Anyone vaguely aware of what’s going on in current American politics can identify that there’s a lot of haters out there, on both sides. Thus, Arthur Goldwag recently released a book titled: “The New Hate: A History of Fear and Loathing on the Populist Right.”
1Pop·u·list: noun:A member or adherent of a political party that represents the interests of ordinary people. (Merriam-Webster)
In his appearance at Powells City of Books on Feb. 16th he asserted the right wing has convinced blue collar Americans of a deregulating ideology which “takes the worst toll on the people who fight for them the hardest.”
Goldwag sees the right wing distorting their goals to the public to win their support as a part of the people. Most of the GOP supporters are low income workers who are just scraping by, but they will fight until their hands bleed to give a billionaire a tax break. The Republican party of late has found its vehicle in appealing to politically inactive listeners who will vote for the politician who hates Al-Qaeda and illegal immigrants the loudest.
Goldwag spoke of anti-Semitism in America, classism, and racism, mentioning; “it’s not playing the race card to call someone a racist…[in politics]being called a racist is the worst thing that can happen to you, even if you are a racist.” Politicians like Ron Paul may not have been the author of racist newsletters sent out in their name, but he does have a strong support from the KKK, and Goldwag claims this is not an accidental association.
Goldwag mentions that he considers himself a “freedom of speech absolutist.” Claiming even if Rush Limbaugh were there with him that night he would gladly let him speak, despite their enormous differences in opinion. “You can pour knowledge into people, and it’s not going to change some things about them” Goldwag said at another point.
When asked about America’s future, as possibly facing hard times concerning the concepts of peak-oil and other economic downfalls, he said: “I think it’s happening… it’s happened to every big empire before us” but “no one has had the technology to destroy the world like we have.”
During the question and answer series after his speech Goldwag was told by an audience member that the difference between North Korea and South Korea is freedom, and that America is a great country, not one built on hate. Goldwag replied that he agrees America is a great country, but that “I don’t think America invented freedom.”
Goldwag does not hate America, but he does see its flaws, and believes it is important to point out flaws regardless of our theoretical superiority to other nations. As he put it “the spirit of self-criticism is a good thing.”
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