Patrick Buchanan: "Suicide of a Superpower: Will America Survive to 2025?"
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2011-10-25/patrick-buchanan-suicide-superpower-will-america-survive-2025
William Sorenson
Patrick Buchanan is no stranger to controversy. At the 1992 Republican national convention, he described the nation as engaged in “a religious war … a cultural war …for the soul of America.” A decade later, he wrote a book predicting the U.S. would be a Third World nation by 2050. Another ten years, two wars, a recession and a debt crisis later, he says America could now be on the verge of national suicide. He offers a plan to turn the country around, including cutting the military, freezing federal salary and benefits and a moratorium on immigration. Pat Buchanan offers his opinions about the fate of the country.
Guests
Patrick Buchanan
syndicated columnist, former adviser to three American presidents, Reform Party's presidential candidate in 2000.
Related Items
Read an Excerpt
From "Suicide of a Superpower" by Patrick Buchanan. Copyright 2011 by Patrick Buchanan. All rights reserved. Reprinted here by permission of Thomas Dunne Books:
Comments
Please familiarize yourself with our Code of Conduct and Terms of Use before posting your comments.
listening to interview now and compelled to come here to comment...
I agree with Misty - Mr. Buchanan's problem is with BROWN skin - of any kind.
And I believe MANY of my jewish friends - you know the one's who have supposedly assimilated into this "judeo-christian nation" (this phrase makes me want to puke)...would take great umbrage with Buchanan's idea of shared religious holidays - given that the ones Buchanan mentioned were (of course!) Christmas and Easter.
I'd say Mr. Buchanan needs to evolve...but its really going to be rather irrelevant...HE is the dying breed...and I say "good riddance"
There are certainly examples of successful countries that function in multiple languages. I'm thinking of Switzerland which has three nationally recognized languages: German, French and Italian. Why can't the US function with more than one language?
I see Pat is dragging out his same old tired, recycled tropes... the same empty bigoted arguments that were directed against the same European immigrants he cited earlier.
Believe it or not, all things come to an end. It is not the diversity of the population that is causing the demise of the country. It is the very divisive nature of those on the right who demand that everyone follow their edicts.
Mr. Buchanan, you and others like you use wedge issues to force the divisions in the country. Merely by your commentary, you set Christian against non Christians. You do not feel that you can succeed without the divide and conquer position. If Americans are allowed to be ourselves, we would find ways to live together.
Further, God is not a respector of person or religion. This country, that is, if you believe the writings of the founders was never intended to be as you claim it to be.
Last month Semi-Anonymous went into the opening at Soylent Green headquarters near FT Bragg... timeclocks ticking as no reset sent.
Her and four other homes foreclosed now last 45 days- all veteran families.
Polling the 12 percent veteran foreclosure rate near FT Bragg(six of fifty houses)... probably fluke... now when the sheriff orders US out this week AND food stamps end(no residence) AND our new home illegal(car without legal paperwork- seems address required) and NO gas to move IT... luckily phone rings with poll from our Congressional lobbyist. Nice to be 0ne percent- they buy the property at 40k(county has value at 130 k)... and guess who eats the bill? US and YOU via tax loss and valuation decreases and abandoned debt... while your ONE PERCENT has incredible tax payer funded investment with return of initial investment via 'special' incentive via funds from interest free bailout to banks- unfortunately 99 percent cannot qualify... well they ARE mandated by Congress NOT to 'flip' for 90 days LOL(about time for repairs off book and pw process)
as to increase social disorder... so RETURN not guaranteed... JUST jealous that US not allowed to buy at 40k(really- a 3 bdrm house on slab ?)
plus the whole semi-abled homeless veteran thingy is so typical American and everyones doing IT for Halloween...
trying to catch up- with drinking or drug use eligible for 'help'(so VA says... US doubt) Housing by next spring if lucky... VA and IRS re=re-considering forms and documents...
wanted to paUSe before loss of life's work AND breakup of family(USed to support child for college, (ex)wife with donated kidney, and her daughter who was raped and has special needs daughter)- WANTED to thank 'new' Rep. Ellmers(R) for help BUT can't- checked AND other than the phone calls and letters concerning next years election...
