The New Backup Plan

By Charlie Johnston

When I was a younger man (that is to say middle-aged and before), when public leaders erred and made things worse they would often make excuses or try to explain why it was not their fault. Tiresome, but a common human trait. It is only with the last three holders of the Oval Office that the occupants have tried to say that the disasters they helped create are actually great achievements. (To his credit, Trump only did this with the Covid shots and policy long after he should have known he was being had. Yet, he still does it, pretending his approach was great).

Some 20 years ago Jimmy Carter was widely considered the worst, most incompetent president since James Buchanan by serious people. Even he, though, midway through his term, got a deer in the headlights look as he very obviously realized this was not how he expected things to play out. Bill Clinton was the first president I could not bear to listen to for more than a few minutes, because of his serial prevarications, misdirections, and rhetorical sleights of hand. But he, too, when things were visibly warped, responded to the need to correct them rather than proclaim a pile of ashes to be a great success. Barack Obama pioneered the technique of taking an abject failure, declaring it a rousing success and moving on. All of this, of course, was facilitated by a press corps that is ever ready to transcribe whatever a leftist says as honest truth. You couldn’t get away with that when dealing with a press that was merely biased, rather than ignorant activists. Somewhere, Lyndon Johnson is rolling in his grave wondering why he could not have had today’s press to transcribe his failures as brilliant successes. Carter, of course, is just delighted that he will not be remembered as the worst failure in the Oval Office in two centuries.

How did we get to this point? Besides all the malevolent absurdities the left has adopted as its ideology, I think the rise of politics as self-actualization has played a huge role. Within every politician’s breast beats a burning desire to be someone important. Thank God. Without that spark of ambition, few would endure the trials endemic to genuine public service. The trade-off was always that you had to work to accomplish things and actually care for the public good to justify that status as being “important.” Democrats and Republicans were calibrated somewhat differently: Democrats were geared more towards providing assistance to those in need and Republicans were geared more towards providing opportunity for all without impediments. Despite the difference, both were united in supporting American interests and defending the country from threats.

At some point, the need for actual accomplishments was divorced from the desire for prominence. Instead of looking at public office as a vehicle to facilitate accomplishment, politicians came to think of public office as the validation of their dreams. They were now important and people had to do what they said. It became like a junior high school clique – all sizzle, no substance.

I knew in my early 20’s that Congressmen were not, by and large, intellectual or philosophical giants. This came from working with them. But they were, for the most part, strivers; people seeking to use their position to make their mark as people who could get things done and make things better. Most took the opportunity seriously. Now many – perhaps a majority – think attaining office IS making their mark. It is a political Kardashian standard of celebrity: they’re famous for being famous. This explains why we have so many AOC’s, Eric Swalwells and Adam Schiffs – people who are completely vapid with loud, bad attitudes. Just 30, certainly 40 or 50 years ago, their own party would have shunned them, shamed that they were making the party look so bad.

And yet, in a Constitutional Republic, I still believe that the quality of our representatives reflects the quality of our general population. One need only look at the comments section of most publications to see that we have become a vapid, irreligious, dishonorable people. (Thankfully, this site is one of the exceptions – but that took a lot of work early on, getting people to understand that vigorous debate and even a few sharp elbows were acceptable, but mindless vitriol was not.)

After the Constitution was adopted, John Adams said it was only, “…made for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” Is it any wonder that the pagans who have come to dominate our government so hate our Constitution? It is both an impediment to their ambitions and a rebuke to their moral pretensions.

This is why the most urgent task before each of us is to be moral and religious. The rot is so deep in most of our institutions that I do not believe they can be saved. But bad policy is its own destructor. In a healthy society, when policy is visibly seen to have bad results, people abandon the bad policy.  In authoritarian societies dominated by a cult of personality or a strongman, the ruling class is incapable of admitting to error – so bad policies are pursued until they collapse the society.

When societies collapse, people inevitably rebuild, sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly depending on their circumstances. At first, those who followed the old ruling class are shocked to find all they believed was a lie – and now they are paying huge consequences for seconding that lie. For a time they may occupy themselves trying to forlornly rebuild the broken system of lies under which they seemed to thrive. Most people try to find what does work to replace that which did not work.

In America we have some advantages and some disadvantages. The biggest disadvantage we have is that for the last century, America has been the world’s backup plan. When societies embarked upon self-destructive lunacy, America could be counted on to remain steady and to step in and help the broken society rebuild. This time we are collapsing the world’s backup plan. An advantage we have is that we have not had an endless succession of incompetent tyrants: within the living memory of a good half of the American people is a time when America largely worked for all and had a self-healing system to address and correct those areas where it did not. We also have a Constitutional system that, though much disparaged by the pseudo-intellectuals that predominate our institutions, actually worked to secure the blessings of liberty and prosperity for all. We have something to work with other than the serial failures of incompetent, murderous tyrants.

