Where the Right Went Wrong: How Neoconservatives Subverted the Reagan Revolution and Hijacked the Bush Presidency
by Pat Buchanan, published Sept. 2004


(Click for Amazon book review)

OnTheIssues.org BOOK REVIEW:

Pat Buchanan was once a Republican, but he does not like the Republican Party anymore. He DOES like Ronald Reagan -- the book is dedicated to him -- but not the current crop of Republicans. They are "Conservative Impersonators," according to the title of chapter 7. Buchanan's falling-out with the Republican Party came about because the neoconservatives took over the party. That's why he ran for President against Bush in 2000 -- because the neocons took control of Bush's campaign and then his presidency.

Buchanan explains why he wrote the book (p. 10): "It is about where conservatives lost the way, about where the Right went wrong…. And it is about a cabal that betrayed the good cause of conservatism, because, from the very beginning, they never believed in it. They had another agenda all along. So, the purpose of this book is to retrace our steps to see where we lost the way, and rediscover the way back home to a conservative politics of principle."

The title of chapter 7, "Conservative Impersonators," refers to the neocons too. Buchanan concludes, "The neoconservatives are not really conservatives at all. They are impostors and opportunists. They defected from liberalism only when they saw conservatism in the ascendancy."

Buchanan explains, in great detail, what true conservatives believe. He differs substantially from Bush's views (and the neocon view) on the Iraq War in particular. Buchanan asserts that the Iraq War was wrong, and that the neocons lied (and continue to lie) to the American people about jihadist goals and Islam in general. He deeply researched those assertions: he includes 20 pages on the history of Islam (pp. 59-79). And plenty more history about the French, Chinese, and Russian revolutions, as the basis for other disagreements with the neocons.

In summary, Buchanan left the GOP and ran in 2000 because he disliked Bush and the neocons who had taken over the GOP. This book should convince all readers that Buchanan was sincere in those beliefs.

-- Jesse Gordon, editor-in-chief, OnTheIssues.org, November 2011

OnTheIssues.org excerpts:  (click on issues for details)

Budget & Economy     Pat Buchanan: Outsourcing and imports let foreigners control US economy.     Richard Nixon: 1971: We are all Keynesians now: spend during recession.     Richard Nixon: 1971: Delink gold; float dollar; 10% import tariff.

Civil Rights     Antonin Scalia: Opposed banning homosexual sodomy laws.     George W. Bush: Recognizes value of diversity on college campuses.     Mitt Romney: OpEd: abdicated power in 2004 & allowed gay marriage.     Sandra Day O`Connor: In 25 years, racial preferences will no longer be needed.

Drugs     Pat Buchanan: Mexico now leading source of marijuana, due to NAFTA.

Environment     Pat Buchanan: Endangered Species Act hurts jobs to protect bugs & weeds.

Families & Children     Pat Buchanan: Moral & cultural revolution destroyed American family.

Foreign Policy     Pat Buchanan: Avoid the democratist temptation of the internationalists.     Bill Clinton: Taiwan: no independence; no recognition; no memberships.     George W. Bush: US is single surviving model of human progress.     George W. Bush: 2003: Rebuked Taiwan for independence referendum.     George W. Bush: OpEd: "World democratic revolution" means overthrow to China.     George W. Bush: Increased foreign aid by 65% from 2002 to 2006.     Jimmy Carter: Severed diplomatic relations with Taiwan & recognized PRC.     Pat Buchanan: Imposing our morality abroad is "moral imperialism".     Pat Buchanan: To millions of Muslims, WE are the evil empire.     Pat Buchanan: In Asia, China is rising power and America is receding.     Pat Buchanan: Opposed Shanghai Communique's "One China" policy.     Pat Buchanan: China has a point in denouncing US containment as hegemony.     Pat Buchanan: China today does not threaten any vital US interests.     Pat Buchanan: Chinese nationalism requires control of Tibet and Xinjiang.     Pat Buchanan: Taiwan should accept "One China, Two Systems" like Hong Kong.     Pat Buchanan: Break trade ties with PRC if they attack Taiwan.     Pat Buchanan: Foreign aid, like welfare, creates permanent dependency.     Pat Buchanan: Never be isolationist; but stop being interventionist.     Richard Nixon: 1972: Implemented Shanghai Communique's "One China" policy.     Ronald Reagan: Reaffirmed Shanghai Communique's "One China" policy.

