The Real Culture War

The Real Culture War

Author: Gerard Michael Emershaw

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Published: 2014-09-07

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781493795789

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In his book Culture Warrior, Bill O'Reilly--the host of the Fox News Channel show "The O'Reilly Factor"--incorrectly characterizes the Culture War as a social, political, and intellectual struggle between "traditionalists" and "secular-progressives." THE REAL CULTURE WAR analyzes, dissects, and discredits Bill O'Reilly's conception of the Culture War and argues that he gets it all wrong. His "traditionalism" and "secular-progressivism" are merely two heads of the same collectivist beast. THE REAL CULTURE WAR pits Individualism versus Collectivism. Individualism states that human beings have intrinsic value and possess the natural rights to life, liberty, and property. This view was held by the Founding Fathers. Collectivism states that human beings only have value in virtue of their relationship to the collective. This view was held by the "Philosopher-Kings" (PKs)--tyrannical leaders who view themselves as enlightened and exempt themselves from the draconian laws they force upon others. PKs discussed in THE REAL CULTURE WAR include Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin, and Mao as well as American leaders Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Al Gore, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. The intellectual, historical, and empirical foundations of Individualism and Collectivism are examined, and it is argued that logic and reason establish that Individualism is the superior worldview because Individualism naturally leads to peace, prosperity, and freedom whereas Collectivism invariably leads to war, poverty, and tyranny. Specific formulations of Collectivism--Communism, Fascism/Nazism, Progressivism, Environmentalism, Neoconservatism, Racism, Religionism, Corporatism, and Labor Unionism--are fully exposed and critiqued. Next, an alternate conception of government in the form of the Individualist State is developed and defended while building the "Night-Watchman State" from first principles. Within this "Minarchist State" is a system of taxation which provides a justifiable connection between the tax paid by the people in order to maintain the State whose duty it is to defend the natural rights of the people. These natural rights--life, liberty, and property--are each examined in depth and controversial issues related to them are analyzed fully in order to present philosophically sound solutions. Additionally, the structure and functions of the three branches of government--Executive, Legislative, and Judicial--of the Individualist State are explained, and it is demonstrated that the form of government written into the Constitution is a "Night-Watchman State" similar to the Individualist State. Later, modern threats to Individualism--the economic tyranny of the Federal Reserve, the globalism of the New World Order, and the collectivist Neo-Progressivism of President Barack Obama--within the United States are described in detail. Finally, a five-step plan of action is revealed for what individualists can do to win the Real Culture War.


How to Win the Culture War

How to Win the Culture War

Author: Peter Kreeft

Publisher: InterVarsity Press

Published: 2009-08-20

Total Pages: 122

ISBN-13: 0830875638

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Peter Kreeft examines the true nature of the "culture war" today, identifies the real enemies facing the church and maps out a strategy for battle.


Is There a Culture War?

Is There a Culture War?

Author: James Davison Hunter

Publisher: Brookings Institution Press

Published: 2006

Total Pages: 140

ISBN-13:

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In the wake of a bitter presidential campaign and in the face of numerous divisive policy questions, many Americans wonder if their country has split in two. Is America divided so clearly? Two of America's leading authorities on political culture lead a provocative and thoughtful investigation of this question and its ramifications.


A War for the Soul of America

A War for the Soul of America

Author: Andrew Hartman

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2019-04-26

Total Pages: 368

ISBN-13: 022662207X

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The “unrivaled” history of America’s divided politics, now in a fully updated edition that examines the rise of Trump—and what comes next (New Republic). When it was published in 2015, Andrew Hartman’s history of the culture wars was widely praised for its compelling and even-handed account of how they came to define American politics at the close of the twentieth century. But it also garnered attention for Hartman’s declaration that the culture wars were over—and that the left had won. In the wake of Trump’s rise, driven by an aggressive fanning of those culture war flames, Hartman has brought A War for the Soul of America fully up to date, detailing the ways in which Trump’s success, while undeniable, represents the last gasp of culture war politics—and how the reaction he has elicited can show us early signs of the very different politics to come. “As a guide to the late twentieth-century culture wars, Hartman is unrivalled . . . . Incisive portraits of individual players in the culture wars dramas . . . . Reading Hartman sometimes feels like debriefing with friends after a raucous night out, an experience punctuated by laughter, head-scratching, and moments of regret for the excesses involved.” —New Republic


Culture Wars

Culture Wars

Author: James Davison Hunter

Publisher: Avalon Publishing

Published: 1992-10-14

Total Pages: 431

ISBN-13: 0786723041

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A riveting account of how Christian fundamentalists, Orthodox Jews, and conservative Catholics have joined forces in a battle against their progressive counterparts for control of American secular culture.


