expansion is not helpful in solving the present-day problems. If anything, eschewing that spirit is playing into the hands of the enemy. The American man who ventures West is a threat to certain interests because he is free. This man can control his lower appetites in pursuit of generational wealth, exploration, or conquest. This man can build a life in the wilderness in the hope that it may one day become a thriving city or a successful farm in which his children and grandchildren may prosper.

We have much to be thankful for in regard to our forefathers choosing to embrace Manifest Destiny. The comforts and opportunities of our lives today would not be possible without the efforts of such free men. It is our duty to carry on their legacy right now. Of course, we ought to fix the problems that we have inherited from some older, foolish Americans. Also, we ought to remember what made this country great in the first place.

When Donald Trump speaks of annexing territory, I am filled with excitement specifically because it is a spitting in the face of the “End of History” nonsense pushed by mid-wits who worship the false idol of Liberal Democracy. Such people believe that history is over and all that is left to do is make money. This is a wicked view. It is Satanic in nature because it assumes that Man can assume the role of God, making the Earth a paradise in our image. History didn’t end in 1945 or in 1991, as such evil fellows may suggest. We have a duty to God to steward the Earth, we have a duty to our ancestors to honor the sacrifices they made for our benefit, we have a duty to our children to give every advantage to them that we can, and we have a duty to resist the god of this world in his efforts to demoralize.

To despair is a sin. To despair is to accept defeat and accept the rule of the enemy. Do not despair, and do not give in to temptation. Do not listen to the people who say that territorial expansion is not in the interest of this great country. Do not be like the nameless men who thought that William H. Seward was a fool for buying Alaska.