On Friday, @UsaRidge purchased a very special farm that I'm thrilled to now announce. I love everything about this 450-acre farm, but most of all I love how it will provide a perfect miniature demonstration of our Charter Community model. 🧵

This is cool. Wherever you are, you need to be leaning into local vibes. Egypt does desert power. What would Appalachian power look like?

I don't think people realize how powerful a restored American Chestnut would be for Appalachia: 1. Wildlife population explodes 2. Premium, fast growing hardwood product 3. Forested hills/mountains can be silvo-pastured (ever had chestnut finished beef/pork?)

We are going to build little developments in Appalachia that harken to rural English villages, and people are going to love it.

I like these houses that sit at the nexus of farmhouse and Victorian. The antithesis of those ghastly Chip and Joanna Gaines "farmhouses"

Let's discuss stone cottages. Pretty as a button, fitting to Appalachian terroir, last forever. So why don't we see more of them? Labor costs (Stone is readily available). I want to hear from anyone who's figured out how to build these affordably.

What if I told you that there's a treasure trove of ancient American protestant hymns out there that almost no one today has heard of. Except, maybe some of those old churches you've driven past in Appalachia; you know, the ones that look like this:

I showed this picture to my son and he asked me why we don't build hotels like this anymore. With a tear in my eye, I told him that we can't. We literally don't know how.

My very general thesis is that religious people will make up an increasing share of those who are highly competent, as they have a strict moral code that calls them to discipline and habituate virtue, helping them to avoid the mental illness that besets everything these days.

I used to live a half mile from here. I see a lot of people upset about it, but I think the more interesting question is why don’t Christians do comparably grand things anymore.

That settles it. He’s qualified.

Harvey Milk groomed and raped minor boys (one of whom went on to commit suicide). He was also a confidant of Jim Jones of the People’s Temple - the socialist cult leader that murdered 1,000 in a Guyana jungle and gave us the expression “Drink the Kool-Aid.” Zach’s “affirming ministry” isn’t nice or even well-intentioned. It’s Satanic.

This week, the biggest political scandal in decades (Arctic Frost) broke. Tonight a communist cruises into the NYC mayor’s office. So what did the Right do? Spend a week having a civil war because so-and-so is friends with a guy who talked to another guy.

Most of you are too young to remember, but the 2016 meltdown was absolutely epic and I hope the youth get to experience something similar.

Real midcentury modern houses were kind of cool, ngl

Establishment GOP: “We wish Trump tapped someone competent like Adam Kinzinger to lead the DoD.” Adam Kinzinger:

When people say "such and such" a plant is a keystone species, this is what they mean. Forests in the Eastern US should be 30% Chestnut trees. Everything would change if we got them back. The inherent value of the great Appalachian forests would explode.

These goblins have nothing better to do than prowl through small towns to find any signs of traditional American belief. Also, Cookeville, we see you. Very based!

We are a banana republic and the sooner people realize that, the better @douglassmackey went to jail for making the same exact joke about Crooked Hillary

