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
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Both Weimar Republic and Roman Empire failed for economic reasons. Sayying that gays had something to do with it is amusingly naive.
The religion was most dividing force in the Europe and caused incredible bloodbath. Where is morality in this?
And, ironically, he is not Protestant himself but descended from Irish Catholic immigrants--a group that was once disparaged by the Anglo majority over the same (unfounded) worries with which he now paints other immigrant groups.
Based on what I'm hearing Buchanan is incoherent and self-contradictory.
If he thinks the US should be a "Christian" or a "Judeo-Christian" then why could he oppose immigration from Mexico. As far as I know, Mexicans are almost all nominally Catholic. Just because their skin is brown and they speak Spanish when they first arrive they should be "good" immigrants in his own opinion.
As for Muslims in Europe - different national streams into different countries - many European countries are historically accustomed to being or thinking of themselves as ethnically homogenous. Many of the migrants, especially in Germany, were recruited as labor to make up for age groups that had been decimated in WW II. There was no expectation that these laborers would stay for many years and bring their families. So the Muslims were not intended to be integrated into the national fabric. If groups of people are deliberately isolated they will not integrate.
Mr. Buchanan is wrong on many counts. The greatest threat to our country is the demise of democratic institutions and the rise of corporate power. Focusing on race, religion and ethnic differences has always been the way the power elite divert attention from the real problems.
kathleen,
I lived in Washington when Buchanan was selling his upper NW home. This was a major news story and Buchanan resisted taking the clause out until the uproar became too much for his conservative friends and he pulled it from the contract.
Why is this guy on the show if he isn't going to answer a question strait? While I'm on the topic, why is he on the show?
I agree that our nation is much different than the one in which Mr. Buchanan grew up, thank goodness. In the 40s, 50s, 60s, and into the 70s, power in this country was entirely in the hands of white men. Women and minorities were denied basic rights, and the ability to contribute to society with the same freedom and mobility as white males. Grossly unequal pay scales, gross racism and sexism, entrenched cronyism -- does he remember that? Is this why lack of diversity is positive? Because the non-diverse group of white (usually christian) men had a perfect situation?
I'm horrified that Mr. Buchanan appears to believe that our public schools should continue in the ancient art of teaching lies about our heritage. If we committed a crime, i.e. Native Americans, African Americans, then we should own it, and learn from it. Living a lie is no strength.
Every thing you say about Mormons is also true of most Hispanics, except that most Hispanics are Catholic and share a common creed with you. All second generation Hispanic immigrants speak English. Few third generation Hispanic immigrants speak Spanish well. The US may be contiguous with Mexico, but all Hispanics are not Mexican, and second and third generation Mexicans don't particularly identify with Mexico or Mexicanness, except as it relates to be "American." The Jews you grew up with who shared your "Judeo Christian faith" did not actually share your holidays, music, dance, food, etc. . .
I must say that the typical characterization of Mr. Buchanan as a crazed religious freak has been destroyed by this interview. I was quite surprised at his honest analysis of the cultural shift happening in America, and found myself agreeing with many of his arguments.
I now will have to read this book.
BTW, I am a Hispanic immigrant. And a proud American.
I do think Diane is challenging his views and allowing listeners to do the same. Buchanan's self-image is impervious to the critique, but the critique is there.
kathleen wrote:
"Buchanan hits the nail on the head about Abe Foxmans Anti defamation league going after anyone who criticizes Israel's policies. Nailed it."
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And liberals wonder why PB&J is invited to come on the liberal MSNBC shows and the liberal Diane Rehm Show. His hideous comments about Jews and Israel are in perfect harmony with MSNBC & NPR.
Pat has a bizarre history of inflammatory rhetoric, regarding Jews, minorities, and anything that doesn't fit into his ideal white Anglo Saxon world. He is a gifted polemicist posing as an historian with even less credentials than David Irving.
