Chronicles (magazine)

Chronicles: A Magazine of American Culture is a monthly magazine published by the Rockford Institute, a paleoconservative think tank.About The Rockford Institute Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:05:43 UTC). Established in 1976, it stands as the premier periodical for erudite, highly-educated racists. 
If the American far right is defined by how white, male, affluent, and out-of-touch it is, then contributors to Chronicles are the whitest, most affluent, and most out-of-touch men there are. To their credit, they do part ways from movement conservatism by opposing big business and interventionist foreign policies. Unfortunately, even opposing big business and interventionism leaves plenty of inhumane ideas for the magazine to support; Chronicles deals in the worst of the right: racism, sexism, and Christianism.
Chronicles peaked in the 1990s,Chronicles by E. Christian Kopff (09/03/10) First Principles (archived from April 15, 2015). helping shape the paleoconservative revival that accompanied Patrick Buchanan's 1992 and 1996 Presidential campaigns. However, the magazine's intellectual ambitions damaged it in the growing anti-intellectual climate that currently defines the modern conservative movement, an effect made worse by editor Thomas FlemingSen. John Cornyn Meets the Racist Right by Max Blumenthal (2006 September 20) Huffington Post. and his rigid adherence to and reverence for Catholic orthodoxy, which alienated the Evangelical segment of the readership. Its subscriber base has since dropped from 15,000 at the magazine's apex down to about 5,000 as of 2006.
==Pseudointellectualism==
Unlike other far-right publications, such as WorldNetDaily or American Thinker, Chronicles possesses a definite air of erudition. Their contributors are all highly educated, well-read, and thoughtful — they're the most eloquent and philosophical racists you will ever read. Among their contributors, Clyde Wilson is highly respected by historians for his work on slavery-defender John C. Calhoun's diaries,The Ideologues: Read about the intellectuals and ideas that have shaped the core of the modern neo-Confederate movement. by Heidi Beirich & Mark Potok (2004 Winter) Intelligence Report, Southern Poverty Law Center. Thomas Fleming has a doctorate in classic literature,Author Page for Thomas Fleming The Rockford Institute (archived from April 10, 2012). and Srdja Trifkovic may hate Muslims but he has actually read the Qu'ran.Dinesh D’Souza: A Charlatan’s Comeuppance Dinesh D’Souza: A Charlatan’s Comeuppance by Srdja Trifkovic (November 2, 2012) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:05:15 UTC).
These are your grandfather's pundits, and your grandfather's pundits don't make half-hearted references to iconic philosophers, they've actually read those philosophers and can probably lecture you about the historical contexts of their works.
But, ultimately, what makes a person a hack is their eagerness to propound on the importance of principles, while waffling and obfuscating when it comes to actual facts and reality. And make no mistake: almost every Chronicles writer is a hack.
A key giveaway of Chronicles' hackery is that, despite considering mainstream conservatism to be craven and corrupt, and disdainfully holding themselves as apart from it, its editors uncritically accept many of the talking points pushed by the most craven and corrupt of conservatives. Thus, Representative Joe Wilson was a hero for yelling "You lie!" at President Obama during a speechThat's a Lie" by Clyde N. Wilson (September 17, 2009) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:06:09 UTC). — Clyde Wilson. (ignoring the fact that Wilson was himself lying). Barack Obama is in the very least a "quasi-Muslim,"Politics in the Anti-Christian Age by Gregory M. Davis (December 11, 2008) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:06:45 UTC). — Gregory M. Davis. and he is definitely a Marxist.One Nation Under Obama by Thomas Fleming (July 1, 2008) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:05:28 UTC). — Thomas Fleming.The Obamanation of Desolation by Thomas Fleming (August 19, 2008) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:06:02 UTC). — Thomas Fleming.Ignorant Armies: Final Thoughts on the Election by Thomas Fleming (October 31, 2008) Chronicles. — Thomas Fleming.Building the Obamanation by Thomas Fleming (December 18, 2008) Chronicles. — Thomas Fleming. Also, the construction of an Islamic community center in Manhattan is an act of aggression by Muslims,Our Clueless Professor by Patrick J. Buchanan (August 17, 2010) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:05:43 UTC). — Patrick Buchanan.Ground Zero Mosque: Correcting the Non-Debate by Srdja Trifkovic (October 22, 2010) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:06:09 UTC). — Srdja Trifkovic. although New York City isn't a part of "real America."Ground Zero Mosque, Grade Zero Argument by Thomas Fleming (August 19, 2010) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:05:44 UTC). — Thomas Fleming.
==Pseudohistory==
Chronicles traffics heavily in pseudohistory. Because its mostly Catholic editor base eschews Biblical literalism and remains suspicious of any morality that postdates the Enlightenment, they turn to "traditionalism" for their morals, which is derived from a culture's history.Back to the Stone Age I D by Thomas Fleming (October 3, 2012) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:05:31 UTC). The problem is, real history is so messy that you can't derive any morality from it at all, so Chronicles writers are forced to assert their own version. 
