While commentators have devoted oceans of ink to defining what constitutes today’s political and cultural left, it is nearly impossible to reconcile the disparate strands of Marxism, progressivism, feminism, identitarianism, intersectionalism, anti-colonialism, statism, environmentalism, transhumanism, and everything in between. These strands are further complicated by the surrounding context and the endless interactions between these ideologies.
However, in his newest book, Lions and Scavengers: The True Story of America (and Her Critics), conservative commentator Ben Shapiro somehow finds a way to cut through all the noise and propose an unusually clear and effective analogy for the right and left: Lions and Scavengers. On one side (the right) are the Lions who protect, innovate, and build, and on the other side (the left) are the Scavengers who exploit, destroy, and deceive.
At first, this framing seems obviously self-flattering and childishly reductive. Knowing this, Shapiro explains his terms in depth and references a plethora of instances from recent history, along with the timeless wisdom of the great Western thinkers, to develop his argument. He is also careful to speak of the ways of Lions and Scavengers as inherent patterns of thought for all humanity, declaring that “in each human heart, the battle between Lion and Scavenger rages.” It just so happens that much of the right has aligned with the ways of the Lion, while much of the left has adopted the ways of the Scavenger. This could always change though, which is why Shapiro wrote his book in the first place.
Three Defining Principles
So what exactly defines the Lions of our age? In Shapiro’s view, the Lion follows three core principles: “1. There is a Master plan, a Logos behind the universe. 2. You are made in the image of God. 3. You have true and meaningful moral duties in this world.” These ideas work together to form the foundation of human progress and flourishing. There must be a rational conception of the cosmos, a moral code, and an ultimate end for which we are created (a telos). Otherwise, society will descend into chaos, nihilism, and relentless exploitation where raw power decides all questions.
These three principles then give rise to the three main roles of Lions: hunter, warrior, and weaver. Hunters seize opportunities and create wealth through innovation and hard work. They find solutions to humanity’s problems, and everyone benefits as a result. Their work in turn is protected by the warriors who uphold the law and order. Finally, because a thriving Pride of Lions “requires more than entrepreneurial innovation and aggressive defense,” there are the weavers who create a “social fabric.” This often unappreciated group creates and maintains the social bonds between people that enable communities to exist.
Altogether, a society of Lions is characterized by constant building, progress, and harmony. Everyone plays his part, and it all works to the betterment of humanity.
So far, so good. Even most leftists would struggle to find anything objectionable in the ideals of the Lion. Nevertheless, Shapiro makes his conservative priors known when discussing the rules of the Lions: “Free minds. Free markets. Public virtue. Rule of law. These are the rules of the Pride.” Lions do not censor, redistribute property in the name of equity, excuse personal failure, or use laws to somehow create a level playing field and rectify past wrongs.
According to Shapiro, such rules conform to “The Way of the Scavenger.” Rather than base their thoughts and actions on the three principles of Lion, Scavengers live by three counter-principles: One, there is no God or master plan; two, all suffering is caused by an unjust system; and three, violence against an unjust system is always justified. The Scavenger operates on a “simple, disastrously wrong premise: that the world ought to conform to my desires. Thus any denial of my passions — any transformation of my passions into assets — is a reflection of injustice. Were the world less unfair, I would have all I want.”
On its own, the principles of the Scavenger might seem obviously bad and a recipe for rapid social dysfunction and decay. However, Shapiro presents a helpful insight into the allure of the Scavenger worldview in his discussion of the “Great Conspiracy Theory.” This is the rhetorical strategy of attributing each and every problem to systemic injustice. Whether it’s poverty, violence, ignorance, sadness, or any other human failure, there is some group of powerful people who are behind it. For anyone who denies the Great Conspiracy Theory, this is just proof that he is part of the conspiracy too.
Understandably, the Great Conspiracy is irresistible for many people. It absolves them of all responsibility, offers a reason for taking power by force, and it is incredibly easy to adopt: “The philosophy of the Scavenger is seductive, all the way from the Garden of Eden to the streets of New York City.” Whether it is Hamas terrorists in the Holy Land, Luigi Mangione shooting the CEO of UnitedHealth Group, or Antifa terrorists rioting in Portland, all of them are inspired by a Great Conspiracy in one form or another.
But if Scavengers are dishonorable and inferior, how do they overcome the honorable and superior Lions? Shapiro’s immediate response to this is that the Scavenger has mastered the fine art of exploiting the Lion’s guilt. The Scavengers may blame others for their problems, but the Lions will usually blame themselves and thus cede power and influence to the Scavengers. This leads to the Lions paying ever more of their “fair share” and the Scavengers making ever more demands. Meanwhile, society as a whole becomes poorer, fragmented, and dangerous.
Shapiro’s other explanation for the enduring appeal of Scavengers is that this is just part of human nature. In a free and meritocratic culture, the Scavenger’s logic offers an escape hatch for those who don’t want to cultivate merit or gratitude. Sure, the whole scope of human history has proven that this will make a person miserable and cause whole empires to collapse, but, much like the temptation to sin, it feels good and right in the moment.
Naturally, Shapiro’s solution to the plague of Scavengers is for the Lions to rise up and save the West: “The Lion must renounce his supposed guilt. The Lion must roar.” This will certainly take incredible effort from everyone, but the alternative would be letting the world become a hellscape.
Denying Essential Truths
For those already versed in the tenets of modern conservatism or who have read Shapiro’s other books (particularly The Right Side of History), most of the book’s argument will be familiar. The analogy of Lions and Scavengers mainly repackages these ideas described elsewhere. For younger readers and those curious about conservative values, it works as a great introduction, but other readers may find themselves rolling their eyes at Shapiro’s overly dramatic style, which is chock-full of one-sentence paragraphs and periodic references to his overwrought poem about Lions and Scavengers.
And yet this assessment gives Shapiro too little credit. For such a basic argument, it is surprisingly quite strong. Ironically, this becomes more apparent because of a scathing leftist critique by Matt McManus and Nathan J. Robinson in Current Affairs. At no point in the 5,000-word article can they refute Shapiro’s central argument about Lions and Scavengers.
Instead, they have to resort to attacks on Shapiro’s bad poetry, his unkind framing of leftists as Scavengers, and his supposed misreading of various thinkers — evidently, Hayek, Locke, and Adam Smith were Marxists deep down. They cannot deny the damning truth that the left really does ascribe to various Great Conspiracies, such as their own unshakeable belief in the intrinsic evil of capitalists, Republicans, and Trump. And surely, if they could offer positive examples of successful leftists who improve others’ lives and thus thoroughly debunk Shapiro’s claims, they would.
But they can’t, which indicates that Shapiro has hit on something big. He has discovered and articulated the driving force uniting the many tribes of the left. In some way, to some degree, all of them blame some system for everything, and all of them believe that more political and cultural power will remedy their grievances somehow.
This is no way to live, let alone build a great civilization. For that reason, the essential truths of Lions and Scavengers need to be repeated and internalized by each generation. When it comes to the development of America, the way of the Lion is the way of the future, and the way of the Scavenger is the way of the stagnant present. All Americans have a duty to become Lions so that their nation can continue being a Lion for the world.
