Frightening, almost surrealistic, headline, isn’t it? And it’s not even close to clickbait. As is usually the case when I read or listen to conservative author and commentator Victor Davis Hanson, his bottom-line analysis and admonitions are straight-up; no punches pulled, no hyperbole necessary.

Such was the case with VDH’s recent piece at American Greatness, Radical New Rules for Post-America, in which he says many Americans who privately fear the “radical rules” of the left are now “appearing to accept them publicly.” He begins with a startling line:

“There are 10 new ideas that are changing America, maybe permanently.”

Americans privately fear these rules, while publicly appearing to accept them. They still could be transitory and invite a reaction. Or they are already near-permanent and institutionalized.

“The answer determines whether a constitutional republic continues as once envisioned, or warps into something never imagined by those who created it.”

That an intellectual conservative like Victor Davis Hanson comes right out and says that our constitutional republic — America as we know it — is at a crossroad where one direction leads to protecting it while the other direction leads to America “warping into something never imagined by those who created it” is sobering — and I believe he’s right.

Victor Davis Hanson: The 10 radical new rules that are changing Americahttps://t.co/XrXhmsr1Rz

— Jeffrey Lord (@realJeffreyLord) April 11, 2021

I’ve selected several of the “radical rules” VDH wrote about, the first of which is stuck in our faces by the left on a daily basis — “bigly.”

Hypocrisy is passé. Virtue-signaling is alive.

Climate change activists fly on private jets. Social justice warriors live in gated communities. Multibillionaire elitists pose as victims of sexism, racism, and homophobia.

“The elite need these exemptions to help the helpless. It is what you say to lesser others about how to live, not how you yourself live, that matters.”

We are told — and I choose to be careful, here — wouldn’t want to anger the omniscient social media gods, you know — we are told that this is “existential” and that is “factual,” and more, and we best not question it — all which proves VDH’s reference to instilled fear.

Laws are not necessarily binding anymore.

Joe Biden took an oath to “take care that the laws be faithfully executed.” But he has willfully rendered federal immigration laws null and void.

Some rioters are prosecuted for violating federal laws, others not so much. Arrests, prosecutions, and trials are all fluid.

“Ideology governs when a law is still considered a law.”

When illegal immigration is, um, illegal — and swarms of illegal-alien-wannabes show up at the southern border decked out in “Biden 2020” campaign T-shirts, to which has been added “Please Let Us In!,” all but demanding that Biden keep his campaign promises — to them? And why would they do that? Oh, I don’t know —maybe because Biden spent most of his incoherent campaign telling them, “Come on over when I’m president!”? Just a hunch.

Racialism is now acceptable.

We are defined first by our particular ethnic or religious tribe, only secondarily—if at all—by an American commonality.

Unapologetic and explicit exclusion of whites from dorms, graduations, safe spaces, welfare, and federal aid programs is now noncontroversial.

It is unspoken payback for perceived past sins, or a type of “good” racism. Falsely being called a racist makes one more guilty than falsely calling someone else a racist.

AMEN. Challenge BLM, systemic racism, white supremacy, or the radical “Critical Race Theory?” You, my white friend, are, therefore “guilty as charged.” On “all counts.”

Now — prove your innocence.

Americans privately fear these rules while publicly appearing to accept them. They still could be transitory and invite a reaction. Or they are already near-permanent and institutionalized.

A sobering perspective from @VDHanson https://t.co/V0rVMbs86W

— The Daily Signal (@DailySignal) April 11, 2021

Ignorance is preferable to knowledge.

Neither statue-toppling, name-changing, nor the “1619 Project” require any evidence or historical knowledge. Heroes of the past were simple constructs.

“Undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees reflect credentials, not knowledge. The brand, not what created it, is all that matters.”

Exactly. Throughout history, radical movements have most feared knowledge — the spread of truth that contradicts their narrative. We are seeing that now. As I suggested above, the list of “things you must not question” continues to expand. And the truth? There is little we can do about it. It is, as the worn-out old saying goes, what it is.

And finally my — I won’t say “favorite”; let’s call it: nailed it.

Wokeness is the new religion, growing faster and larger than Christianity itself.

Its priesthood outnumbers the clergy, and exercises far more power. Silicon Valley is the new Vatican, and Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, and Twitter the new Gospels.

To VDH’s point, tens of millions of Americans view that “new priesthood” not unlike the typical stories we’ve all heard from friends who grew up in Catholic schools — I did not and I am neither attacking priests nor Catholicism — about the “strict nuns with the rulers” — as in “The Blues Brothers.” Am I wrong?

#4 Radical New Rule: The immigrant is mostly preferable to the citizen. The newcomer, unlike the host, is not stained by the sins of America’s founding and history. https://t.co/i11xydVEiH

— ❌🇺🇸New Republitarian❌🇺🇸 (@NuRepublitarian) April 6, 2021

Saul Alinsky, anyone? Get used to it.

And for “god’s” (lowercase “g” intentional) sake, keep your mouth shut.

You can read the rest of Victor Davis Hanson’s list here.