Posted on 10/20/2009 7:57:50 PM PDT by pissant
Next month will mark the 45th anniversary of the publication by Harper's Magazine of Richard Hofstadter's famous essay, "The Paranoid Style in American Politics," a work that seems to grow more relevant by the day.
I was not always a fan. When I first read it two decades ago, I thought Hofstadter was being needlessly insulting by equating political views with mental illness—despite his insistence that he wasn't using the word that way. Besides, I thought, who really cared about the strange notions that occurred to members of marginal groups like the John Birch Society? Joe McCarthy's day was long over, and even in the age of high Reaganism, I thought, the type of person Hofstadter described was merely handing out flyers on street corners.
As the historian himself admitted, "in America it has been the preferred style only of minority movements." Why bother with it, then?
How times have changed! Hofstadter's beloved liberal consensus has been in the grave for decades now. Today it would appear that his mistake was underestimating the seductive power of the paranoid style.
The essential element of this mindset, Hofstadter explained, was its predilection for conspiracy theory—for understanding history as a theater in which sinister figures control the flow of events from behind the scenes, nudging us constantly and secretly in the direction of communism.
Back in Hofstadter's day this sort of thinking at least had something supremely rational going for it: The existence of the Soviet Union and its desire to bring the West to its knees.
But take that away and the theories become something far more remarkable. Consider, by contrast, the widespread belief that President Barack Obama's birth certificate was forged. What could have been his parents' motives for committing such a bizarre deed, or his home state's motive for colluding
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
And just so you know, you little twit, Bill Ayers wrote Obama's book for him. Yes, that Bill Ayers - the one you stinking liberals call "a respected member of the education community" and the one Birchers and all other red blooded Americans believe should be hanged from a lamp post for treason.
What did the JBS warn us about that has NOT come to pass or that is NOT about to come to pass?
h was a liberal.
“The Paranoid Style in American Politics,” a work that seems to grow more relevant by the day.
The thing is, what the so called paranoids used to say was coming is now here.
That being said, I notice the 9/11 "truthers" seem to escape condemnation as conspiracy mongers (or did I miss something?).
Excellent summation, ant person!!!
Consider, by contrast, the widespread belief that President Barack Obama’s birth certificate was forged
.............
This guy is a forgery.
We havn’t seen the Obama’s birth certificate. So we wouldn’t know whether it was a forgery or not.
I don’t particularly hold Birchers in high regard either. they tend to take too many flights of fancy for my palette. But compared to marxists, they are gold.
From Union to Townhall enforcers.
From Communist to Green Job Czar (ho ho ho).
From Mao-lover to Communications Director.
From Mao-lover to Manufacturing Czar.
From ObamaCare to single-payer system, right Banking Queen?
“What did the JBS warn us about that has NOT come to pass or that is NOT about to come to pass?”
Well, for one, Dwight Eisenhower was not a communist??
They were right about Earl Warren and the UN, though.
Thomas Frank is the resident lib on the WSJ op-ed and he is a moron. I cancelled the WSJ because it is worthless now and Taranto attacked birther plus I was sick of Peggy Noonan’s RINO Manhattan Kennedy Catholic whining.
“The essential element of this mindset, Hofstadter explained, was its predilection for conspiracy theory—for understanding history as a theater in which sinister figures control the flow of events from behind the scenes, nudging us constantly and secretly in the direction of communism.”
Yup, we are drifting into Communism because the forces of history make it inevitable, not because there are groups of people who wish it so.
It’s all so clear!
There is an old saying that seems appropriate here.
Just because you’re a paranoid schizophrenic, it doesn’t mean they aren’t really out to get you.
Frank comes from a leftist political perspective and is highly critical of Republican governance, especially the presidency of George W. Bush. However, he has also criticized the Democratic Party for "swearing off economic 'liberalism'"[1]. He is unique among writers on the American Left both for his political outlook, which revives the discourses of the American Populist Movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, [2] and for his polemical style, which has been said to update that of the muckrakers of the same historical era [3].
And thems are his good points.
I find it funny that a guy who hangs with Alinsyites and truthers and male prostitutes finds paranoia to be an odd or curious thing.
A canard. He has never publicly revealed his birth certificate therefore no one is claiming it is forged. The certification of live birth that was presented as proof of birth is worthless because one could be obtained even if born outside the USA. Is the author willfully ignorant, or just one more lying Odumbo sycophant?
I think the part about fluoride in our drinking water being a Communist plot is one . . . .
Actually, I believe the claim is that we haven't yet seen his "real" birth certificate.
What could have been his parents' motives for committing such a bizarre deed, or his home state's motive for colluding
50 years ago, no logical motive. Last year, very obvious motives for anyone supporting him.
Personally I lean towards the president having been born in HI and therefore a natural born citizen. But he sure seems oddly resistant to coughing up the actual documentation to prove it.
I always like to remind people that the 'question' of BamaKennedy's eligibility was first 'birthed' by Hillary Clinton.... campaign 2008. And interestingly she is also the one who birthed the claim of some 'vast right wing conspiracy' that unzipped her hubby's pants... Hillary also birthed the 'truthers' when she took to the US Senate floor with her NY newspaper asking the question "What did Bush know and when did he know it.... I am so happy this wicked woman will not be the first woman elected president.
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