In Jonah Goldberg's first book, Liberal Fascism, he wrote against type, at least to a degree. For all of the controversy surrounding it, the book was scholarly almost to a fault. Goldberg, who made his name writing the hip and irreverent "G-file" for National Review Online, himself described Liberal Fascism as having "strong tannins". There were over 500 references, but, significantly, I don't think his couch was quoted once. In other words, while it was at times humorous, the serious nature of the topic of fascism and Goldberg's meticulously scholarship made for a bit of a dry read. Goldberg produced a great and important book, but he threw his fans a bit of a googly. Well, his scholars pen has now been exchanged for, if not a rapier wit, then perhaps (as Brad Thor put it) an intellectual prison shiv. If Goldberg needed to write Liberal Fascism as a first book to prove his bona fides, he finally lets `er rip in The Tyranny of Clichés.
If you are the sort of person who loves a good political discussion, you have no doubt at times been stymied by one of the clichés the Goldberg deconstructs. These are passed off in conversation as conventional wisdom, essentially immune to challenge. Heck, sometimes they are even taught in schools. However, much like the Wicked Witch of the West facing a bucket of water (that's for the Flying Monkeys out there), they melt on contact, in this case with facts and logic.
Probably the biggest of the clichés is the trope that a progressive ideology is really just "pragmatism". After all, who is against pragmatism? Time and again he exposes the effort to insinuate this idea or another as not an ideology but rather common sense. Ideologies are debated. Conventional wisdom is immune from such thoughtful consideration. In particular, Goldberg takes on those clichés
that are used as tools to advance an agenda (This section also the great line "The French Enlightenment was a lot like the Star Wars franchise: It started great; it just evolved into a disaster over time.")
Take the "No Labels" movement. Guided by NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, but with intellectual roots back to "another famously short egomaniac, Napolean", it claimed to be a group without any party affiliation and a non-partisan agenda. In practice, it just turned out idea that all of the "pragmatic" ideas the group pushed were state-oriented solutions to perceived social problems. The Venn diagrams for No Labels and Progressives were highly overlapped. "No Labels" was just a false flag for advancing that agenda without having to argue the ideology.
A few of the other choice bits:
The Left like to think of itself as a "Reality Based Community" with science on its side. Sure. Just as long as certain uncomfortable truths can be defined out of the "fact" column and filed under "agree to disagree". This is not a respect for science, but "scientism", the use of the white lab coat as a trump card. It is intended to stop a closer examination of the science (as Al Gore put it "The time for debate is over!"). If the Neuroscience faculty turns out another "what's the matter with conservatives" journal article, Goldberg argues that it is probably relevant that they faculty has a 13:1 liberal to conservative ratio. Scientism on the left is described as essentially Bill Murray in Ghostbusters saying: "Back off man, I'm a scientist". It turns out that folks on the Left actually are pretty human in picking and choosing the reality on which their community is based
Another one: The Right is for "social Darwinism". This is particularly galling since a) that's not what the folks on the Right would more appropriately call the idea that "actions have consequences" and b) the progressives were the ones who tried to go a step beyond ACTUAL Darwinism and embrace eugenics of Margaret Sanger, et al.
Violence never solved anything? Well, other than ending slavery, stopping Nazism, and creating a United States (and that's just a partial list for the U.S. Army). It's a statement that is just moronic after even a moment's thought.
Chapters which covered the truth about witch hunts and what Marie Antoinette actually said were not only entertaining and well-researched, but areas of history in which I was misinformed. Also: slippery slopes aren't so slippery, and dissent is the highest form of patriotism...in certain circumstances.
You get the idea. As Brad Thor (again) said: "Straw man down!"
This aspect of the book is fun, but the cliché-debunking really has a feel of a fish-meets-barrel-meets-gun proposition. The meat of the book is when Goldberg discusses the implications that these clichés have for modern politics, hence the "Tyranny" of the title. Goldberg's goal, and this is congruent with Liberal Fascism, is to expose the shoddy thinking, obfuscation, and duplicity that undergirds the progressive movement. In the end, these clichés are not intended to serve as arguments, but rather intended to stop them. Other times they steal an intellectual base by assuming facts not in evidence. Stripping the clichés out of the progressive armamentarium turns the conflict back into a level-ground discussion of ideas and results. If readers finish Goldberg's book somewhat more willing to think for themselves, he is confident that the ideas of the Right will win in any fair fight.
So I give a strong endorsement for his latest book. It is an enjoyable read, but, with apologies Highlights, it is fun with a purpose. If conservatism is "standing athwart history, yelling stop", then this is pointing a finger at history and saying "you gotta be kidding me, right?"
5 stars
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Top reviews from other countries
Occasional Thinker
Shallow thinking exposed with verve
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 15, 2015RDGeorge
I will ensure my Son reads it BEFORE going to University so he doesn't get poisoned by the usual garbage on campus
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 1, 2014