Contributors consequently treat history as a series of distinct moral fables — lessons for the common man to learn from. Spartans were proper manly men who didn't cry, and if you do cry it's because you've been Americanized.Tears of a Clown
by Taki Theodoracopulos (April 23, 2010) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:05:25 UTC). — Taki Theodoracopulos. Republics fail like Rome when they "have no champion" (presumably for conservatism), and that's why Obama's reelection in 2012 will doom America.Obama’s Victory by Srdja Trifkovic (November 7, 2012) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:05:40 UTC). — Srdja Trifkovic. America's moral fiber was stronger during the Great Depression, but is now too weak to withstand the Great Recession of the 2000s.The Panic of 2011 by John Seiler (August 30, 2010) Chronicles. — John Seiler. Jews corrupted Wall Street, therefore it can be made less corrupt if we get rid of them.Sachs of Gold by Taki Theodoracopulos (March 8, 2010) Chronicles (archived from 21 Jul 2012 21:55:44 UTC). — Taki Theodoracopulos. Feminism was bad because it only helped lesbians.Back to the Stone Age, I B by Thomas Fleming (September 27, 2012) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:05:08 UTC). — Thomas Fleming. Roman slaves led pretty good lives, therefore poverty today is worse than actual slavery.Athens and Jerusalem III: Why Rome Fell by Thomas Fleming (November 2, 2009) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:05:40 UTC). — Thomas Fleming. Anglo-Saxons make good laws, then Chinese people corrupt them.Criminals With Badges—How the Police Create Crimes by Paul Craig Roberts (January 7, 2008) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:05:33 UTC). — Paul Craig Roberts. (Their pseudohistory heavily reinforces their racism.)
While rarely the focus of an article, moralizing assertions like this about history are littered throughout Chronicles, presented as just-so kernels of wisdom that refute more liberal, modern morals.
Any historical fact that is dissonant with their ideology is quietly swept under the rug. For example, as traditionalists, Chronicles contributors have a great appreciation for the Greek classics, but the Greeks' icky homosexual practices are either strategically left unmentioned or declared to be "misinterpreted" by foul pro-gay "historical revisionists".Sex and Death by Thomas Fleming (March 20, 2006) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:06:29 UTC). — Thomas Fleming.
==Racism==
Several of Chronicles' columnists are open Neo-Confederates, who justify the South's past slavery of Africans and advocate a new Southern secession. Two of its contributors were even founders of the League of the South,The Ideologues: Read about the intellectuals and ideas that have shaped the core of the modern neo-Confederate movement. by Heidi Beirich and Mark Potok (2004 Winter) Intelligence Report, outhern Poverty Law Center. and several others are members."From the Alamo to Kosovo": The Anti-Muslim/Hispanic Movement in Texas by Edward H. Sebesta (Summer 2002) The Touchstone 12(3) (archived from December 5, 2003). — Edward H. Sebesta. The rest may not be open Neo-Confederates, but are still really, really racist.
Much of the racism bandied about is of the "it's not faaair!" variety. It's not fair that African-Americans dominate so many sports.White Sprinters by Roger D. McGrath (August 6, 2007) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:05:28 UTC).The Myth of Equality by Patrick J. Buchanan (August 27, 2010) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:05:11 UTC). It's not fair that no one talks about all the crimes black people commit.Race, Crime, and the Media by R. Cort Kirkwood (May 15, 2007) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:05:33 UTC).The Color of Crime by Patrick J. Buchanan (August 21, 2007) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:05:21 UTC). It's not fair that so many minorities get into college.Bias and Bigotry in Academia by Patrick J. Buchanan (July 20, 2010) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:06:00 UTC). And countless articles stating simple variations of "Black people vote in their electoral interests", with the follow-up "It's not fair that we get called racists when we stand up for white people's interests" left silent.The Revolution Is by Clyde N. Wilson (November 5, 2008) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:05:32 UTC). — Clyde N. Wilson. 
