Patrick J. Buchanan

I can't say I agreed with a lot of what Pat Buchanan offered, but I did like the fact that he's a man of his beliefs, and states his case clearly and without apology. The theme I get from reading the book is that he really misses the good old days when "his" America was a society of white, Christian men, and he laments the fact that the Country is evolving toward a more secular, multi-ethnic society.

It quickly becomes clear that Pat Buchanan isn't for affirmative action in this Country, and tells you why. And he certainly isn't for free markets, and he tells you why. And he certainly isn't for immigration, and he tells you why.

In Buchanan's view, the more ethnically and religously similar a society is, the better off that society is. He makes the point that treating all "equally", in the Jeffersonian sense of "all men are created equal", is both impossible and wrong. To treat all equally, he explains, means a loss of liberty for society.

Buchanan ends with some recommendations for the Country, including ending free markets and imposing tariffs on foreign goods. Free market economists of today will explain in detail why those tariffs Buchanan would like, in order to bolster domestic manufacturing, are a bad and impractical idea. But without letting economic theories get in the way, Buchanan tells us, from his perspective, why this is one of the steps the Country should take to return prosperity to America.

Some people will agree with everything Buchanan offers, others may agree with only a few of the things he discusses, but all will have a clear understanding of his beliefs and outlook on the Country by the time you finish the book.… (mehr)

one of the best books on this oft-written topic of the Great Wars. P.J.B marvelously details the events while simultaneously commenting on the wisdom/folly or the possible reasons behind actions of the decision-makers. What makes this book more authentic is the fact that author doesn't speculate about the intentions of those decision-makers, rather provides references from the great historians.

'The Unnecessary War' shatters many popular myths about the war between right and wrong, Democrats and Fascists, rather stating that it was at some level a war of egos. The author dismisses the 'moral high ground' often attributed to the Allies, denouncing the whole WW2 as some pre-planned conception of Hitler's evil genius and stating that Hitler actually wanted to avoid war with the West at all costs.

P.J.B also scrutinizes the 'indispensable' role of Winston Churchill in winning the war for the Britain, stating that if Churchill is responsible for winning the war, he is also responsible for bringing down the British Empire. The Great Man with his ambivalent and aggressive personality proposed going to war rather enthusiastically at the expense of millions of civilians (and strategic wisdom).

The book is an excellent, knowledgeable, interesting and unbiased read and is recommended to anyone interested in history.… (mehr)

One of the most startling political reversals is Nixon’s come back from a disastrous defeat. Nixon lost the presidency in 1960 and thinking he could build for the next presidential run unfortunately he lost the gubernatorial race in California in 1962.

Nixon’s big chance came with his come back in 1966 and his Manila appraisal.

"“Appraisal from Manila” (November 4, 1966)." In Richard Nixon: Speeches, Writings, Documents, edited by Perlstein Rick, 117-20. Princeton University Press, 2008. http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt7sg9w.18.

LBJ, uncharacteristicly in public and unpresidential, lost his cool. Nixon was back.

The Turning Point

By 1966, Nixon began to take steps towards his official return to the political arena. He traveled around the country campaigning for Republican candidates, gaining credibility as a party unifier. He also hired a small staff to assist in speechwriting and travel planning.

The greatest breakthrough for Nixon’s national standing as a presidential candidate was the result of a series of events that no one could have predicted or planned for.

In October 1966, President Lyndon Johnson issued a document detailing a conference that was held in Manila, Philippines for leaders of Pacific nations to discuss the direction of the Vietnam War. “The Manila Communique,” as it was called, outlined basic policy goals and reviewed progress and reform programs in South Vietnam. It also strategized on how to reach the objective of peace in Indochina, one of which was the withdrawal of allied troops from South Vietnam should North Vietnam cease infiltration and withdraws its forces.

Concerned about the direction of the war, Nixon wrote an article entitled “An Appraisal of Manila” in the New York Times which critiqued the policies for being too expensive, setting unrealistic goals, and most gravely letting the pace of the war be set by the North Vietnamese Army.

President Johnson lashed out in a press conference the next day, calling Nixon a “chronic campaigner” and claiming that the former vice president went to unnecessary lengths to critique the current administration simply to garner support for his own political career. Nixon issued a rebuttal the same day as Johnson’s press conference, insisting that the questions he posed were valid and deserved to be answered, and asked Johnson to not regard the war as a personal, partisan issue. A few days later, Nixon issued a more formal reply during an appearance on ABC’s Issues and Answers.

The confrontation between Nixon and Johnson proved to be a turning point in the former’s path to the presidency. In this brief, three-day feud, Nixon showed that he could compete with a sitting president, giving him the necessary national credibility and traction to begin seriously looking towards the 1968 election.

From the Archives: Issues and Answers with Richard Nixon 1966

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iMVhMfsYzfk#

Nixon ensured that Israel would have military dominance during his administration.

Also, Chicago was absolutely critical in dividing the Democratic Party between the radicals in the mainstream Democrats. Liberalism died.

Buchanon ends with the run up to the presidential election, critically, of 1968.… (mehr)