What is the Third Position (3p)?
before one defines 3p shouldn’t necessity require one notice and separate out the many adulterated “flavors” of 3P out there? e.g. anything that tries to add to the core, spiritual essence of the ideology to promote any kind of political activism? (i.e. “American Third Position, International Third Position, Anarchists for the 3rd position, etc.) are these hybrid manifestations what 3p is, or fall short? shouldn't one dig deeper and go further to find the best definition?
here's the best history of 3p’s intent based on the origins of the movement. excerpts from The Third Position Handbook:
. . . “the “movement (is) ... essentially ideological in outlook ... deals with the fundamental problems of our society. ... if beliefs are important, it is equally true that such beliefs only really take on their true significance when they are put into relief, when they are incarnated in a practical way. ... Thought and Action are a real and necessary unity; ... for neither by itself can bring anything to completion.
. . . “Historically, the Third Position is an alternative to Elections and Terrorism (both rooted in the same misconception: Materialism)
. . . "The moment you enter the System that has set our country on a downward path, you are inexorably roped into its life cycle, whatever your beliefs, whatever your actions. ... Hilaire Belloc rightly said: “If democracy could change anything the government would ban it.”
. . . "What needs to be killed in the current System is a mentality, not people.... Terrorism wholly misses the target - excuse the pun! - because it takes aim at the replaceable dummies operating the machine, and not at the machine itself... it is not the killing of bodies that changes society, but the conversion of souls. The moment a person ceases to believe in the System, because his heart and soul have been changed, the System is effectively dead for him; once a critical mass of people - perhaps 10% of a population - has come to this point, the System is on its way out.
. . . “Our involvement with the State should not be necessary, but incidental; should not be central but peripheral. In other words, we do not go up against the State, nor do we enter into the State; rather we go around it, seeking to make it obsolete wherever possible in respect of our politics and our lives. This conception of steady undermining is also coupled with steady building up. We make something obsolete not merely by getting rid of it, but by replacing it.
. . . “such a strategy was used in the past ... in Romania of the Thirties ... the center piece of the Legion of St. Michael the Archangel - also known as the Iron Guard or the Legionary Movement. It began as a small handful of people, almost no money and against a background of crisis and apathy amongst the population at large.... Yet within 15 years, the movement took power - not from the top down, but from the bottom up, so that every city, town, village and hamlet was represented in the living body of the Legionary Movement. There were no conversions amongst the rich and powerful... no (media) at their disposal. What there was was a body of doctrine that had the hallmark of Truth, a strategy that allowed everyone ... to find his role in the movement, and a burning desire to put the country to rights. Within fifteen years, this grouplet became a million.
. . . “look ... at the Legionary Movement as a kind of model, not to be imitated, but as something that stimulates ideas .... and allow for adaptations and improvements to take place.
. . . “The emphasis in the Legionary Movement is placed upon the individual: developing his personality, improving his morals, refining his talents, adding skills. .... begins with the formation and improvement of the New Man to build a new society. ... Not on paper, but in practice; not card-carriers, but practitioners, exemplars and missionaries of the Ideal.
. . . ”With this in mind, it becomes easy to understand that the Counter Power approach is aimed at creating a complete counter-society to the one in which we live. Thus we must possess our own farms and houses; ... set up businesses of every kind, employing comrades and their families; ... set up nursery and primary schools for the education of our children, and universities for our best (activists); ... have our own chapels and meeting places; ... have our own bars and coffee shops; ... have our own media; ... create our own films, theater and music scene; ... have a method and structure for the training and improvement of all our (activists); ... have the ability to grow our own food; ... run our own kind of social services, so that (activists) and their families are not left to fend for themselves against insuperable odds; ... have an efficient exchange system that allows talents and skills to be used to maximum advantage for the Movement and for its membership; ... have friends everywhere, in high and low places, and here and abroad" . .
. . . "We cannot afford to be dependent for such vital elements of our existence - physical, social and economic - on the System . . . we seek to bring such things largely under our control....
. . . “The ethos behind all (our) activity is to establish and develop independence (i.e. self-sufficiency) ... in all fields. It is only when our dependence on the structures of (the system) is reduced to the barest minimum that we can truly say that we (are on the path to true freedom)....” [end quote]
"We make something obsolete not merely by getting rid of it, but by replacing it."
. . . in conclusion, could one say that:
when Third Position is seen independent of all “movements”, its pure spiritual ideology for “reforming” all bankrupt traditions of men: church, state, or money (banking)? https://www.minds.com/newsfeed/952284344449896448
re “conspiracies” see: Psalms 2 = there is no conspiracy that is not under the control/government of the One True Sovereign Creator who's "Royal Law” is simple: ‘Love God with all your heart, soul and mind.’ & ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Matt 22:37-39)
and, to define what is moral, just and right does one not need a definition of "duty of care"? why is a proper definition of law, gov't and justice needed? what is equity? https://www.minds.com/MTKonig/blog/to-understand-duty-of-care-why-is-a-proper-definition-of-law-936618849442430976
Ironically, a current manifestation of a 3p movement was inspired by R.J. Rushdoony. it’s credo is “always reforming”, with emphasis on building up a new-born spiritual man: https://pocketcollege.com/index.html
another 3p reconstruction reformation to get closer to the original 3p idea:
What is The Ecclesia? Is It A Church? A Cult? Is It Important? https://www.minds.com/hosfell/blog/what-is-the-ecclesia-is-it-a-church-is-it-a-cult-is-it-impor-1006236617422348288
and an even deeper 3p reconstruction refinement:
What is Covenant Creation & why is it important? https://www.minds.com/hosfell/blog/what-is-the-ecclesia-is-it-a-church-is-it-a-cult-is-it-impor-1006236617422348288
this may be the simplest expression of what the third position is:
other example 3p memes: still dialectical in nature and not pure 3p:
bottom line: Obedience Training, a book by B A Hunter https://archive.org/details/ObedienceTrainingByBAHunterSearchable handbook for obedience training and eternal survival. To learn survival, we must discover how to select food, recognize friends from foes, what armor to wear, what weapons to use, tactics, and how to set a reliable watchman to guard us from enemy attack. All necessary information is in this best of all how-to books, and we may begin our training with dogma.”
want to be the change?
participate on Hospitality Fellowship group: https://www.minds.com/groups/profile/926204036453384192/feed