Also, undocumented immigrants. By which they mean Hispanics. According to Chronicles, Hispanics are dangerous criminals“Family Values”: Illegal Aliens and Their Sex Crimes by R. Cort Kirkwood (April 5, 2007) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:05:55 UTC).Double Down: Illegal Aliens and Crime by Roger D. McGrath (July 12, 2010) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:05:32 UTC). who destroy family values,Everybody in America by Clyde N. Wilson (February 24, 2009) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:06:03 UTC). — Clyde N. Wilson. and are plotting to take over the southwestern United States.Nostradamus I’m Not by Clyde N. Wilson (April 4, 2007) Chronicles (archived from ). Hispanic population growth is more tragic than World War IThe Way Our World Ends by Patrick J. Buchanan (May 1, 2008) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:06:46 UTC). and Hispanic immigration is a gang-ridden invasion.Response to Unz by Roger D. McGrath (February 18, 2010) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:05:33 UTC). —Roger D. McGrath. (They love describing immigration as an "invasion".The Popular Front at NR by Tom Piatak (July 15, 2008) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:05:35 UTC). — Clyde Wilson.After the Deluge (Review: Immigration and the American Future) by Jack Trotter (March 1, 2008) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:05:23 UTC). — Jack Trotter.Stand Up for Arizona by Patrick J. Buchanan (April 30, 2010) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:05:59 UTC). — Patrick J. Buchanan.) Chronicles has abiding terror of the fact that future America may not be white.Half a Billion “Americans”? by Srdja Trifkovic (August 31, 2007) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:05:20 UTC). — Srdja Trifkovic.
==Notable contributors==
None of Chronicles' contributors are under 44 years of age. All of them are white, male, and Christian. Given that these demographics also describe the magazine's readership, it's unlikely to change anytime soon. As the modern conservative-industrial complex funnels young intellectuals into more useful roles than writing for obscure racist magazines, Chronicles is effectively doomed to a slow death from starvation.
The magazine's current line-up of contributors include:
*Patrick Buchanan : The only Chronicles writer with an appreciable presence outside of paleoconservative circles, Buchanan writes a nationally syndicated column and was until 2012 a pundit on MSNBC. He's an odious racist, who is nonetheless one of the few reliable voices against a military-centric foreign policy and the War on Drugs.
*Alexander Cockburn : Token liberal at Chronicles.Alexander Cockburn Chronicles (archived from 21 Jun 2013 11:01:13 UTC).
*Thomas Fleming : President of the Rockford Institute, which publishes Chronicles. He is a hardline Catholic and founding member of the League of the South. He has a Daily Mail column.Thomas Fleming's blog Daily Mail Online.
*George McCartney: Movie critic for Chronicles, and one of the magazine's better writers. He is usually willing to give a film a fair shake, sometimes even explicitly disagreeing with other editors' poorly-considered rejections of certain films.Re: Despicable Tedium by George McCartney (September 27, 2010) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:06:02 UTC). McCartney's columns are one of the few bright spots at Chronicles. 
*Tom Piatak: Economics writer. He opposes globalization and free trade.The Jobs Go Out, Like the Tide Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:05:31 UTC).The Jobs Go Out Like the Tide, Continued by Tom Piatak (September 30, 2011) Chronicles. 2011 September 30.Globalism Is Not A Conservative Value by Tom Piatak (June 27, 2012) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:06:16 UTC).Free Trade Is For Suckers by Tom Piatak (October 16, 2012) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:06:03 UTC).Free Trade Still Doesn’t Work by Tom Piatak (October 16, 2012) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:05:16 UTC). While his self-proclaimed "economic patriotism"Why Romney Lost Ohio by Tom Piatak (November 6, 2012) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:06:16 UTC). is sincere, it does reinforce his revulsion against multiculturalism.How to Win the War Against Christmas by Tom Piatak (December 8, 2008) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:05:57 UTC).Austrian MP Excoriates the Tolerance Romantics by Tom Piatak (December 7, 2010) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:05:32 UTC). (In one column he even dreaded the increasing popularity of soccer in America. Because soccer is foreign.Still the Metric System in Short Pants by Tom Piatak (June 18, 2010) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:05:18 UTC).)
*Scott P. Richert :Scott P. Richert Facebook (archived from 7 Jul 2013 16:06:59 UTC). Executive editor for Chronicles and sysadmin for the Rockford Institute.Rockford Institute Staff Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:06:08 UTC). Richert is the youngest contributor to the magazine. He is slightly more grounded in reality than his elders. (For example, after Facebook's IPO fiasco, Fleming dismissed Facebook out of handRe: Facebook by Thomas Fleming (May 30, 2012) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:05:32 UTC). — Thomas Fleming whereas Richert actually did research and discussed Facebook's numbers.Re: It’s All Over/Facebook IPO by Scott P. Richert (May 20, 2012) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:06:04 UTC).) He is a member of the League of the South.
*Srdja Trifkovic : Foreign affairs writer. He is a Serbian nationalist who worked with several officials during the Bosnian War who were later indicted for genocide,Trial transcript, Page 27390 International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (United Nations). and whom he testified in defense of. He remains popular in conservative circles because said genocides involved killing Muslims, and because he wrote a book, Sword of the Prophet: The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam, about how evil Islam is.The Sword of the Prophet by Serge Trifkovic, reviewed by Paul Eidelberg, Freeman (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:05:52 UTC).The Sword of the Prophet: Islam, History, Theology, Impact on the World by Srdja Trifkovic (2002) Regina Orthodox Press. ISBN 1928653111.