Free Trade     Pat Buchanan: America’s freedom is tied to her economic independence.     Pat Buchanan: China's prosperity depends on US trade.     Pat Buchanan: Require trade with Beijing to be reciprocal.     Pat Buchanan: America's Industrial Revolution took place with high tariffs.     Ronald Reagan: 1985: imposed import quotas on Japanese cars.

Government Reform     Ronald Reagan: Told friends he failed to cut size of government enough.

Homeland Security     Pat Buchanan: Pentagon depends on foreign manufacturing to defend America.     Dick Cheney: Wolfowitz Doctrine disowned by Bush-I became Bush-II policy.     George Bush Sr.: Sold F-16's to Taiwan after Tiananmen Square.     George W. Bush: Deterrence won't work against rogue nations.     George W. Bush: OpEd: Pre-emptive war is not America's way.     George W. Bush: OpEd: Reagan never asserted pre-emptive right.     George W. Bush: OpEd: Pushing Mideast democracy yields dictatorships.     Jimmy Carter: OpEd: Pressure to democratize Iran caused Shah's overthrow.     Joe Biden: 1992: No Pax Americana.     Pat Buchanan: Deterrence has worked against rogue nations.     Pat Buchanan: Avoiding war is the way to remain a superpower.     Pat Buchanan: We are hated for what we do, not who we are.     Pat Buchanan: Suicide killers not new; they've been legends for millennia.     Pat Buchanan: 9/11 attack was response to US presence in Mecca & Medina.     Ronald Reagan: Roll back Communism, not just containment.     Ronald Reagan: Reagan Doctrine: US aid to anti-Communist rebels.     Ted Kennedy: 1992: End Cold War military spending levels.

Immigration     Pat Buchanan: America is becoming Mexamerica.     Pat Buchanan: Melting pot is broken; newcomers no longer assimilate.

Principles & Values     Pat Buchanan: Pragmatism is the order of the day of the GOP.     Pat Buchanan: Neoconservatives are opportunists, not conservatives.     George W. Bush: Moral truth is the same in every culture & every time.

Tax Reform     Jim DeMint: Dependent citizens have no incentive to restrain government.     Pat Buchanan: Tariffs are the best form of taxes.

Technology     Howard Dean: Trip to Mars can't be reconciled with $500B deficit.

War & Peace     Pat Buchanan: Pre-emptive war doctrine is a formula for endless conflict.     Pat Buchanan: Bush’s war risks the safety of America.     Bill Clinton: 1998: Rejected overthrowing Saddam as US policy.     Colin Powell: 9/12/01: Urged focus on Al Qaeda, not Iraq.     Donald Rumsfeld: 1998: Encouraged overthrowing Saddam as US policy.     Donald Rumsfeld: 9/12/01: Urged focus on Iraq, not Al Qaeda.     George W. Bush: 9/11: I'm amazed that there is hatred of America.     Pat Buchanan: Iraq War is imperial overstretch & may cause US collapse.     Pat Buchanan: Applying our model of "freedom" means endless war with Islam.     Pat Buchanan: 2002: Launched "American Conservative" to oppose Iraq war.     Pat Buchanan: Don't let War on Terror morph into War for Empire.     Pat Buchanan: No conceivable gain from conflict with China.

Click for quotations from other sources by: Antonin Scalia Bill Clinton Colin Powell Dick Cheney Donald Rumsfeld George Bush Sr. George W. Bush Howard Dean Jim DeMint Jimmy Carter Joe Biden Mitt Romney Pat Buchanan Richard Nixon Ronald Reagan Sandra Day O`Connor Ted Kennedy