Podcasts about radical right's stealth plan

Chris and I discuss Nancy MacLean's controversial 2017 book 'Democracy in Chains' and the right-wing attack on Democracy. Is James Buchanan the Machiavelli of Libertarianism or its Forrest Gump? Thanks for listening! Please leave a review on iTunes or wherever is easiest and consider supporting the show with patreon.com/literaryhangover Matt (@MattLech) Chris (@ristotelian) @LitHangover References: MacLean's defense: 'The Controversy over Democracy in Chains' by Andy Seal https://s-usih.org/2017/07/the-controversy-over-democracy-in-chains/ 'School Vouchers, James Buchanan, and Segregation' by John Jackson https://altrightorigins.com/2017/08/06/school-vouchers-segregation/ 'Ideas Have Consequences: The Impact of Law and Economics on American Justice' by Elliott Ash, Daniel L. Chen, Suresh Naidu http://elliottash.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/ash-chen-naidu-2018-07-15.pdf MacLean's critics: "The Sound of Silence. A Review Essay of Nancy Maclean's Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right's Stealth Plan for America," by Jean-Baptiste Fleury and Alain Marciano https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3175135 "On the Origins and Goals of Public Choice Constitutional Conspiracy?" By Michael C. Munger http://www.independent.org/issues/article.asp?id=9115 Other references "Why Does Freedom Wax and Wane? Some Research Questions in Social Change and Big Government" by Tyler Cowen https://www.mercatus.org/system/files/cowen_freedom_wax_and_wane_v3.pdf "Tax-funded charter schools textbooks deny evolution, teach human-dinosaur cohabitation, endorse slavery and indigenous genocide" via Boing Boing https://boingboing.net/2018/06/02/idiocracy-prequel.html "Exclusive: Lee Atwater’s Infamous 1981 Interview on the Southern Strategy" via The Nation https://www.thenation.com/article/exclusive-lee-atwaters-infamous-1981-interview-southern-strategy/

For libertarians, liberty means something different. It’s about liberty for property owners. And in their quest to preserve that absolute freedom for the ownership class — whether their assets be human slaves, factories, or extractive industries — democracy must be curtailed and the power of the people must be checked and repressed. This is the argument put forward by Dan’s guest, historian Nancy MacLean, in her book Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right's Stealth Plan for America. The book makes a powerful argument for the anti-democratic origins and trajectory of free market fundamentalist, Koch Brothers-aligned economists who have come to profoundly shape and warp American politics to fit their dystopian vision. The book has also been controversial. Thank you to Verso Books. Check out Deport, Deprive, Extradite: 21st Century State Extremism by Nisha Kapoor versobooks.com/books/2551-deport-deprive-extradite. Thank you to the Socialism 2018 conference. Register now at socialismconference.org! Want to get access to our stellar weekly newsletter? You can do so by making a contribution to the long-run viability of this show at Patreon.com/TheDig.  