Well, you have to hand it to James Lindsey - he "got us." He was playing to get a headline - "American Reformer Publishes Communist Manifesto" and he got it. Never mind that the entire thing was care-takingly rewritten, substantively inverted, and re-packaged into a passable right-wing article. If our enemies keep working at their craft and presenting even more convincing hoaxes, they'll put us out of a job. The truth is that American Reformer, the little journal that James' calls a "leading publication," the "flagship," and the "more respectable, mainstream wing" of his made-up term the "Woke Right" has grown by leaps and bounds in the last few years under the direction of a lean editorial team. American Reformer's mission is to reinvigorate the Protestant Church for the cultural challenges of our day, rooted in the rich tradition of Protestant social and political thought. James has resented us from the beginning because he knows that we - unlike him - have more satisfying answers than "we just need to return the classical liberalism of the 1990s!" We are re-examining the faulty assumptions that have brought American society to its current state, and recovering wisdom from across millennia that can be a solace and a guide in wild political times. American Reformer has always prided itself on giving a shot to less established authors. We've published hundreds of these over the last few years, many of whom have grown into leading voices at the nexus of American Christianity and politics/culture. We undeniably have significant energy and growth on our side. And we are almost alone amongst major Christian outlets to unabashedly support Trump's agenda and to have standing in the emerging coalition between MAGA, the rising dissident tech world, and the religious right. Obviously, our success has made us enemies, and we'll have to adjust our screening process. As a vocal (at times belligerent) atheist, James is not eligible to be published in American Reformer. Yes, James, you "got us" there, but we'll tighten that up. I was fan of James' early work. It is sad to see him fall to these levels, boxed out of any meaningful political movement, and resorting to dumb tactics that will yield clicks in the short term, but destroy his credibility in the long term. Those of us who care about the future of this country will keep about our work, fearlessly exploring serious ideas. We don't have time to navel gaze over James' petty resentments. Hey, if he keeps obsessively following us and regurgitating arguments, maybe he'll learn a thing or two - you never know.

I would vote for any politician who makes these legal for Americans.

There's cotton south, and there's tobacco south

The Elon as Caesar meme is willing itself into existence. This is how Caesar happens. Degenerate republic fails to secure basic governmental good for its people. Strong man takes notice and starts fixing things. People’s acclaim cascades toward strong man, delegitimizing regime. Then there’s a show down; a contest to see who’s sovereign. I don’t know exactly when it will happen, but our government’s current trajectory makes those events inevitable.

I have something to say to @elonmusk: don't allow porn. Doing so is intrinsically wrong, but it also is destructive of X's true and unique value proposition. X is a public forum. We likely share the desire that it function as such, as an optimal platform for free political speech. And let's be real, porn is ubiquitous in modern society. It's not threatened. But free political speech - now that's something that *no other major platform* provides. Allowing pornography - far from serving facilitating political speech (or being logically necessary for that end) - is actually destructive of X's utility as a public forum. Any successful "classically liberal" society knew this. They could easily, confidently say: "[X] is political, but [Y] is obscene/base." Allowing base "expression" will crowd out and drown the higher-level discourse that, at its best, X can facilitate. Thoughtful accounts will leave. Eventually, normie accounts may start leaving merely to avoid the stigma of being on a porn-heavy platform.

When progressives are ascendant, social justice issues are gospel issues. When conservatives are ascendant, the church is neither right nor left. Thankfully almost everyone is starting to notice the rules of this particular game.

MAGA is fractured today. But let’s be real. The ultimate success or failure of Trump’s admin still rises or falls on whether he delivers a fix on immigration.

Truly, the past is a foreign country. Your hillbilly ancestors went to church at places named "Cripple Creek Baptist" or "Dark Hollow Presbyterian" and could sing four-part harmonies and understand the elevated language of the King James Bible.

I’d wager that Charlie Kirk won more souls for Christ than the whole Young Restless & Reformed™️movement ever did

The Syrian Rebels toppling Assad aren’t “freedom fighters.” They are ISIS adjacent. There will be more destruction of historic Christian ME peoples. There will be pressure for Western countries to take countless unvetted “refugees.” But hey, at least we showed Putin.

I know Daniel Keene. He’s a smart, thoughtful and faithful husband, father and churchman. What’s been done to him - merely for expressing his distaste with his beloved Texas being culturally terraformed - is abhorrent. Even worse to see a Baptist church joining the struggle session.

Imagine being there on a Sunday morning. Packed full of hillbillies with barely a 4th grade education, coming to sing on Sunday after a week of working a mule team or digging in the coal mines. And they open their mouths and sing stuff like this: piped.video/watch?v=DrlNN7ft…

God has been far kinder to this nation over the past 12 months than I ever expected (and frankly, than we deserved).

Meanwhile you go to the "Journey church" with a coffee-shop style aura and think the confessional singer/songwriter songs are very cultured and authentic - like Bob Dylan! And after worship, you go to mimosa brunch (instead of potluck) to enjoy some tasteful banter. You are fey!

