Death of the West (Paperback)

Buchanan does an excellent job of explaining how the current predicament came about. Where communists failed, the multiculturalists, socialists, and liberals have succeeded in weakening our culture internally rather than attacking us externally. The evidence of the infiltration is all around us: Americans are being robbed of our cultural heroes and icons, the New History being taught in our schools is inculcating an Anti-American spirit in our youth, religion has been banned from our schools, Americans are rejecting the family and community in the pursuit of material gain, a national consciousness has given way to racial and cultural disagreements essentially fracturing the very fabric of society, the proliferation of abortion has killed millions of future Westerners while at the same time accomplishing a numbing of society by nullifying the sanctity of life itself, and defeatism has seized the men and women who should be in the front line of the defense of Western culture. Most importantly, America has been largely de-Christianized. Buchanan argues that Christianity is the foundation on which Western civilization was built; with that foundation crumbling, not even a commitment to democracy can save America. Massive immigration by peoples not interested in "becoming Americans" are only hastening the death of the West. His portrayal of the Republican party as blind to the dangers and cowardly to act do much to explain his exit from the party.

Buchanan argues that all hope is not yet gone, although he never seems overly positive at our chances for success. Above all, morality and the importance of family must be restored--without a significant increase in birth rates, no political solutions can change our fate. Political actions are needed, however, chief among them the reining in of a Supreme Court that is now violating the Constitution by legislating from the bench. Communities and states must regain the power to oversee how they and their children should live, the murder of viable fetuses simply must be stopped, our children as well as immigrants must be taught the true history of America because the truth of our accomplishments (including the abolition of slavery) is sure to inspire the patriotism that liberals have been working long and hard to rob our children of. Christians must become the zealous evangelicals of old, and the Republican party must shed its robes of cowardice and fight for the values that the silent majority still hold fast to, albeit it more silently than ever before.

I have to say that I don't necessarily agree with everything Buchanan calls for, but this book has made me question some of my own opinions, and I find that very valuable. This book can challenge any reader who actually reads it. Its subject is made even more important by the new climate we in America find ourselves living in after 9-11-01. The terrorist attacks have awakened us to the threat to America from outside our borders; now we must recognize the even greater threat from within our own society. As a new spirit of patriotism has spread across our nation, we have a golden opportunity to save Western civilization. Whether you agree with Mr. Buchanan or not, this book needs to be read, studied, and debated by all Americans. I am somewhat obsessed about keeping my books in pristine condition, but my copy of this book is filled with underlined passages, asterisks, and notes.