Pat you are Catholic and allegedly Catholics believe in admitting mistakes, sins and then asking for forgiveness. While the US has and continues do stand for some remarkable and honorable qualities. We also were built on the back of native American genocide, enslavement and genocide of Africans and have killed others based on lies. Would it not be more redeeming and honest if the US would admit very serious mistakes at the same time strengthening the honorable qualities?
Do you believe that the phoenix could rise from our declining status by being honest about the US's serious mistakes?
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The Israeli lobby has been after Buchanan for decades. Repeating inflammatory claims about Buchanan with no proof
Three points I am sure others have already made:
1) I am sure many minorities who experienced the 60's and 70's would disagree with the premise that we are "pulling apart" culturally more now than we were then. And, younger generations than myself view people even less by cultural and racial lines.
2) It is consistently disappointing to see how many people in politics and leadership positions just "don't get" the impacts and reality of a hyper connected digital age. Much like the issues related to sexuality, the dissent of opinion in communities has always been there, the difference now is not the magnitude of dissent among opinions but the amplitude. The future will extend this shift in who "owns" the conversation.
3) It would seem we are more at risk of a "French Revolution" style fracturing of the country due to the disenfranchised of the middle class in the past 20 years, than from Mr. Buchanan stated greatest risk of too much cultural diversity.
Because of the clear nature of the above points, I can only assume Mr. Buchanan is on the air to stir controversy so he can market his books. Seems to be working Pat, so, I guess good job.
Mr. Buchanan's whole point is predicated on the idea that culture is static. He suffers from the "good old days" fallacy, where he believes things were perfect "in the good old days", which so happens to be right before he was born.
He's right that the 'melting pot' effect of America is part of what makes us great. But he's wrong that current trends are somehow antithetical to that. Rather, that's the melting pot at work. To say that every immigrant group in the past has fully assimilated completely ignores reality. We have groups that have refused to assimilate from before the United States existed in groups like the Quakers.
Lots of Muslim problems in Europe are not caused by educated Muslims. Most of problems are caused by uneducated people, mostly brought to Europe as laborers. often from poor rural areas in their own countries. After the need for thy labor vanished, they were left to rot in ghettos.
He is full of hate and that is unfortunate. He is right about one thing. We need to foster national pride.
When I modify my American identity with a signifier (African, European, Asian, Native, etc), I separate myself from all of those who do not share my signifier. As a woman of mixed race I do feel alienated by others who claim these signifiers.
In fifth grade the teacher assigned us to come back with our heritage identified. I went home and was grossly disappointed not to be able to provide what the other kids could (1/4 Irish, 1/2 German, etc).
My mother told me, "Honey, you are an American. We are Americans." This is always my answer when people ask, "what are you?"
We have always been a flexible country, able to accomodate and shift with influx of cultures, identities, ethnicities, etc. It is only relatively recently that we have encouraged people to place their signifiers ahead of their American identities.
This is divisive and engenders racism.
Most Hispanics are Catholic and share Mr. Buchanan's "creed." Many Hispanics consider themselves "white." All second generation Hispanics speak English. Few third generation Hispanics speak English well. Many Hisp0anics are in fact racists too. Not all Hispanics are Mexican. Not many second or third generation Mexican-Americans identify strongly with Mexico as a country.
I would like for Mr. Buchanan to address the issue of economic disparity in relation to the 'issue of diversity' that he so defines. In my experience, it is economic disparity that creates the issue of diversity. So often, it is the minority group that is disenfranchised from those who hold the economic power. Today, for instance, we see the growing economic discontent as the core of the Occupy protests here in the U.S.
I sincerely hope the America Pat Buchanan believes in is on its way out. The idea that his religious beliefs should be shoved down my throat in order to have a REAL AMERICA is the exact opposite of everything my America stands for.
