Cultivating Civic Virtue for America’s Third Founding

On December 27, 2023, Kim Monson examines what it takes to cultivate freedom for the next generation. Allen Thomas outlines the three civic virtues essential to American liberty, while Trent Loos reflects on family heritage and the pioneering spirit that built this nation.

Civic Virtue and America’s Third Founding

Start listening at 01:50 – Hour 1

In this segment, Allen Thomas joins Kim to discuss his upcoming essay on hope for the next generation. Thomas frames the current moment as America’s “third founding,” following the original founding against monarchy and the second founding that ended slavery. This third founding, he argues, requires confronting the tyranny of progressive bureaucracy and expert-driven governance.

Thomas outlines three essential civic virtues that Americans must cultivate: self-reliance in thought, self-restraint in action, and self-assertion in the public square. Unlike mere morality or ethics, these virtues require action. As Thomas explains, virtue is not simply talking about principles but living them out through daily behavior.

The conversation turns to the founders’ understanding of civic virtue and how the 17th Amendment fundamentally altered the constitutional balance by changing Senate elections from state legislatures to popular vote. Thomas argues this removed a critical check on federal power and introduced mob rule into what was designed to be a deliberative body insulated from popular whims.

“And they were titans of thought, right? They didn’t shy away from consuming knowledge, but then also making it available to other people.”

— Allen Thomas, Author and Essayist

Thomas emphasizes that embracing individualism does not mean selfishness. Rather, it means taking responsibility for one’s own family and community rather than deferring to experts who claim to know better. The failures of progressive bureaucracy, from COVID overreaction to inappropriate content in schools, have awakened parents and citizens to reclaim their individual judgment.

Preserving Family Heritage for Future Generations

Start listening at 59:17 – Hour 2

Sixth-generation farmer and rancher Trent Loos joins Kim for a wide-ranging conversation about family, heritage, and the importance of multi-generational connection. Loos shares memories of growing up within five miles of both sets of grandparents, with his grandfather Calvin J. Loos serving as his role model for life.

Loos observes that modern families have become scattered, with children often treating visits to grandparents as special treats rather than regular occurrences. He believes young families who moved to cities for corporate jobs increasingly want to return to raise their children the way they were raised, though fear of leaving comfortable suburban lives holds many back.

The conversation touches on surveillance and tracking concerns, with Loos declaring his intention to disconnect from convenient but invasive technologies in 2024. He describes search engines, GPS, and email as “the most amazing voluntary tracking methods you have ever imagined” and announces plans to switch to privacy-focused alternatives.

“If you do a better job of learning your own family history, trust me, you’ll take fewer things for granted in today’s world.”

— Trent Loos, Sixth-Generation Farmer and Rancher

Reflecting on Kim’s family story of a great-grandmother who emigrated from Germany as an indentured servant before settling in a Kansas sod house, Loos emphasizes how understanding such pioneering hardship helps modern Americans appreciate their current luxuries. He closes with optimism for 2024, noting that despite expected challenges, Americans have become more aware and built communities to face difficulties together.