TG VA sent suicide number- seems US cannot do anything right since ALL those commendations for service. (You are welcome for US service.)
It is interesting that he blames immigration for the decline of nations, conveniently forgetting that this nation was built by immigrants, on the blood of the natives. How about discussing tolerance vs intolerance. To me assimilation seems very narrow minded in the least.
One may disagree with Pat, but his ideas are thought provoking.
Meting pot was baloney.
We are not Christian Republic and Southern Christian fanatics are part of the problem and destruction of the Republican Party.
Making some very interesting points, however how does using terms such as "race" and "white" help to keep the country united. Why is he not talking about economic inequality?
The moral authority of the established Christian denominations is not absolute. Slavery, Jim Crow and now institutional racism is tolerated. I am Episcopalian, but am disillusioned by the unwillingness of priests to really speak out on societal wrongs in fear that they will insult a parishioner who gives a big pledge.
What a sad, hateful man.
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=2553
The only thing that will break up this or any other country is for the Buchanans of the world to tell us all what we should be. In his view of unity, the only values that matter are white, religious Christian, English-speaking, militarist "values". His homogenous utopia is based on trampling the freedom of any American to believe and live as they wish.
Diversity is not the cause of conflict, but inequality is. We have always been a diverse culture. We have a greater disparity between wealth then ever before in our country--and this inequity breaks along racial lines. This is why you have fewer and fewer people buying into the dominant culture. The wealthy MUST give back to the society that allowed them to prosper or it will collapse just like the Soviet Union, just like pre-revolution france.
Please don't allow the bigotted view to stand that only "Christian" people have a moral code to live by. Christianity does not have a corner of the market of ethical living ... Christians only think they do, it seems. A way to make our country come together is to get people to agree that each person should be respected for who they are - and most are ethical people, whether they are Christian or not. The speech I am hearing today creates divisions rather than heals them.
It makes me wonder what the motive is ... is this book, which seems to applaud division, just a way to make money, rather than contribute to the unity of our nation?
Making some very interesting points, however how does using terms such as "race" and "white" help to keep the country united. Why is he not talking about economic inequality?
What a hopeless commentary. Does Pat Buchanan, a Christian, forget that he is supposed to spread a message of hope?? When we continue to debate and blather on about what is wrong, we perpetuate the issues plaguing us. Pat Buchanan --remember: Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
very sincerely, ~Kathleen
I am a single black widow with a profoundly retarded son.
Why am I so afraid of the Tea Party?
They scare me in so many ways I can hardly separate and understand it.
We are happy and we don't feel poor. I am so grateful to America. We are a kind nation. I have a severely handicapped child and totally live off the government. Except for the stuff i sell on E-Bay. I am a college graduate and have a mortgage on my home. I am...
The melting pot is not garbage--its just lacking a key ingredient: economic equality.
Kirstin wrote:
I am already frustrated by Mr. Buchanan's discussion and he has only been on 10 minutes. His comments are bashing anyone who isn't white anglo-saxon protestant. Honestly if you did not fall into that category and male, the 1950s was not pleasant.
um. how do you know? i think i would have loved it. perhaps not the fifties but definitely earlier eras.
oh and who even uses 'white anglo saxon protestants' anymore? white and anglo are the same thing. let the sixties die in peace-good riddance to bad rubbish.
Not to be partisan but Ronald Regan and the 1980 Republican Revolution was the beginning of an era of deterioration in our political process. Again, I am not trying to be partisan, it's just a theory. The Republican Revolution promoted an ideological trend in our officeholders that had, theretofore, been unprecedented. It's funny that conservatives always talk about unintended consequences--the increased transparency in our politics and the ideological commitment of officials have made political negotiation exponentially difficult in the last 30 years.
