Three Books Completely Changed My Political Perspective

Are you ready to go down the rabbit hole?

I once considered myself a libertarian.

However, after reflecting on the political and economic realities facing our country and taking the time to read a lot more, I came to the realization that liberalism, and by extension, conservatism’s embrace of libertarianism, was in many ways to blame for the chaos all around us.

As I mentioned in my article “Against Ron Swanson-ism”

Libertarianism has left us isolated, tired, and increasingly resentful. No amount of cheap material goods will change that. It is time we focus on what truly matters: faith, nation, family, morality, and tradition.”

So with that, I present to you three books that completely changed my political perspective and sent me further down the “new right/postliberal” rabbit hole.

Why Liberalism Failed

"Why Liberalism Failed" by Patrick Deneen played a huge role in my decision to abandon libertarianism and opened my eyes to the destructive forces of the Enlightenment and “classical liberalism.”

Published in 2018, Deneen argues that liberalism's focus on individual freedom, unregulated capitalism, and constant expansion has led to a breakdown of social connections and a lack of community. He examines how liberalism's disregard for tradition and culture has weakened society's ethical and social framework. Overall, the book provides a critical analysis of liberalism's pitfalls and advocates for reevaluating our societal foundations to address the challenges posed by its failures.

“These three cornerstones of human experience - nature, time and place - form the basis of culture, and liberalism’s success is premised upon their uprooting and replacement with facsimiles that bear the same names.”

This is the place to start if you want to make sense of today’s cultural insanity.

Additional bonus book suggestion: Once you’re done with this one, you can check out the sequel titled “Regime Change,” which proposes a plan for replacing the liberal elite with a new elite dedicated to “pre-postmodern conservatism” and aligned with the interest of the “many.” I’ll have a full review of “Regime Change” once I finish it.

Revolt of the Elites: And the Betrayal of Democracy

“Revolt of the Elites” by Christopher Lasch was published in 1995 but is still incredibly relevant today as it delves into the growing disconnect between the intellectual and economic elites and the rest of society in modern democracies. It’s hard not to notice that today’s elites have become detached from the concerns and values of ordinary citizens, leading to a betrayal of “democracy.”

“The growing insularity of elites means that political ideologies lose touch with the concerns of ordinary citizens. Since political debate is restricted, most of the time, to the “talking classes,” it becomes increasingly ingrown and formulaic.”

Stepping back a bit, the idea that political power is ever really in the “hands of the people” is simply untrue. Elites have always spearheaded political and cultural changes throughout our country’s history. But something is very different about today’s elites.

In government, academia, and corporate circles, today’s elites have all but abandoned a sense of connection to their nation. Instead, they have embraced a globalized and technocratic worldview that prioritizes their interests over the well-being of the broader native population. This self-serving approach has eroded social cohesion and led to a widening socio-economic divide.

This book is incredibly insightful and presents a compelling analysis of the many challenges faced by modern democracies.

The Age of Entitlement: America Since the Sixties

"Age of Entitlement" is a book written by Christopher Caldwell that delves into the evolution of American society and politics since the 1960s. Published in 2020, Caldwell scrutinizes the significant changes that have taken place in various areas, including civil rights, immigration, welfare, education, and culture.

“Only with the entrenchment of political correctness did it become clear what Americans had done in 1964: They had inadvertently voted themselves a second constitution (The Civil Rights Act) without explicitly repealing the one they had.”

The 1960s marked a turning point in American history as a new era of entitlements began to take shape. Caldwell contends that expanding civil rights and introducing various government programs aimed at providing equal opportunities for all citizens have inadvertently led to unintended consequences.

The book delves into how these entitlements have, over time, fostered identity politics, increased division along racial and cultural lines, and weakened the sense of national unity. These entitlements have expanded to include a never-ending list of “human rights,” even leading to our modern-day cultural battles around gender, contributing to the growing polarization within American society.

Conclusion

There are numerous books that could have been included in this list, but I believe that these three will serve as a strong starting point for delving into some of the ideas found within the dissident right, new right, and/or postliberal right. (Basically, any ideas that fall outside mainstream conservativism.)

I’ll be following up on this post with other book recommendations soon. Of course, if you have any book suggestions, please feel free to leave a comment below.

Until next time…thanks for reading!