Review: Look Homeward, America

Dear Readers--

One of the most enjoyable conservative books that I read last year was Bill Kaufmann's Look homeward, America : in search of reactionary radicals and front-porch anarchists.

Through a mixture of American history, biography, sardonic observation, humour and autobiographical asides; Look homeward, America is an idiosyncratic and provocative celebration of those "radical reactionaries" who

... have sought to tear down what is artificial, factitious, imposed by remote and often coercive forces and cultivate what is local, organic, natural, and family centred.

In our almost useless political taxonomy, some are labeled "right wing" and others are tucked away on the left, but in fact they are embodiments of an American cultural-political tendency that is wholesome, rooted, and based in love of family, community, local self-rule, and a respect for permanent truths.

These are fighting words to those whom Conservatism means justifying the ways of Globalization unto Man, explaining how the Market was born free and is everywhere in Chains, and demanding an uncritical acquiescence to the whims of Big Business and the Welfare-Warfare State.

Although the book does require some knowledge of American history and politics to fully appreciate its allusions - its praise of: the settled life over relentless nomadism, the small over the big, the rural over the urban, mothers raising their own children over housing them five days a week in childcare so that their mothers can be free to do the same soul destroying jobs that men do, the needs of local community over the demands of far-off, rootless cosmopolitan elites, and peace over war would strike a chord with many Australians, as with Americans.

For example:

In one of those sententious post-Watergate books ... Nixon quoted De Gaulle that "France was never true to herself unless she was engaged in a great enterprise." To which the Trickster added, "I have always believed that this was true of the United States as well. Defending and promoting peace and freedom around the world is a great enterprise. Only by rededicating ourselves to that goal will we remain true to ourselves."

True to ourselves. You might think you can be true to youself by raising a family, planting a garden, participating in the life of a small and vital community, writing books about your people's history, building houses or farming land or simply studying with the birds, flowers, trees, God, and yourself, as Dvorak put it-but you would be wrong. Worse, you would be small, meager, mean, niggardly. The measure of a man's greatness is his willingness to abandon his family and go abroad to murder strangers on behalf of ... your guess is as good as mine. Mr Nixon's "great enterprises," I guess.

I can not say that I necessarily agree with everything that he says - but much of what he says appeals to my sense of what a humane life should be even if we poor mortals fail to live up to it.

For other more extensive reviews Readers may go to Caleb Stegal, Rod Dreher and 2blowhards; and for a five part interview with Bill Kauffman go to 2blowhards here, here, here, here and here.

Yours sincerely,
Mild Colonial Boy, Esq.