Every year Bill Gates and foreign investors quietly acquire millions of acres of American heartland. Their acquisitions go unnoticed. But when @NewFounding and @UsaRidge announce a modest little real estate development, it's international news! Clearly, we've struck a nerve. 1/

The Trump admin will be needing an NGO Czar, who’s mission is to investigate NGOs For starters, just look at where FEMA funding went.

And just look at these lyrics:

Whatever laboratory Stephen Miller was made in, I wish it could make approximately 10,000 of him.

Interesting to see that a lot of BigEva people who disdained Charlie Kirk for most of his career are now joining the parade.

I always laugh when I hear people say “oh, we need to rebuild social trust” You can’t just meme social trust back into existence. Social cohesion sets in from shared history, tradition and yes, *religion* over time. It takes generations. And hard choices must be made.

I sat down for lunch with David French some ten years back. A fellow conservative Christian graduate of Harvard Law, I had appreciated his voice - especially in the lead up to and the aftermath of Obergefell. David may not remember - one of many lunches for him, no doubt - but as a relative nobody at the time I was excited about the chance to visit with him. David has changed. He has betrayed commitments. Maybe I’m naive but reading him now it’s hard to believe this is the same man who penned fiery jeremiads against the sexual revolution so few years back. These days, he takes shots at my organization and colleagues, and at conservative evangelicals generally, in the NYT. The PCA was obviously correct to cancel his panel. He brings only division and subversion to the church. His new brand of politics and commentary is a cancer in American Christianity. Go read some Dante, David. nytimes.com/2024/06/09/opini…

Selective breeding of surviving American Chestnuts.

Basically, America is going to need a Protestant Franco

Surrogacy contracts should be illegal and unenforceable.

Wheaton bows to the savages

The year is 1800. You are wondering through the primeval forests of Kentucky. The old growth forests are park-like; massive bison and elk herds keep things mowed. The ground is littered with chestnuts and hundreds of passenger pigeons are nested in every tree.

Sheep is an extremely underrated farm animal, and their products (lamb meat, wool, cheese) are extremely underrated too. Brewington Farms will celebrate the humble sheep.

RidgeRunner lifestyle

I’m more of a Pepto Bismo Pudding guy myself, but this does look good!

PSA: Don’t be the kind of Christian who internalizes anti-Christian propaganda: “Oh wow, the crusades were so bad I’m sorry” “Colonialism was so evil, especially when they opened orphanages and schools to educate natives” It’s a cheap, fake form of pious sounding talk.

Conservative millennial dads recognize that barely anyone is out there building the world that we want for our kids and grandkids. We have to build it for ourselves.

This took place in Myanmar. The people who decided to pull the plug are in Myanmar. Apparently no one there is willing to pay, if the U.S. isn’t paying. The only universe where this is “evil” is one where the U.S. has a moral duty to fund the globe’s medical care.

Our nation is more than just a launch pad for getting to Mars. It's our home.

The effects of this decision would be far reaching. The end of an era.

Some of these ancient hymns are codified in a 1835 hymnal, Southern Harmony and Musical Companion. Also Sacred Harp Hymnals. YRR types should study how these songs are theologically precise and yet achingly poetic, very different than the prosaic stuff churned out today.

John Roberts made his decision, now let him enforce it. @GovAbbott this is a no brainer.

Dear Mr. President @realDonaldTrump, you need to appoint a “Chestnut Czar” and a commission to restore the real American Chestnut Tree

He understands the grave threat that the intelligence community and administrative state pose to American democracy - perhaps the single most important political issue today.

(1) Yes, as commander-in-chief President has inherent power to remove foreign gangs (2) As if that weren’t enough, the Alien Enemies Act gives him *explicitly unreviewable authority to do so* by mere declaration (3) More than that, SCOTUS has been utterly deferential to the exercise of this power (4) Whether we are in a time of invasion is a political question. If the judiciary interferes, it had better be ready for the downsides of picking the wrong side of a political question (a major reason courts invented political question doctrine to begin with).

