Bizarro World: Where the Right Went Wrong (Book Review)
Posted on
Monday, March 12, 2007
by Gary A. Ballard
It's a telling indictment of the political world we live in today that not only did I read a Pat Buchanan book, but there were parts of it I actually agreed with. Buchanan is the kind of bigoted, right-wing douchebag that I not only disagree with vehemently, I actually have wished violence upon the man many times. Not the kind of death-wish violence reserved for evil people like Dick Cheney or Osama Bin Laden, mind you. It's more of the "someone should punch him directly in the face" type of violence. But the events of the last six years have created such a Bizarro version of the world that I've no choice but to admit that in Buchanan's 2004 book Where the Right Went Wrong, he actually has some points on which we both can agree.
Why would someone who leans left enough to be considered a social democrat on most days want to read someone as proudly right-wing as Pat Buchanan? Unlike many of the members of the current administration who think even hearing a dissenting opinion is tantamount to treason, I do believe in hearing viewpoints that I cannot agree with, even from people whose politics I find morally offensive. Failure to listen to the opposing side, even when that side wanders into moonbat territory, sets up an echo chamber within one's own mind. In short, it's wholly positive that one can hear another viewpoint that makes one think, "How can any sane, intelligent person actually believe this?" With that in mind, I spied Buchanan's book in the dollar store while Christmas shopping, and for $1, I can certainly hear what Mr. Buchanan has to say no matter how much it raises my blood pressure with indignation.
Imagine my surprise to find a reasoned, sane, intelligent argument criticizing the very right wing, authoritarian government of George W. Bush. That's right, Buchanan wrote a detailed treatise tearing apart the administration of Bush's first term for unnecessary and illegal secrecy, ill-advised foreign policy mistakes such as the war in Iraq and even his free trade policies that have resulted in massive outsourcing and the destruction of the American manufacturing sector. In short, Buchanan made sense, strengthening my beliefs about the inadequacy and illegality of the Bush presidency.
And then the real Pat Buchanan came out from behind the curtain.
The first half of the book was quite good, and something I could certainly agree with. Midway through the book, he begins to go off the track a bit, delving into the history of other imperialistic regimes such as the Roman and British empires. While those are instructive, he loses steam when he begins trying to chronicle the birth of Islam and the rise of the Islamist political movements. Had he ended the book there, it would have been anticlimactic, but at least he'd have stayed in the village of reason.
But the trainwreck of Buchanan's particular brand of bigoted, intolerant right-wing beliefs cannot be restrained throughout an entire book. The last half of the book goes through what conservatives should believe, and in true wingnut fashion, it hits all the low points. From his fearful mistrust of immigrants diluting the Eurocentric nature of American culture to his outright homophobic discrimination against gays, Buchanan shows his true colors. He repeats all the worst conservative half-truths, such as his tirades against "activist judges" that goes so far as to criticize the Supreme Court for ending segregation, claiming they not only lacked the Constitutional authority but were actively part of a left-wing conspiracy to strengthen the Judiciary Branch. One gets the idea Strom Thurmond was his ghost writer on parts of the book. Never mind that had the Court not ruled against segregation, we'd likely never have removed that embarrassing stain from our public school system. Buchanan claims to be the last "Goldwater conservative" but his social views on things like gay marriage reveal that be a lie. Goldwater, for all his conservative views, believed that the government should stay out of the sexual arena. Buchanan seems to have no such qualms.
In the end, the book misses the mark by a great deal, not because Buchanan's wingnut nature spoils the logic of the first half of the book, but because he lacks the strength of his convictions. The book was published before the 2004 election with an eye towards influencing those elections. But after all the egregious errors and deliberate lies Buchanan criticizes the administration for, he still urges conservative readers to vote Republican in 2004. Somehow, he still believed that Bush was a decent sort of man, worthy of the presidency, choosing to believe the errors and corruption he'd highlighted earlier in the book were the fault of Bush's advisers and not the man himself. It was more important to Buchanan that conservatives not vote for a Democrat than that they hold the President accountable for incompetence, corruption and deception.
Here's a hint, Pat. Party loyalty above all else is what has fucked the conservative movement these last six years. Party loyalty despite blatant corruption is what has led the Republican party astray. It's what has killed over 3,000 troops in Iraq, it's what killed hundreds of Katrina victims in New Orleans, and it's what has wasted billions in fraud from no-bid contracts. It's what has led to the despicable crime against our veterans at Walter Reed hospital. Take your party loyalty and shove it up your ass, Mr. Buchanan, right up there with your racist screeds against hard-working immigrants and homosexuals. In short, you are just as responsible as President Bush for all the lives lost to his administration's fuckups, as is anyone who voted Republican in 2004 despite his policy's failure in Iraq. You made Bush what he is today.
The book is an interesting read, but only for those who don't already drink the Kool-Aid Buchanan has been swigging for years. Otherwise, readers might be tempted to vote McCain in 2008. If that happens, the right will really go wrong and nothing will be able to bring them back.