Culture Warrior

Culture Warrior

Author: Bill O'Reilly

Publisher: Crown

Published: 2007-10-09

Total Pages: 258

ISBN-13: 0767920937

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With three straight #1 bestsellers and more than 4 million copies of his books in print, the most powerful traditional force in the American media now takes off his gloves in the ongoing struggle for America’s heart and soul. Bill O’Reilly is the very embodiment of the idea of a Culture Warrior—and in this book he lives up to the title brilliantly, with all the brashness and forthrightness at his command. He sees that America is in the midst of a fierce culture war between those who embrace traditional values and those who want to change America into a “secular-progressive” country. This is a conflict that differs in many ways from the usual liberal/conservative divide, but it is no less heated, and the stakes are even higher. In Culture Warrior, Bill O’Reilly defines this war and analyzes the competing philosophies of the traditionalist and secular-progressive camps. He examines why the nation’s motto “E Pluribus Unum” (“From Many, One”) might change to “What About Me?”; dissects the forces driving the secular-progressive agenda in the media and behind the scenes, including George Soros, George Lakoff, and the ACLU; and dives into matters of race, education, and the war on terror. He also shows how the culture war has played out in such high-profile instances as The Passion of the Christ, Fahrenheit 9/11, the abuse epidemic (child and otherwise), and the embattled place of religion in public life—with special emphasis on the war against Christmas. Whatever controversies are roiling the nation, he fearlessly confronts them—and no one will be in the dark about which side he’s on. Culture Warrior showcases Bill O’Reilly at his most eloquent and impassioned. He is an unrelenting fighter for the soul of America, and in this book he fights the good fight for the traditional values that have served this country so well for so long.


Ecumenical Jihad

Ecumenical Jihad

Author: Peter Kreeft

Publisher: Ignatius Press

Published: 1996

Total Pages: 180

ISBN-13: 9780898705799

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Juxtaposing "ecumenism" and "jihad", two words that many would consider strange and at odds with each other, Peter Kreeft argues that we need to change our current categories and alignments. We need to realize that we are at war and that the sides have changed radically: many of our former enemies (e.g. Muslims) are now our friends, and some of our former friends (e.g. humanists) are now our enemies. Documenting the spiritual and moral decay that has taken hold of modern society, Kreeft issues a wake-up call to all God-fearing Christian, Jews and Muslims to unite together in a "religious war" against the common enemy of godless secular humanism, materialism and immorality. Aware of the deep theological differences of these monotheistic faiths, Kreeft calls for a moratorium on our polemics against each other so that we can form an alliance to fight together to save western civilization. He cites numerous examples of today's Protestants, Jews, Catholics and Muslims working together to solve moral and spiritual problems. God is calling for this unity, Kreeft says, and if we respond, God will do something wonderful.


Sacred Trash

Sacred Trash

Author: Adina Hoffman

Publisher: Schocken

Published: 2016-06-21

Total Pages: 306

ISBN-13: 080521223X

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NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARD FINALIST WINNER OF THE 2012 AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION’S SOPHIE BRODY AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN JEWISH LITERATURE Sacred Trash tells the remarkable story of the Cairo Geniza—a synagogue repository for worn-out texts that turned out to contain the most vital cache of Jewish manuscripts ever discovered. This tale of buried communal treasure weaves together unforgettable portraits of Solomon Schechter and the other modern heroes responsible for the collection’s rescue with explorations of the medieval documents themselves—letters and poems, wills and marriage contracts, Bibles, money orders, fiery dissenting religious tracts, fashion-conscious trousseaux lists, prescriptions, petitions, and mysterious magical charms. Presenting a pan­oramic view of almost a thousand years of vibrant Mediterranean Judaism, Adina Hoffman and Peter Cole bring contemporary readers into the heart of this little-known trove, whose contents have rightly been dubbed “the Living Sea Scrolls.” Part biography, part meditation on the supreme value the Jewish people has long placed in the written word, Sacred Trash is above all a gripping tale of adventure and redemption. (With black-and-white illustrations throughout.)


Culture Wars and Enduring American Dilemmas

Culture Wars and Enduring American Dilemmas

Author: Irene Taviss Thomson

Publisher: University of Michigan Press

Published: 2018-03-22

Total Pages: 279

ISBN-13: 0472900919

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"Irene Taviss Thomson gives us a nuanced portrait of American social politics that helps explain both why we are drawn to the idea of a 'culture war' and why that misrepresents what is actually going on." ---Rhys H. Williams, Professor and Chair, Department of Sociology, Loyola University Chicago "An important work showing---beneath surface conflict---a deep consensus on a number of ideals by social elites." ---John H. Evans, Department of Sociology, University of California, San Diego The idea of a culture war, or wars, has existed in America since the 1960s---an underlying ideological schism in our country that is responsible for the polarizing debates on everything from the separation of church and state, to abortion, to gay marriage, to affirmative action. Irene Taviss Thomson explores this notion by analyzing hundreds of articles addressing hot-button issues over two decades from four magazines: National Review, Time, The New Republic, and The Nation, as well as a wide array of other writings and statements from a substantial number of public intellectuals. What Thomson finds might surprise you: based on her research, there is no single cultural divide or cultural source that can account for the positions that have been adopted. While issues such as religion, homosexuality, sexual conduct, and abortion have figured prominently in public discussion, in fact there is no single thread that unifies responses to each of these cultural dilemmas for any of the writers. Irene Taviss Thomson is Professor Emeritus of Sociology, having taught in the Department of Social Sciences and History at Fairleigh Dickinson University for more than 30 years. Previously, she taught in the Department of Sociology at Harvard University.