A better article would have resisted the temptation of plugging the author's own ideology more than is necessary. If there really is an apocalyptic conflict between Hegelian-Marxist-Gramscian and Tocquevillian visions, Fante's celebration of his own clique at the expense of possible allies is an abomination and a great stupidity. Why alienate people who care as much about defeating the beast simply because they don't agree with you 100%?
If you really want to understand the culture wars, don't bother with neo-conservative and radical foundations in New York, go out into the country and look at some of the protests over abortion and controversies over school textbooks. Those disputes reflected real disputes that ran far deeper than anything Fante talks about.
But is there really still a culture war today? In previous years there was a clear and bitter conflict between cultural radicals and cultural conservatives. We will probably see divisive battles over abortion or homosexual marriage in the future, but the peculiar atmosphere of the culture wars of the seventies, eighties and early nineties seems to be a thing of the past.
Americans recognize now that we are one country and that as much unites as divides us. What made the culture wars was a strong them vs. us fissure. On both sides in the culture wars, "we" were people who lived and worked together, and "they" were an unknown threat from outside. Today, neighborhoods and work places are more mixed and people are more likely to know homosexuals and fundamentalists, Catholic traditionalists and radical feminists, so passions don't run as high.
Twenty years ago people saw court decisions and bureaucratic pressure transform America and wondered whether elections and lobbying might undo those changes. That atmosphere may well return in the future, but things have been quite different in recent years. The lesson of the past few years is that American politics and politicians don't usually tend to bring radical changes. The sixties were an exception, not the rule. The culture wars probably aren't over and may flare up at some later date, but there's been a truce for some time.
Are you kidding? Where do you live? I find that the radical homo-Nazis and their ilk are more psychotic and vengeful than ever. What about all the pro-treason "celebrities" lately? What about the virulent hatred for Bush, especially during the election?
The culture wars probably aren't over and may flare up at some later date, but there's been a truce for some time.
I conpletely disagree with you. I think the lull you may be referring to is because so many people have bent over backwards (or should I say forwards) for the radical leftists, trying to placate and appease them. I think things are going to steam up because a lot of people are starting to wake up to the fact that if we don't become aggressive in our defense of America, it will be gone before we know it.