Excerpts from "White Protestant Nation" by Allan Lichtman

[Ardent15]

"The modern right arose out of a widespread concern that pluralistic, cosmopolitan forces threatened America's national identity."

"The right has held together as a political movement since World War I through its core commitment to conserving white Protestant values and private enterprise, not free enterprise. American conservative politics is not about limited government, states' rights, individual freedom, or free markets. These are all dispensable ideas that the right has adjusted and readjusted to protect core principles."

"Both religion and race have mattered for conservatives who view nationhood as anchored in white, native-stock peoples and their distinctive culture. Since World War I, conservatives have been cultural, religious, and at times racial nationalists, dedicated to protecting America's superior civilization from racially or culturally inferior peoples, foreign ideologies, sexual deviance, ecumenical religion, or the encroachment of a so-called one-world government."

"Ultimately conservatives have engaged in a struggle for control over American public life against a liberal tradition that they have seen as not just wrong on issues but sinful, un-American, and corrosive of the institutions and traditions that made the nation great. TO achieve their ambitious aims, conservatives have had to stay disciplined, mobilize their resources, and wage total war against liberals, with unconditional surrender as the only acceptable result."

For a summary and reviews of the book, go to <http://www.amazon.com/White-Protestant-Nation-American-Conservative/dp/0802144209/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1255471224&sr=1-1>

[jonnyblitz]

1. thanks for posting. i will add that one to my list.

I purchased "Blood and Politics: the White Nationalist Movement from the Margins to the Mainstream" by Leonard Zeskind awhile back. I haven't had a chance to read it yet.

http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Politics-Nationalist-Movement-Mainstream/dp/0374109036

[nemo137]

8. Blood and Politics was great.

A little bit of an info-dump at times, but packed with detail and amazingly good at clearing up some of the more byzantine connections.

[Bonhomme Richard]

2. I don't think the "conservatives" that pull the strings care about.....

being "dedicated to protecting America's superior civilization from racially or culturally inferior peoples, foreign ideologies, sexual deviance, ecumenical religion". What they are dedicated to is unbridled profit.
They will use race, patriotism, religion, and any other means to ramp up the gullible to do their dirty work. Average Joe conservative is nothing but a useful idiot that can be goaded into fighting against his own interest.

[Ardent15]

6. Don't seperate the two. Many of the wealthy conservatives are people who do indeed care...

..about those things.

[blue neen]

3. There are quite a number of us..."White Protestants"...who worked very hard to get President Obama

elected. I guess Mr. Lichtman didn't complete his research.

[SoCalDem]

4. macro v micro n/t

[Ardent15]

5. He never implied that ALL white Protestants are conservative...

Hell, I'm a white Protestant, and I supported Obama.

I guess you didn't understand what Lichtman is actually saying.

[blue neen]

15. IMHO, he's implying that by the very title of the book.

It's a generalization, and quite honestly no segment of the population enjoys having their opinions and beliefs generalized or taken for granted.

LBJ got the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Medicare Act of 1965 passed. He was successful in getting legislation passed that his predecessor, JFK, had conceived. It was about teamwork and beliefs and ideals and taking proper care of the all of the citizens of this country...it was important then, and it's important today. :)

The book would definitely be interesting reading!

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

17. No, you're infering it. Falsely.

Read it again.

If you still don't understand it, read it a third time.

Keep reading until it soaks through.

[blue neen]

18. You're questioning my intelligence while you're spelling "inferring" incorrectly.

Ok. :hi:

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

19. Pretty much.

Everybody makes spelling mistakes.

Being able to correctly interpret simple sentences is a different matter.

[blue neen]

20. Everbody also has their own opinions.

BTW, I have noticed what a positive attitude you have here on DU. :)

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

21. Really?

I've never noticed you before.

[blue neen]

22. Really.

You are such a ray of sunshine here on DU, it would be hard NOT to notice the kind things that you say to people here.

[OHdem10]

12. The operative word is Conservative. White Conservative Protestants

Are you a Conservative???

I am a White Liberal Catholic who supports Obama.

[blue neen]

16. No, I am not.

Here's to our President! :toast:

[BrklynLiberal]

7. hmmmm. The ONLY "native-stock" peoples are the American Indians,

and literally every other person who has ever been considered "American" is either descended from an emigrant, or was an emigrant themselves.

This is so much crapola that my head hurts.

Ironic that this nation, which was and is comprised of one of the least homogenous populations in the world, appears to have a core of people who are among the most intolerant...and ignorant.



"Both religion and race have mattered for conservatives who view nationhood as anchored in white, native-stock peoples and their distinctive culture"

[Ardent15]

10. Yep. The people this book talks about are hypocritical and prejudiced

..and intolerant, as you said.

[anonymous171]

9. Sounds like he has it backwards.

The right as an institution exists to put forward the interests of the elites. These elites do not care about religion or culture. They care only about profits and are willing to anything to protect and increase them. They would not mind one world government, as long as they get to decide what the rules and laws are (WTO, NAFTA, etc.) Conservative activists are simply useful idiots.

[Ardent15]

11. Where do you think all the voting and organizational power comes from?

nt

[tblue]

13. Profit AND power.

I have no way of knowing what conservatives feel deep in their souls and maybe it doesn't matter. The cultural division is, at minimum, a means to an end, for the ones who are running the show. The peons are, too, and they are victims, only they don't know it. I think this has always been true in this country.

[BrklynLiberal]

14. Here is an interesting article about the TRUE history of America..

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=6761839&mesg_id=6761839