Ann Edwrds
Columbia, MO
here's the thing...if you believe america is a great country today then the changes have been a success.
if you think that america is not better than it was then the changes have been a disaster.
i'm always surprised at how vehemently liberals hate white males, yet america was built by them and we all benefit today from their hard work and sacrifice.
how sad to only love your country after the 1960's.
oh and btw, we never had to advertise in german, italian, gaelic like we do with the hispanics. they actually assimilated. there is a difference.
If we are a nation committing suicide it is because the average person has no voice. Do you, Mr. Buchanan, expect that the rest of us should simply lay down and die? We want a voice. Our government is owned by the major corporate interests who give voice to Mr. Buchanan but not the rest of us. Americans problems have little to due with emigrants or our religious, ethnic or cultural differences.
Marcus "
"Pat has a bizarre history of inflammatory rhetoric, regarding Jews, minorities, and anything that doesn't fit into his ideal white Anglo Saxon world"
Prove that. Show us where those comments are. Buchanan has had the balls to criticize Israel, the I lobby and US blind support for Israel. Abe Foxman made him a target due to his willingness to challenge the support for Israel. He has been a target for the Israeli lobby for decades.
Show us where he has made anti Jewish claims. He has criticized Israel, US support and the disproportionate amount of influence that Israel and the I lobby has over US foreign policy
The problems with this great nation is that some of our leaders keep trying to return us to an idolized past. We may be in a melting pot but we are not mixing. If we are to fulfill our promise as a nation we need to stand together reaching for a common goal!
Such selective morality is incredible!
I cannot help but agree with the previous commenter that Buchanan himself attempted to rise to power on by _promoting_ Kulturkampf. I should point out the example of the Netherlands, which centuries ago reached compromises between powerful factions, each of which convinced that the other were literally Hell-bound, which allowed that nation to live peacefully at home and gain the sort of prospertiy that helped make it the first solidly middle-class country in the world.
Criticism of the Town Hollerers was not given on the basis of their political disagreement, but because they had an organised campaign of showing up and ending debate by screaming and failing to yield the floor, often packing heat to make the point.
(And to compare the killing of a James Pouillon by an apolitical crazy digusted by his sign to the targetted and repeatedly urged killings of Tiller and others is the height of the disingenuous.)(Perhaps this is made clearer in the footnote, which I can't see, but many people don't bother with notes.)
As to our former harmony, I believe it consisted largely in large segments of the nation's keeping quiet, often in the face of the threat of unofficial and official violence. I think that Mr Buchanan is in effect complaining about the mote in his eye whilst wishing to go back to the good old days when he had a mote in his eye but his neighbour a beam in his---but one of which young Pat was unaware or felt was entirely deserved.
I think we have always been fractious, but our worst is still exceptional, but blown up by a mædia that cares more about our attention than our understanding of reality...one might as well try to gauge the murder rate in real life by that in prime-time. And though our religious and our ethnic and racial means (and modes and variances) may well change---as they have before---I believe that we can still be Americans, even as what that means changes in style though it stay the same in substance.
Oh Diane,
Bless you for your tolerance. Poor Pat is simply a reactionary dinosaur who lacks the vision to see that today’s dynamics will make us a stronger country, a strong world in the long run. Pat, “Cling not to that which changes”…
Pat you claim that you are "pro life" yet have persistenly stood against health care for all, a level playing field, access to a quality education for all, unions etc which provided fair pay. You maybe pro fetus but certainly do not seem to be pro life.
How does this jive with your Catholic faith
Shouldn't we accept the reality of America 1776 is not the reality of America 2011. Everything changes. Our constitution has been changed many times because times and circumstances change. I believe that Mr. Buchanan is one of those people who believes that all change is bad. ?
As a Roman Catholic sister and a therapist, I have strong disagreements with Mr. Buchanan's interpretation of individuals' criticism of the United States as indicative of a tendency to undermine a sense of national pride. In fact, the capacity for self-criticism is a sign of maturity, rather than the immaturity of seeing everything in either-or categories of good and bad. I do agree with his comment that the Pope is not infallible regarding faith and morals and this is equally true of his pronouncements on "disordered" homosexuality.