Culture Wars Nearly Lost, Buchanan Warns

Culture Wars Nearly Lost, Buchanan Warns Wes Vernon, NewsMax.com Thursday, Jan. 10, 2002

Editor's note: This is part four in a series on Pat Buchanan's new book, "The Death of the West: How Dying Populations and Immigrant Invasions Imperil our Country and Civilization." Also read Western Civilization Is on the Way Out, Where Have All the Children Gone? and Failure to Control Borders Causes 'Death of the West.'

WASHINGTON – "Americans who look on this cultural revolution as politics as usual do not understand it,” Pat Buchanan writes in his new book, "The Death of the West.”

Those who seek to de-Christianize America, and who seek to demonize America’s heroes, trash our history and condemn our folk ways are not just presenting another "political opinion.” These people, or at least those who presume to speak for them, are revolutionaries.

Buchanan quotes that "budding social revolutionary Adolf Hitler” as saying, "Strength lies not in defense, but in attack.”

We used to think the only people within our borders who would tear down our country carried Communist Party cards or sported a long line of communist-front affiliations. Not so, although there’s a little overlap amongst a few of the older present-day revolutionaries. But this is the counterculture of the 1960s taking off where Lenin’s failed revolution left off.

"We will steal your children!” the '60s radicals howled at Middle America. "They did,” Buchanan says.

A whole generation has now grown up for whom the cultural revolution is no revolution at all, says the author, "but a culture they were born into and have known all their lives. Public homosexuality, pornography, abortion, trash talk on TV and in the movies, and filthy lyrics in popular music have been around since before they can remember.”

During the Hitler-Stalin war of 1939-1945, there were plenty of documentaries showing how Nazi Germany was aiming its propaganda at the children because it believed if it could control the children, it would control the future. But we could not imagine that it could happen here.

The cultural revolution cannot be appeased, warns the author. "Its relentless, reckless use of terms like extremist, sexist, homophobe, nativist, xenophobe, fascist, and Nazi testifies to how seriously it takes the struggle and how it views those who resist. To true believers in the revolution, the Right is not just wrong; the Right is evil.”

No person of good will enjoys being demonized night after night on television. No one wants to be branded as "insensitive," "mean-spirited,” or any of the other trigger words hurled at Middle America. So the party of Middle America seeks to emphasize that it too is "compassionate,” that it too believes in "the politics of inclusion.”

Of course, there is nothing wrong with "compassionate conservatism.” But there are those who would argue that compassion is the very essence of conservatism, as Ronald Reagan clearly showed when he pursued policies that created 20 million jobs and brought down the "Evil Empire.” What could be more "compassionate” than that?

As for America’s past, this from Buchanan: "Western Man was one of the many villains, but Western Man was also the only hero. For the West did not invent slavery, but it alone abolished slavery.” Again, what could be more "compassionate” than that?

"The intimidators failed with Clarence Thomas but succeeded with some conservatives who, like defeated peoples, no longer make demands. They just want to get along. But, in a culture war, where the other side is always making demands, and the other side is always ready to fight, this translates into endless retreats and eventual defeat.”

Buchanan’s prescription for the GOP’s political success? "Go hunting where the ducks are.” If the Republicans can raise their share of the vote by appealing to their base, he says, the GOP can regain its majority.

The bottom line: "If the GOP would come out for an end to the racial preferences and a moratorium on immigration, and appeal to the great silent majority, as Democrats appeal to minorities, the party’s chances in national elections could not but improve.”

And just in case anyone missed the point, there is this warning: "The Gore-Nader three-million-vote margin over Bush-Cheney may be the last wake-up call the Republican party will receive.”

On immigration, all he wants is a time out on the almost unlimited illegal immigration that has become a cancer on the average tax paying American. Do you enjoy seeing billions of CURRENT tax dollars go to house, feed, educate and medicate these people while we continue to heap billions of DEBT on the shoulders of upcoming generations. It's like this amigo, do a search on "reconquista", "anchor babies", "aztlan" and check out www.americanpatrol.com for a couple weeks, learn something, then get back to me.

Excellent post AS. Those are indeed Pat's long-standing positions on trade and immigration. For the neo-cons it is far easier to grossly misrepresent PB's positions with the usual dose of name calling than it is to defend the sorry state America has been brought to by irresponsible trade and immigration policies. Given that PB has written political columns for decades, hosted political shows, and authored a number of books it is all too tempting for his detractors to take many of his past statements out of context and purposely, as a lawyer would do, twist the statements into something they are not. The worse thing a public figure can do in this age of PC is speak the truth. And I give Pat a lot of credit for telling it like it is.

Republicans need to expand their base.

I have not read Pat's book, however, if he is referring to the 60's generation as the enemy, he is a lost, out of touch soul. Oh sure there are a few radical sects, but I feel the greater majority are a freedom loving, hard working group. The problem with the republicans is their refusal to give up a few antiquated, freedom smothering, self righteous ideals. Are we truly a party of smaller government? At 48 years old I refuse to have you dictate my religious persuasion. For God's sake, stop the inhuman jailing of your fellow citizens because your version of a righteous life doesn't fit theirs.