Sadly, we also have an ignorant mob filled with moral pretense and unending rage. Historically those types are very useful in helping a malignant tyrant to power. Once he has gained it, he usually destroys them first. The godless left has not calibrated this properly, though. The various systems are collapsing before any tyrant has consolidated power. Nothing burns off the rage of a morally pretentious mob than to suddenly have to face the stark want and struggle to survive that they had intended for others. Some of the mob will repent and convert. Others will not. They will perish.

Since we will not have the luxury of America as the backup plan to our own episode of destructive hubris, we formed The Corps of Renewal and Charity (CORAC) three and a half years ago. The initial goal was to establish a presence all across the nation, that we would have an organizing principle in place that was already hard at work everywhere as the old order fell. We have succeeded nicely in that – and have international chapters as well. The second order of business was to use the skills of some of our members to form national committees to help teach all of our members the skills they need to survive, and even thrive, as the old order falls. We have done that, as well.

In short, we have endeavored to become the new backup plan – and have been working at it since well before many saw what our growing societal dysfunction really portended. Throughout, we are committed to be a moral and religious people, not self-righteous, not attempting grand epoch-changing schemes, simply doing the little things that are not glamorous, but will be necessary to a people rebuilding together under God. It is not sexy and exciting. The only reason to do it is because of your love of God, proven through your love of family and neighbor by what you do, not just what you say. An important benefit of this approach is that it largely weeds out those who simply want glory without sacrifice and collaboration.

Please join us this Sunday, November 5 for a global ZOOM meeting. I will discuss, in detail, how we are going to refine our organizational structure and build communities that will keep working and grow even as the institutions we once relied upon fail and fall. Next week, the CORAC leadership across the country will receive the new CORAC Handbook, which is a pre-requisite for the CORAC Currency Manual which will be delivered during Advent.

Our children and grandchildren will live in neither chains nor chaos. The only way to ensure that that is reality rather than mere assertion is to work now to build a new backup plan for people working together, under God, to secure the blessings of liberty, prosperity and the pursuit of happiness. We are the new backup plan. Won’t you join us?

The link, again, for the global ZOOM meeting, which will be Sunday at 3 pm ET (2 pm CT, 1 pm MT and Arizona, and noon PT) is below:

Topic: CORAC Global Meeting
Time: Nov 5, 2023 @ 12:00 NOON (PT) 1:00 PM (Arizona & MT), 2:00 PM (CT), 3:00 PM (ET)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89609016803?pwd=RnVHd3dMNjVoV3h2ZmU4V2g1OEZjUT09

Meeting ID: 896 0901 6803
Passcode: 614901

If communication goes out for any length of time, meet outside your local Church at 9 a.m. on Saturday mornings. Tell friends at Church now in case you can’t then. CORAC teams will be out looking for people to gather in and work with.

Find me on Twitter at @JohnstonPilgrim

Donate to CORAC!

Join the Conversation!

The Corps of Renewal and Charity (CORAC)

18208 Preston Rd., Ste. D9-552

Dallas, Texas 75252

34 thoughts on “The New Backup Plan

    1. Astute analysis Charlie. In the past where the communists have taken over governments, those they used to break down the social order have been the first to go. I think that’s where the term “useful idiots” comes from. And CORAC should be a beacon of light to people trying to get their bearings as everything they have relied on collapses.
      Also, as a very proud grandmother, I have to tell y’all that my 12 yo grandson Henry was one of the kids from Mary’s House that laid the wreath at the Tomb of the unknown soldier referenced in the Fox News article above. Great kid.😄❤️

      Liked by 5 people

  1. Thanks so much actually stating the following.  My husband and I totally agree and are dismayed that so many aren’t willing to admit this!!  We still support him at this point but he certainly has some serious shortcomings.

    “It is only with the last three holders of the Oval Office that the occupants have tried to say that the disasters they helped create are actually great achievements. (To his credit, Trump only did this with the Covid shots and policy long after he should have known he was being had. Yet, he still does it, pretending his approach was great).”

    J & O Weber
    Illinois

    Liked by 3 people

  2. “Nothing burns off the rage of a morally pretentious mob than to suddenly have to face the stark want and struggle to survive that they had intended for others”.