I really try to avoid @davidafrench’s Sabbath screeds, but I heard that he recently misrepresented two things that I have an interest in: French's own reflections on critical theory at HLS and the fine folks who’ve been pushing Grove City College to avoid that garbage. 1/

Andrew (@BonifaceOption) is speaking for millions of Americans as he tells his story about why he felt compelled to leave his childhood home and join a project to build new, better kinds of communities. Thanks @TuckerCarlson for hosting this insightful conversation.

Maybe primitive Baptist or Cumberland Presbyterian. Maybe still know how to sing with shape notes, as they've been doing since they were planted 200 years ago by circuit riders. Passing down secret harmonies from generation to generation until they take on local patina.

The @FCC should be looking into stripping broadcast licenses from over-the-air networks that incite leftist violence with inaccurate reporting.

A quick personal announcement. In a bittersweet moment, I’m moving back home to Tennessee this week. This has been in the works for a while now. The New Founding/RidgeRunner partnership I’ve been running for the last six months (I.e., the Highland Rim Project) is exploding, and I need to be on the ground to see it through. I’m going to miss the camaraderie and intellectual energy of working right beside @NateAFischer, @santiagopliego, @JoshuaClemans, @jbif_2, @RonDodson and many other friends. We’ll still be brothers in arms, but now from a distance. New Founding’s office community in Dallas has evolved into something truly special. There’s a smart and disruptive core of workers, and a basically never ending stream of interesting visitors passing through. It’s a physical instantiation of the network that New Founding has brought together (the same network that’s been rocket fuel for our real estate play). TN friends - I’ll be in the greater Nashville region. Once the dust settles after this week please reach out. I’d love to connect. I’m looking forward to spending time on my land - hiking, hunting, fishing - and helping others discover and plug into the region I know and love so well.

YES

There are way too many conversations happening on right wing Twitter that should be happening in smoke-filled back rooms

While Governor Abbott and others in Texas have been risking much to defend America from the ongoing invasion - to great national acclaim - @SenatorLankford has been busy cutting a deal with Chuck Schumer to stab Abbott (and all of us) in the back. Lankford will say this bill provides real reforms and that we should take the win we can get. That is lie and he knows it. Biden enforces none of the laws on the books today. Passing a new law today provides no guarantee of enforcement, but guarantees that up to 5,000 illegal entrees per day (1.8mm+ per year) would now by expressly permitted by law. This bill makes peace with and normalizes the fact that America must accept a level of invasion per day, in exchange for entirely illusory benefits that are only as good as the administration standing behind them. I can’t buy that this is the product of a decent but misguided man. We must conclude that Lankford fully shares the goal of ensuring that no meaningful immigration reform will ever be achieved. The deal is a deliberate act of sabotage to kill in the cradle the emerging political will to enact meaningful border security measures. Lankford should be ousted from office, condemned by the OK legislature and never again be allowed to influence the GOP. His deal proves him to be a treasonous man who - for some unknown reason or price - decided it was worth it to sell out the citizens of his state and take a step that would moot everything Abbott has fought for (not to mention, poison the well against the real reform that Donald Trump is making the central issue of his campaign).

Lies like this are very common. It’s a demoralization technique, designed to tell Christian parents that it won’t make a difference if they make sacrifices to give their kids a Christian education. It’s completely wrong.

If you are GOP politician - state or federal - you are on the clock. You need to be finding find ways to fix leftist violence quickly and decisively. You need to be pulling all nighters, white boarding with staffers. You need to be strategizing and taking PUBLIC action.

Anyone who doubts that Elon will create net efficiencies shouldn’t be taken seriously.

Much of Appalachia is ~30% below its pre-WWII population peak. Signs of bygone prosperity are everywhere. Old bank buildings, Victorian houses, grand old hotels and factories. When the population started dropping, essential services faltered and local economies collapsed.

