Breaking History: John Dean, Barry Goldwater on what the GOP became.

[bleever]

A must read for people interested in how Conservatives turned into the kind of authoritarians that so many American men and women ("Republicans" and "Democrats") died to defeat in two World Wars and in innumerable global conflicts, small and large:

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_john_dea_060710_how_conservatives_ha.htm

I could make so many comments about this, but the most important is:

Read this.

Recommend it.

It's a rare moment in history. It's an epiphany that will take years to be recognized in the national consciousness. But it's ours to claim, here and now.

[longship]

1. This is an astoundingly thorough introduction

to what promises to be an astounding book.

I'm going to snag a copy as soon as I can.

[bleever]

2. Astounding

is not too big a word.

"Historical epiphany" is my best attempt at describing what might be a realization by the inchoate body politic of the distinction between the authoritarian junta that the administration is, and what we've historically known in American politics as "conservatism".

Only by knowing what's happening, can we control what happens.

[longship]

3. Prediction: If the book is as good as the Introduction..

Pulitzer Prize.

[bleever]

4. I'll put money down on that.

:thumbsup:

[tiptoe]

5. K & R !

[IndianaGreen]

6. Goldwater on the Christian Right

"Mark my word," he said, "if and when these preachers get control of the party, and they're sure trying to do so, it's going to be a terrible damn problem. Frankly, these people frighten me. Politics and governing demand compromise. The government won't work without it. But these Christians believe they are acting in the name of God, so they can't and won't compromise. I know, I've tried to deal with them." He had absolutely no doubt that these people had made Washington more divisive than it had ever been, and he was concerned that their divisiveness was spreading throughout the country.

As Goldwater said, it is useless to deal with these "people of faith" for they are all authoritarian by nature, a point that Obama seems to have missed. Keep religion confined to the pulpit!

[rman]

7. Dean: "Goldwater republicans are now left of center"

That sure sheds a new light on 'center democrats', doesn't it.

[dalaigh lllama]

8. Yes. That was his statement on TDS last night

that really caught my attention.

Another quote of Goldwater's from the oped: Conservatives seek the wisdom of the past, not the worst of it.

And this snippet from the article succinctly defines where we're at:

Authoritarian governments are identified by ready government access to information about the activities of citizens and by extensive limitations on the ability of citizens to obtain information about the government. In contrast, democratic governments are marked by significant restrictions on the ability of government to acquire information about its citizens and by ready access by citizens to information about the activities of government.

I've got this book on my must-read list.

[bleever]

11. Excellent observation.

Democrats run from the labels of liberalism or (gasp) socialism, while Republicans seem to have no such fear of authoritarianism or fascism.

[kwolf68]

9. Edit----

I want it. May order 20 copies and send to some of my right (heh heh) friends.

[Misskittycat]

10. It's really good. I read a bit of it while waiting for a Costco

prescription to be filled. Unfortunately, I'm not a Costco member, so I couldn't buy it. It was only $14.95.

[BrklynLiberal]

12. KICK!!!!

[alvarezadams]

13. Hmmm

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/alvarezadams/13

[mulsh]

14. I finished reading it yesterday

Well written and fascinating. Dean provides an easy to follow road map of authoritarian conservative thought. He backs up his claims with lots of evidence and 50 years of psychiatric study. Oh and the end notes are pretty informative too.

This book makes a very good companion to George Lakoff's " Moral Politics"
Lakoff is very good at defining Liberal v Conservative points of view and archetypes but I have serious doubts he has ever actually had a discussion with what passes for a contemporary conservative. Dean nails that beast. hell read both books.