    Well said! And then the sudden realisation hits them that those hated “others” were the very ones whose decency and work ethic kept the system running that enabled the morally pretentious ones (who flee from real work as a demon does from holy water) to avoid “stark want and struggle to survive”… but it’s too late.

    (still trying to work out if that’s a one-legged squirrel? 😎)

    Liked by 6 people

  3. Charlie this is such a great piece per usual!!! I pray you are feeling better these days!!!🙏🙏🙏. Looking forward to the zoom 🏎️ or the video of the zoom😂. My babysitting 👩🏻‍🍼 schedule may not permit me anything but to acknowledge God take that next right step and be a sign of hope for a little one🥰🙏⛪️👼🏎️

    Liked by 3 people

  4. JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU! … Happy Day! 😉

    https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/homeschooled-children-honor-medal-honor-recipient-fr-emil-kapaun-arlington-national-cemetery

    https://www.ncregister.com/features/hitchcock-jack-the-ripper-and-a-catholic-cemetery

    https://dailycaller.com/2023/11/02/bearded-trans-lady-rabbi-jessica-rosenberg-heckling-joe-biden-minnesota-megyn-kelly-stitches/

    SHOULD CHRISITANS SUPPORT ISRAEL — Taylor Marshall

    Pastor Dana – Sat – He is Pentecostal but not militant about it and does not argue about things of minor importance … These-Days.
    Back in the Day us Catholics called Pentecostals Holy Rollers ;-). Dana is big on preaching for The Time Now. I’m afraid that most Catholic Parishes are NOT getting The Message for Today!? …. but the same Ol’ Boilerplate Message that Sr Mary David did in my 4th Grade Class 😉 …. thus CORAC!
    When it comes to The Rapture, I’ve asked The Lord: If these Protestants are right, please remember that I’ve tried to be a friend of Yours! 😉

    Naughty Word Guy On-Target:
    https://www.zerohedge.com/political/kunstler-jewish-american-dilemma

    https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2023/11/04/marlow-dont-let-him-fool-you-joe-biden-chose-billionaires-and-green-radicals-over-auto-workers/

    Easy for Me to Say

    https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/hydroxychloroquine-associated-with-lower-covid-19-mortality-study-5521868

    https://www.floppingaces.net/2023/11/03/the-week-in-radical-leftism-11-03-2023/

    https://stream.org/category/us/
    https://theconservativetreehouse.com/
    https://www.thedailybs.com/news
    https://www.zerohedge.com/

    GOD SAVE THE REPUBLIC & ALL HERE!

    Liked by 3 people

    1. CD, I appreciate all the collecting of news items that you do! Your mention of the “Rapture” causes me to inject a comment about that. If people check out Catholic apologists at places such as Catholic Answers, they will find that the Rapture is a “recent” invention. We have one of our dearest friends who is an evangelical and believes in this idea, and I can’t even try to talk to him about it. They will know soon enough!

      Liked by 4 people

      1. Oops, that’s what I meant to say! 😟 Got 2 wonderful people mixed up. I know their work well; my best friend worked there for many years.

        Liked by 4 people

  5. Now that I have my head on a little straighter, I’m finding myself focusing more on what I can do each day. It’s more rewarding. 🙂

    I may actually be able to attend the call tomorrow. Is there a limit on attendees, and if so, is it likely that that limit will be hit?

    Liked by 3 people

  6. I looked at the Zoom link provided at the bottom of the Post and found that it doesn’t look right. The active part of the link should end with a “9”, but it actually ends the *active* part of the link five characters earlier, with the small “j”.

    When I backed up the post, I examined the code, and the last four characters are not part of the active part of the link but are placed in the label portion of the link’s command.

    It will need to be fixed. I could do so, but unfortunately, I don’t know if my critique is actually correct, since I don’t have the original link.

    Somebody who knows what the actual link is will need to fix this.

    Liked by 2 people

      1. You’re not alone. I do know some HTML and the tech involved, and I can’t figure out how that happened, either. Perhaps WordPress’s link creation software module takes any attached non-selected portion of the characters selected as the “name” automatically, but I think their module should kick that back with an error message, like “Did you mean not to select the entire set of characters?” so you would know.

        I suspect it’s a system problem, so be aware of it if you fail to select all the characters in a continuous string to create as a link. The module may accept the too-short link and append the unselected characters anyway. And it could be true for all links or just for links that are created for actual web addresses. It’s just with the former, it doesn’t matter, while for the latter, it’s critical.