Growing up, you never saw armadillos in Northern Middle Tennessee. Now you see them everywhere. Will never not be weird to me. This is a desert animal, not Appalachian.

Not pictured: all the strip mining for rare earth minerals necessitated by the need for millions of batteries Modern Environmentalism is a wealth transfer scam that is ruining our planet.

It's the Golden Age in small town and rural America. @usaridge is just getting started, and with a number of high-conviction acquisitions in our pipeline, we have decided for the first time to open up our fundraising process. Strap in.🧵

There is an old Con Law principle called "Political Question Doctrine." Basically, courts are supposed to stay away from deciding questions better resolved through the political process. Courts are weighing in on political questions. They will get political answers.

If we don’t have a border, talking about America’s constitution or its civic traditions is Dungeon and Dragons LARPing.

Too often, hardworking and faithful Christian parents are flooded with messaging telling them that their sacrifices to give their kids a Christian education don't matter. I wrote today for @BaptistLeaders that this narrative is exactly wrong.

Outside a handful of institutions, most of evangelicalism made moves that will ensure they have no voice in Trump’s administration. This is a big (self inflicted) problem.

“You can’t legislate morality”

My hunch is that it’s not mainly Mexicans protesting/flying the Mexican flag, just as most of the folks with the Palestinian flag aren’t Palestinian. There are quite a few leftist activists always ready to take to streets under any flag that isn’t the American flag.

Guys seriously we have a federal government that wants to make it illegal to raise animals without registering them in a federal tracking system. It’s like the new UBO laws requiring all companies to disclose their ownership. I don’t throw this term around loosely: tyranny.

Hey @elonmusk can you add an Appeal to Heaven Flag twitter emoji?

Christians believe that traditional sexual ethics are not only morally correct but also the best for people. “Born this way” was always a lie. Widespread social acceptance/celebration of LGBT behavior (and especially various social contagions) have resulted in Gen Z being the gayest generation by a mile. N.b., it’s also the most mentally ill. It indisputable, and I think increasingly obvious, that the idea of immutable sexual orientations was always a lie. Society has a choice about what kind of behaviors it wants to encourage, and what it wants to marginalize. Christians running parades want them to be places that are free from public displays of various sexual experiments, because that content runs counter to our beliefs and goals in character formation. We want to use parades to elevate natural, healthy, normal human behavior.

I think we can all agree that it’s now a very reasonable question to ask: who’s been governing our country?

Pray for @megbasham and her family.

Utterly disqualifying. Ray recognizes that this election is regime level politics, and picks the side dedicated to destroying American democracy (not to mention, slaughtering babies and conducting mass sexual experiments on children).

Stuff like this is why many good people are interested in talking about bringing back blasphemy laws, etc. It is obviously evil and harmful to society. Doesn’t justice demand a response to stuff like this?

There’s the gambit lol That’s what this was always about

As the Gaines thing blows up I’m left wondering how many mega churches in the SBC would let them do their thing without ever challenging it.

If these were American Citizens at the capitol they’d be shot by now. Just FYI.

The public square was evacuated of Christianity in order to make room for successor religion.

Concerned Alumni of @WheatonCollege have written a letter calling for action, including leadership change, after the college apologized for recognizing alumnus @russvought's appointment to the Office of Management and Budget. Link below 👇

Okay, but don't UK my Appalachia

LSAT is dropping Logic Games (a fairly g-loaded portion of the test) this summer

Go read Reddit or Blueskky right now if you want to have clear eyes about our situation. God have mercy.

Project 2025 will restore the American Chestnut tree.

I want America to win. Not a generic global conglomerate headquartered in the US.

Tonight was a total and final repudiation of the long shadows cast by Bush and Obama.

Love our new billboard. God Bless Jackson County! 🔥🔥🔥

BLM has torn down innumerable statues of the Founders. One CN adjacent guy tore down a statue of Satan. If you think that the difference between the two is unknowable or irrelevant, you aren’t a conservative.