The Paleoconservatism of Paul Gottfried
One of the most important, yet forgotten movements in US conservative politics is paleoconservatism.
Once known as the Old Right, paleconservatism has dried up on the table of conservative discourse, and its leaders have become the back-seat drivers in the US political machine. Today, I offer a frank, revealing interview with paleoconservative icon Dr. Paul Gottfried, the founding father of the movement and man who coined the phrase "paleoconservatism."
Gottfried, a Humanities Professor at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania, is one of the most influential paleocons in the US. He's published 12 books on conservatism and his work has influenced the likes of Richard Nixon, Ron Paul and Pat Buchanan, just to name a few. In this story, Gottfried offers his thoughts on where the conservative movement is headed, the genesis of the rift between paleocons and neoconservatives and what the paleocons need to do to make a resurgence.
Find out why this rock-ribbed conservative believes it's necessary to vote for Barack Obama this year.
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Comments
Gottfried’s justification for voting Obama (“I’m just hoping he’ll be so bad and create such a financial crisis, that he’ll actually push this country back to the right”) is no different than the guy who hopes that American soldiers get killed by the drove in Iraq to force a pull-out. It’s cynical and repugnant, a willingness to inflict suffering for ideological ends.
I think they are completely different, especially considering paleocons are “non-interventionist” in the first place. I asked Gottfried about his feelings on the war in Iraq, and he certainly wasn’t advocating for American soldiers to get killed. Since he already believes a pull-out is necessary, there’s no reason — not even a cynical one — for soldiers to get killed in order to “force” a pull-out, as you suggest. Your logic makes no sense, and I believe your statement was made more for its shock value than for its intellectual contribution. Gottfried’s feelings on Obama may indeed be cynical, but I find them far from repugnant. In fact, if Obama does get elected in November, I believe a financial crisis in America is all but assured.
Thanks for writing.
You’re missing the point. I wasn’t disputing Gottfried’s position on Iraq or how his beliefs fit with the fine print on his name plate. Only his logic, precisely because of its shocking–if we’re into ascribing shock anywhere–indifference to its human implications. I wouldn’t presume to read anything into his motives, or yours, as you seem dismayingly comfortable doing with a dissenting voice.