        That’s my guess, anyway. 🙂

        Liked by 3 people

  7. JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU! … Happy Day! 😉

    https://catholicexchange.com/st-elizabeth-of-the-visitation/

    https://thefederalist.com/2023/11/04/every-ohio-pastor-has-a-duty-to-urge-his-congregants-to-vote-no-on-issue-1/

    https://therecordnewspaper.org/never-never-lose-faith-says-man-whose-miraculous-cure-as-child-led-to-st-kateri-tekakwithas-canonization/

    https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2023/oct/31/michelangelo-secret-sketches-under-church-in-florence-open-to-public

    https://spiritdailyblog.com/afterlife/the-levels-of-purgatory

    Polska niespodzianka

    Demons & their useful idiots … Busy, BUSY ;-(
    https://catholicvote.org/tracker-church-attacks/

    I’ve lost almost 40# on a 16/8 Fasting Diet since Ash Wed 😉 I’ll probably stick to 16/8 from now on
    https://spiritdailyblog.com/news/preventing-illness-through-the-holy-spirit

    https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/327398

    A pleasant place 😉
    https://www.travelandleisure.com/most-peaceful-places-in-the-us-casago-analysis-8385885

    3rd World USA .. ;-(

    America’s Immigration Daydream Is Coming to an End

    The Great Reset Part 1: The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

    https://hotair.com/headlines/2023/11/04/emps-how-china-will-punch-out-our-lights-n589971
    I’ve been trying to think of stuff that would be useful in the event of a Natural/War Disaster/EMP Event …. stuff besides H2O, Spam, Beans & Bullets. I decided to buy a little used 1992 Encyclopedia Britannica. I grew up with a little used 1947 set and remember my Old Mother telling me that even an old encyclopedia if full of useful knowledge when the Power, Satellites & Cell Towers go dark …. other stuff: How to Books, Hand Tools, old Board/Card Games. Barter Stuff & Critical Stuff we take for granted.

    https://mises.org/wire/dont-fall-bidens-latest-talking-point

    https://jimbovard.com/blog/2023/10/30/fbi-following-bidens-instructions/

    https://www.thedailybs.com/news
    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/

    GOD SAVE THE REPUBLIC & ALL HERE!

    Liked by 4 people

    1. Great, Mark! The link to the CORAC website is: https://corac.co/ If you haven’t already, do consider signing up while you’re at the site. It costs nothing and you’ll have access to the incredible wealth of resources there. Additionally, you’ll be on the mailing list and receive alerts to new meetings, to when the newsletter is published, to Charlie visits around the country, etc. You can also check in to keep watch for new events which often included classes which provide opportunities beef up knowledge in areas of your interest.

      Liked by 3 people

  8. JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU! … Happy Day! 😉

    https://catholicexchange.com/truth-in-modern-times/

    https://media.benedictine.edu/this-sunday-replace-the-church-of-the-pharisees-with-the-church-of-mary

    https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/pope-francis-looks-at-synodal-reforms

    https://crisismagazine.com/opinion/on-hedgehogs-and-synods

    https://catholicexchange.com/long-distance-grandparenting/

    https://crisismagazine.com/opinion/beauty-belongs-in-the-public-square

    https://www.lifenews.com/2023/11/02/judge-rules-texas-lawsuit-against-can-go-forward-planned-parenthood-may-have-to-pay-1-8-billion-over-fraud/

    https://www.foxnews.com/us/uw-gave-gender-transition-surgeries-without-proper-consent-lawsuit

    https://www.foxnews.com/media/target-ceo-accused-telling-flat-out-lies-about-pride-merchandise-backlash-consumers-research-leader

    https://townhall.com/columnists/kurtschlichter/2023/11/06/a-salute-to-senator-tommy-tuberville-n2630786

    https://politicalinsiders.net/aclu-demands-end-to-protection-of-tennessee-children/

    NOW might be a good time to check those Car Tires, Batteries, Fan Belts and other things that be getting-on in years!
    https://www.thedrive.com/cars-101/14662/reminder-if-you-live-in-colder-climates-you-need-winter-tires?

    https://www.wnd.com/2023/11/hal-lindsey-blasts-ancient-blame-game-israel-war/

    https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-771826

    https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/nov/5/liberal-jews-wont-abandon-their-real-religion-libe/

    SUNDAY FUNNIES

    https://www.floppingaces.net/2023/11/05/sunday-funnies-767/

    https://stream.org/category/us/
    https://www.thedailybs.com/news
    https://www.zerohedge.com/
    https://www.newsmax.com/
    GOD SAVE THE REPUBLIC & ALL HERE!