I do believe in the christian God. I don't care to go to wednesday evening prayer meeting. Expand the base, or burn in heaven. I am in total disagreement with Pat on under population. I agree with abortion rights, not the brain sucking part. Human over population is now and has always been our ticket to Hell on earth. Wise up a little, or lose it all.

Buchanan's scare mongering completely ignores the fact that: (1) a new wave of minorities and immigrants have rescued this nation from financial and spiritual bankruptcy approximately every 40 years since its inception; (2) this nation is, and always has been, an amalgamation of different cultures and races, in order to become "one nation" (ever had Chinese food?); (3) what about the "death of the American Indian?"; and (4) Most immigrants do come here to become Americans, but are quickly reviled and rejected by many Americans, and made to feel unwelcome or unappreciated. This happened to the Irish, the Germans, the European Jews, the Italians, the Greeks, the Turks, the Chinese, the Indians, the French, the Mexicans, the South Americans, and just about everyone else.

Since my parents came over here on the Mayflower in 1637, (John & Dorothy of Ipswich, on "The Rose," April 8th, 1637) do I have the right to tell each and every person on this board, or Pat Buchanan, for that matter (whose family actually came here in the mid 1800s from Ireland and Scotland) to pack up and leave?

The fact of the matter is that every successive wave of immigrants has made me and my family, richer and more succesful, and has further entrenched us here in the USA.

If these immigrants didn't start coming since the 1600s, I have no doubt that this country would not be the international and domestic success story that it is today. No doubt whatsoever.

Amen.

Your post # 115 typifies the fatuousness of the strange, happy conservative who believes that the bottom line is the sum total of the American Experience. It's a cartoon of the immigrant saga, based upon useful--and incorrect stereotypes. Useful to whom, you ask? To Big Business interests, who, along with the US government have always had a financial interest in undermining Native Born labor in order to maximize profits in taming and developing the continent.

You, along with Identity Leftists in the education establishment, portray every "confrontation" between the loving, spiritually superiour, harder-working immigrants and small- minded, bigotted Natives, as a clash between Good and Evil whose only outcome could be--more immigration.

"...Most immigrants do come here to become Americans, but are quickly reviled and rejected by many Americans, and made to feel unwelcome or unappreciated. This happened to the Irish, the Germans, the European Jews, the Italians, the Greeks, the Turks, the Chinese, the Indians, the French, the Mexicans, the South Americans, and just about everyone else...."

My, my. Such self-loathing must indeed by difficult to bear.

You mention the "hatred" the poor Irish immigrants faced without mentioning a source--except for the all-pupose "the natives were sick bigots". Do you recall the New York City draft riots during the Civil War? Of course not. Perhaps you would like to read some of the thoughts about the darling "Irish" immigrants penned in letters by my ancestors--Irish Catholic and German Catholic soldiers fighting on the front lines in the Grand Army Of the Republic? But probably not. The cartoon is much easier to digest.

In the same way, the Chinese experience in America is cast again as "hard-working" immigrant vs bigotted white Native know-nothing. The reality is less exhilirating. The nearly slave-labor Chinese--who in their context were doing better than they were as coolies in Imperial China--were undermining the ability of Native Labor to negotiate a living wage from the railroad companies. The US government--as it has always done and will always do--was lined up on the side of Big Business. They didn't have "hate-crimes" legislation then. But if they had you can be sure the Government would have been herding the enraged white laboreres into prison with glee.

(Your citation of "chinese food" as an indication of successful multi-culturalism is not worthy of response except to point out that American "chinese food" is as chinese as "Euro-Disney" is American.)

And, of course, the great subject of land mass is never, EVER mentioned by self-hating immigration-mongers. I wonder why? What is an "American"? (Assuming you do not believe he is a pinch-nosed, lard-assed bigot who scarfs fat-laden "chinese food" while planning to burn down a mosque or synagogue. Well, of course that IS what you think. But surely not 24 hours a day. Surely, in the quiet hours you must suspect something else?)

Anyway, there is a great body of thinking upon the subject and most of it concerns the Land, and the how it affects our national character. Can we be the same people who were able to embrace waves of foreigners and still maintain some shreds of individual liberty, if the Land is altered by one billion inhabitants? Two billion? How many Mr. Carson? Do you really believe a nation of urban, post-industrial, low wage laborers--whose food, lumber and other raw materials are imported from abroad--can live happily, harmoniously, FREELY together; packed like sardines in their little dwelling places; watching TV; eating chinese take-out?

Most immigrants did NOT in fact suffer undue bigotry. Human beings always fight--for a variety of reasons. Sometimes even for fun. It's our nature. And MY ancestors were certainly well able to give as good as they got. But that too is a dying fragment of the "American character"--the ability to work it out without a class action suit. The obsessive legalism of our culture is an indication that we have been urbanized and the leavening effects of the Land have been replaced by two-hour commutes. We may be fatter, but we are much smaller than we used to be.

"....I have no doubt that this country would not be the international and domestic success story that it is today. No doubt whatsoever. ..."

With your words, I rest my case. Although I suspect I am not reading them correctly--a genetic predisposistion to irony and sarcasm. So whom are we bombing....err...excuse me. I meant "saving". Whom are we saving today in the ongoing saga of our international success?

God Help Us....

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