Not to mention the decline of the Big-Tent parties...
The problem with America is not diversity. It is not a shrinking white majority. It is not people speaking a language other than English. It is the narrow-minded and intolerant attitudes of Mr. Buchanan and his ilk.
and apparently advertizing thermonuclear meltdown party open to ALL on Facebook gets you blocked...
Sorry we went off topic- can no longer wait- thanks for the seafood back when IT was safe to eat...
we are lucky no more media(radio last- ok- PC goes today) so missed the latest ivory tower forecasts.
Dainne all is forgiven re lost comrades... IT demands IT
I think that your guest is looking at select groups and partially romanticizing the past. In many cases, there was a great deal of ugliness that took place during these "great times". The rights of others were continually suppressed. As a white person growing up in that time, things WOULD seem great. However, as a black person, a Mexican, a Jew or other minority, it probably wasn't such a great time. People have a tendency to compartmentalize their experiences. Some people do move to Montana and other states where their are fewer minorities, but many others -thankfully- seek out diversity.
As for America's history, I think it is strong enough withstand the truth about itself. maybe, it will finally help us to grow. To blindly belief that we have done only good in this country is sill. Friends and family grow when they are honest with themselves.
Mr. Buchanan's comments remind me of a bumper sticker I see around that says, "Stand up for America! Be American!" The sticker is all well and good, but what we have to realize is, the face of America has already changed, as as Buchanan acknowledges, will continue to change. So our definition of America, and being American HAS to change, and yes, to embrace the diversity that exists. If we don't embrace it, yes, we will decline.
Shari
"Making some very interesting points, however how does using terms such as "race" and"white" help to keep the country united. Why is he not talking about economic inequality?"
He forgot the part of it is "the economy stupid".
All of empires failed for economic reasons. Once the economic pie is shrinking, all groups start to fight for shrinking resources.
The symptom of fall is to start repeating in chorus how great we are instead of fixing our problems.
Has America ever really been totally unified? The American Revolution was hardly a unifying event if you consider the Tory factor and what happened to many of the signers of the U.S. Constitution, a document frowned on by present day Washington, notwithstanding it set the stage for a devastating civil war. Today we have the Patriot Act, which places this nation one step closer to a police state. Mr. Buchanan could be prophetically correct, but his philosophy could be part of the problem when he places the virtues of one above the virtues of another.
Look for a new book by Charles Murray. Middle Class White IQ is going down relative to other ethnic groups and higher income brackets...
What a crackpot! Why did you bring this racist tea bagger on the show, Dianne? Pandering to the right wing these days? They live to hate.
Ha ha. The "suicide" is: allowing a human population to expand beyond 2,000,000,000 on this planet. Buchanan ignores the big picture with his diatribe-tripe. You'd do your listeners a great service if you interviewed a population ecologist, any of which could fortell the future of the human species with much accuracy. Wake up hun and stop inhaling the Aquanet.
Buchanan hits the nail on the head about Abe Foxmans Anti defamation league going after anyone who criticizes Israel's policies. Nailed it
With all due respect to Pat Buchanan, what he sees as problems I see as strengths of our country. His focus is on the wrong facts. At one time congressional representatives were apportioned according to population. Now the house of representatives is fixed at 435 members. This means that population increases result in less and less democracy and increased alienation from government. When people feel their government does not represent them they will withdraw their support from that government. Lack of representation in the government accounts for far more for our problems than ethnic and religious diversity. Fragmentation and even geographic disintegration of the country will be good if it results in more democracy.
I'm wondering in what way Mr. Buchanan's specifically Christian values are informing his assumption that a multi-cultural or non-white-majority country equals "Third World." He seems to be suggesting that an influx of people from other ethnicities will destroy the U.S. simply by virtue of their not being of European ancestry. Where is he finding this notion in the Bible, or in the teachings of the Catholic Church?