    Liked by 3 people

  9. A bit of a Longshot but would anyone know of an Orthodox Church, ideally a Latin mass, in McAllen, Texas. I will be visiting next week. Thanks and God bless.

    Liked by 2 people

  10. JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU! … Happy Day! 😉

    https://respectliferadio.podbean.com/e/david-bonagura-the-beauty-of-st-jerome/

    https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/notre-dame-students-protest-campus-drag-show-by-praying-rosary-attending-eucharistic-adoration/

    https://onepeterfive.com/pope-francis-attempts-to-rig-the-next-papal-election/

    https://spiritdaily.org/blog/commentary/forums-is-this-modernist-plan-to-take-over-the-church

    https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2023/11/the-vatican-does-not-understand-the-church-in-the-united-states

    https://catholicexchange.com/science-and-the-necessity-of-reason/

    https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/remedy-for-world-weariness/

    https://www.ncregister.com/blog/edith-stein-martyr-for-love-seized-by-truth

    https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/20097/jew-hatred-middle-east

    https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/alex-christy/2023/11/04/cnns-zakaria-tries-blame-christians-campus-anti-semitism

    https://allenwest.substack.com/p/proportionate-response

    https://www.catholicleague.org/pro-hamas-and-pro-lgbt-crazies-tied-at-the-hip/

    https://www.breitbart.com/environment/2023/11/06/pope-francis-will-attend-u-n-cop28-climate-summit-in-december/

    Naughty Word Guy sounds about Right ;-(

    The Four Wars

    https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2023/11/keep_your_head_on_a_swivel.html

    https://www.floppingaces.net/2023/11/05/the-man-behind-the-curtain-steps-out-and-hes-planning-to-control-the-2024-election/

    https://allenwest.substack.com/p/allen-west-front-line

    https://www.wnd.com/category/front-page/

    https://www.thedailybs.com/news
    https://www.zerohedge.com/
    https://newsbusters.org/
    https://links.glennbeck.com/view/55d278157d0973635efe6258jtcjz.1l9v/d17566f0

    GOD SAVE THE REPUBLIC & ALL HERE!

    Liked by 1 person

  11. JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU! … Happy Day! 😉

    https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/255935/major-survey-finds-conservative-and-orthodox-priests-on-the-rise-varying-levels-of-trust-in-bishops

    https://catholicexchange.com/the-eccentricities-of-saints/

    https://highergroundtimes.com/higher-ground/2023/nov/7/photographer-can-refuse-same-sex-assignments-virgi/?utm_medium=higher-ground

    https://onepeterfive.com/pope-has-uttered-plenty-of-material-heresies-former-vatican-doctrinal-head/

    https://catholicexchange.com/truth-and-the-restoration-of-reason/

    https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/my-arabian-day-trip-st-hyacinth-and

    How long, Lord!?
    https://catholicvote.org/ohioans-enshrine-abortion-state-constitution/

    https://catholicvote.org/joni-ernst-effort-to-stop-military-abortion-agenda-abhorrent/

    https://catholicvote.org/missouri-sues-biden-admin-mail-order-abortion/

    https://dailypassport.com/fairy-tale-european-castles/

    https://afn.net/opinion/robert-knight/2023/11/07/signs-of-hope-for-america/

    https://allenwest.substack.com/p/allen-west-veterans-day-salute

    https://www.wnd.com/2023/11/myth-global-westernism/

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12719021/DHS-disinformation-group-Stanford-2020-election-emails.html

    https://www.declassified.live/p/the-forrest-gump-of-january-6-cases

    https://www.glennbeck.com/radio/biden-control-aspect-internet-exposed

    https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/joe-biden-briefed-on-chinese-effort-to-put-military-base-in-oman/articleshow/105056268.cms

    https://townhall.com/
    https://www.thedailybs.com/news
    https://links.glennbeck.com/view/55d278157d0973635efe6258jtoid.1p4q/1816580c
    https://www.zerohedge.com/
    https://www.frontpagemag.com/
    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/

    GOD SAVE THE REPUBLIC & ALL HERE!

    Like

  12. Charlie I couldn’t make your national zoom on Sunday and I just got done babysitting 👩🏻‍🍼 last night so I JUST NOW LISTENED TO IT AND WOWSY WOWSER THAT WAS A GOOD ONE!!! Lol 😂 Everything you said made perfect sense to me!!! You looked great, you looked happy and you looked all well from your last bug you had thanks be to God!!! Thank you for that wonderful talk it was absolutely refreshing especially about the era of peace that is fully in swing!!! You take care good man!!! Like my day used to always say, “keep on keepin on!”

    Like

Comments are closed.