*Chilton Williamson, Jr.: A racist and published author, Williamson is Chronicles' literature editor,About Chilton Williamson, Jr. meaning he's paid to review books by other racist authors in what we're sure is a very dignified circlejerk. He believes that conservatism's basis is in theology, whereas liberalism's is a "rebellion against metaphysical reality."An Interview With Chilton Williamson by Robert C. Cheeks (March 31st, 2007 at 9:15 pm) California Literary Review. He also believes immigration will destroy America,Immigration and the American Future Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:05:15 UTC). — Chilton Williamson, Jr., Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:05:15 UTC). but that's par for the course at Chronicles. Another member of the League of the South. 
*Clyde N. Wilson : Historian, Neo-Confederate, grumpy old man. An astounding number of his columns are deeply bitter and resentful refrains of "In my day…"Clyde-n-wilson Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:05:31 UTC). Along with Fleming, he was a founding member of the League of the South.
*Aaron D. Wolf :Aaron D. Wolf: A Man of Faith and Family Chronicles (archived from 17 Feb 2022 07:53:54 UTC). Associate editor at Chronicles and its webmaster. Like Richert, he was comparatively young. As a Lutheran,Out With the Old by Aaron D. Wolf (July 2, 2008) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:06:23 UTC). he is one of the magazine's few Protestant contributors (almost all the others are Roman Catholic or one of the many subsects of Eastern Orthodox).
==Local memes==
Like all political publications, Chronicles has its own narrative, echoed amongst its columnists and in the comments section.
*The American Civil War was about arrogant and greedy Hamiltonian industrialists (the North) invading the cultured Jeffersonian agrarians' home (the South).While both Founding Fathers, Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson had competing visions of the United States. Alexander Hamilton believed in a strong federal government and envisioned the United States as a future industrial powerhouse, while Jefferson advocated a decentralized government for a land of farmers. Guess which one Chronicles hates. Slavery was purely incidental, when mentioned at all, and a benefit to Africans.
*American culture (read: "Northern" culture) is odious and corrupt, while Southern culture is the only remaining noble and admirable part of America.
*Abraham Lincoln was a traitor and an aspiring dictator.
*Richard Nixon was the last competent and decent president.Tears of a Clown by Taki Theodoracopulos (April 23, 2010) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:05:25 UTC). — Taki Theodoracopulos.It’s the Jobs by John Willson (April 19, 2010) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:06:14 UTC). — John Willson.Nixon and Obama — Soul Brothers? by Patrick J. Buchanan (October 23, 2009) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:05:25 UTC).
*Russia is a natural ally of the United States because they're a fellow Christian nation.Putin Versus the Kremlin on the Potomac by Srdja Trifkovic (December 8, 2007) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:05:55 UTC). — Srdja TrifkovicRussia and the West: The Tragedy of 1204 Redux by Srdja Trifkovic (April 8, 2008) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:05:43 UTC). — Srdja TrifkovicPast and Future President Putin by Srdja Trifkovic (September 26, 2011) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:05:27 UTC). — Srdja Trifkovic
*Islam is a fundamentally evil religion.Ground Zero Mosque, Grade Zero Argument by Thomas Fleming (August 19, 2010) Chronicles (archived from 7 Jul 2013 13:05:44 UTC). — Thomas Fleming 
*Newfangled modern gadgets have ruined society.
In general, Chronicles is the intellectual backbone (if one could say that) for the entire Lost Cause of the South.
==Memory hole==
The editors of Chronicles often delete an article or even whole sets of articles from their website. They also disallow Internet Archive from archiving many of their pages, any article so deleted is effectively gone for good. Fortunately, is able to bypass this problem on an on-demand, page-by-page basis.
In one particularly notable (but long-removed) article the author made it clear they believed Richard Nixon's personal conduct to be more important than his actions as President of the United States. When Nixon treated a recipient of the Medal of Honor with great respect, that meant Nixon was in fact a true and moral gentleman, regardless of his actions as a politician.
==See also==
*Classical antiquity — more history abuse by the far right
*Donald Trump — a kleptomaniac who incidentally stole some of their racist ideas and ran with them
*League of the South — A fellow racist group that heavily cross-pollinates with Chronicles.
*Neoreactionary movement — a more mock-worthy right-wing history fantasy
*VDARE — a fellow racist website that Chronicles writers sometimes link to.
==External links==
*Official website for Chronicles.
==Notes==
==References==
Category:Alt-right
Category:Antisemitism
Category:Homophobia
Category:Islamophobia
Category:Magazines
Category:Paleoconservatism
Category:Pseudohistory promoters
Category:Racism
Category:Sexism
Category:Websites