Why would someone who leans left enough to be considered a social democrat on most days want to read someone as proudly right-wing as Pat Buchanan? Unlike many of the members of the current administration who think even hearing a dissenting opinion is tantamount to treason, I do believe in hearing viewpoints that I cannot agree with, even from people whose politics I find morally offensive. Failure to listen to the opposing side, even when that side wanders into moonbat territory, sets up an echo chamber within one's own mind. In short, it's wholly positive that one can hear another viewpoint that makes one think, "How can any sane, intelligent person actually believe this?" With that in mind, I spied Buchanan's book in the dollar store while Christmas shopping, and for $1, I can certainly hear what Mr. Buchanan has to say no matter how much it raises my blood pressure with indignation.
Imagine my surprise to find a reasoned, sane, intelligent argument criticizing the very right wing, authoritarian government of George W. Bush. That's right, Buchanan wrote a detailed treatise tearing apart the administration of Bush's first term for unnecessary and illegal secrecy, ill-advised foreign policy mistakes such as the war in Iraq and even his free trade policies that have resulted in massive outsourcing and the destruction of the American manufacturing sector. In short, Buchanan made sense, strengthening my beliefs about the inadequacy and illegality of the Bush presidency.
And then the real Pat Buchanan came out from behind the curtain.
The first half of the book was quite good, and something I could certainly agree with. Midway through the book, he begins to go off the track a bit, delving into the history of other imperialistic regimes such as the Roman and British empires. While those are instructive, he loses steam when he begins trying to chronicle the birth of Islam and the rise of the Islamist political movements. Had he ended the book there, it would have been anticlimactic, but at least he'd have stayed in the village of reason.
But the trainwreck of Buchanan's particular brand of bigoted, intolerant right-wing beliefs cannot be restrained throughout an entire book. The last half of the book goes through what conservatives should believe, and in true wingnut fashion, it hits all the low points. From his fearful mistrust of immigrants diluting the Eurocentric nature of American culture to his outright homophobic discrimination against gays, Buchanan shows his true colors. He repeats all the worst conservative half-truths, such as his tirades against "activist judges" that goes so far as to criticize the Supreme Court for ending segregation, claiming they not only lacked the Constitutional authority but were actively part of a left-wing conspiracy to strengthen the Judiciary Branch. One gets the idea Strom Thurmond was his ghost writer on parts of the book. Never mind that had the Court not ruled against segregation, we'd likely never have removed that embarrassing stain from our public school system. Buchanan claims to be the last "Goldwater conservative" but his social views on things like gay marriage reveal that be a lie. Goldwater, for all his conservative views, believed that the government should stay out of the sexual arena. Buchanan seems to have no such qualms.
In the end, the book misses the mark by a great deal, not because Buchanan's wingnut nature spoils the logic of the first half of the book, but because he lacks the strength of his convictions. The book was published before the 2004 election with an eye towards influencing those elections. But after all the egregious errors and deliberate lies Buchanan criticizes the administration for, he still urges conservative readers to vote Republican in 2004. Somehow, he still believed that Bush was a decent sort of man, worthy of the presidency, choosing to believe the errors and corruption he'd highlighted earlier in the book were the fault of Bush's advisers and not the man himself. It was more important to Buchanan that conservatives not vote for a Democrat than that they hold the President accountable for incompetence, corruption and deception.
Here's a hint, Pat. Party loyalty above all else is what has fucked the conservative movement these last six years. Party loyalty despite blatant corruption is what has led the Republican party astray. It's what has killed over 3,000 troops in Iraq, it's what killed hundreds of Katrina victims in New Orleans, and it's what has wasted billions in fraud from no-bid contracts. It's what has led to the despicable crime against our veterans at Walter Reed hospital. Take your party loyalty and shove it up your ass, Mr. Buchanan, right up there with your racist screeds against hard-working immigrants and homosexuals. In short, you are just as responsible as President Bush for all the lives lost to his administration's fuckups, as is anyone who voted Republican in 2004 despite his policy's failure in Iraq. You made Bush what he is today.
The book is an interesting read, but only for those who don't already drink the Kool-Aid Buchanan has been swigging for years. Otherwise, readers might be tempted to vote McCain in 2008. If that happens, the right will really go wrong and nothing will be able to bring them back.
Labels: Bush Administration, Literature, Politics, Privatization
posted by Gary A. Ballard @ 9:30 AM
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1 Comments:
I saw Buchanan on The Daily Show back when the book was new, and yeah, he definately proves that even a broken clock is right twice a day.
I'm rather saddened what a douche McCain has turned into. I know he's just bullshitting to win the primary, but still... I expected better.
This is WUA from f13 by the way, and I must admit that half the reason I'm commenting is to find out how you do that little "Read More!" link thing when you have a really long entry.
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