This week we take on the topic of libertarianism, an ideology that in recent years has gained many adherents, including political conservatives and people in business, especially the high tech industry. But it's worth asking, what is libertarianism and where does it fit in the history of American political culture? Is it a mainstream ideology with deep roots in American history? Or is it one on the fringe? And what accounts for its surging popularity in recent years?  Well, to answer these questions, I’ll first give my historian's take on libertarianism. Spoiler alert: I'm not a big fan. I'll point out how libertarianism occupies a place on the very outer fringe of American political ideology. And that it's mainly an ideology of recent origin (ca 1945) and that it's popularity has a lot to do with the efforts of millionaires and billionaires, as well as large corporations, that fund pro-libertarian initiatives. The US has always revered individualism, but not the radical individualism that defines libertarianism. It's an individualism that has always been tempered by an equally important commitment to the common good. Then I'll speak with Christine Woodside, author of the book, Libertarians on the Prairie: Laura Ingalls Wilder, Rose Wilder Lane, and the Making of the Little House Books.  Wait, what? Little House on the Prairie has something to do with libertarianism? Yes. In fact, as you’re about to hear, it has quite a bit to do with it. Let's just say that it's a story that includes not only Laura Ingalls Wilder, but also Ayn Rand, the Koch brothers, and the Libertarian Party.   About Christine Woodside – website Further Reading Christine Woodside, Libertarians on the Prairie: Laura Ingalls Wilder, Rose Wilder Lane, and the Making of the Little House Books (2015  Nancy MacLean, Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right's Stealth Plan for America (2017) Colin Woodard, American Character: A History of the Epic Struggle Between Individual Liberty and the Common Good (2015) Daniel Cluchey, “The Founding Fathers Were Not Libertarians,” Huffington Post, May 25, 2011 Music for This Episode Jay Graham, ITPL Intro (JayGMusic.com) Kevin McCleod, “Impact Moderato” (Free Music Archive) Ketsa, “I Will Be There” (Free Music Archive) Doc Turtle, “Thought Soup” (Free Music Archive) Hefferman, “Winter Trek” (Free Music Archive) The Bell, “I Am History” (Free Music Archive) Production Credits Executive Producer: Lulu Spencer Technical Advisors: Holly Hunt and Jesse Anderson Podcasting Consultant: Darrell Darnell of Pro Podcast Solutions Photographer: John Buckingham Graphic Designer: Maggie Cellucci Website by: ERI Design Legal services: Tippecanoe and Tyler Too Social Media management: The Pony Express Risk Assessment: Little Big Horn Associates Growth strategies: 54 40 or Fight © Snoring Beagle International, 2017

An explosive exposé of the man and the ideas behind the well-heeled right's relentless campaign to eliminate unions, suppress voting, privatize public education, change the Constitution, and curb democratic majority rule
 
DEMOCRACY IN CHAINS The Deep History of the Radical Right's Stealth Plan for America By Nancy MacLean 
“An erudite, searing portrait of how the late political economist James McGill Buchanan (1919–2013) and his deep-pocketed conservative allies have reshaped—and undermined—American democracy…. A thoroughly researched and gripping narrative… [MacLean] has delivered another deeply important book that will interest general readers and scholars alike. Her work here is a feat of American intellectual and political history.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review “For those who think the Tea Party, Freedom Caucus, and the alt-right are recent constructs, MacLean provides an extensive history lesson that traces the genesis of the right wing back to post-WWII doctrines…. A worthy companion to Jane Mayer’s Dark Money, MacLean’s intense and extensive examination of the right-wing’s rise to power is perhaps the best explanation to date of the roots of the political divide that threatens to irrevocably alter American government.” —Booklist, Starred Review “A chilling portrait of an arrogant, uncompromising, and unforgiving man, stolid in his mission to ‘save capitalism from democracy.’ … An unsettling exposé of the depth and breadth of the libertarian agenda.” —Kirkus Reviews “It’s happening: the subversion of our democratic system from within. How did the political Right do it? Nancy MacLean tells the long-overlooked story of the political economist who developed the playbook for the Koch brothers. James McGill Buchanan merged states rights’ thinking with free market principles and helped to fashion the inherently elitist ideology of today’s Republican Party. Professor MacLean’s meticulous research and shrewd insights make this a must-read for all who believe in government ‘by the people.’”
—Nancy Isenberg, author of White Trash: The 400-Year Untold History of Class in America The Republican Party of today bears very little resemblance to the GOP of the past. What was once a movement to limit federal “overreach” in favor of individual and states’ rights has transformed into a concerted effort to curb democratic rule in favor of capitalist interests at every level of government, whatever the consequences. To many longtime Republicans, the party seems to have lost touch with their concerns, but to a powerful minority, it’s marching ever closer to the ultimate goal of reshaping the Constitution to protect moneyed interests. This gradual takeover of a major political party happened over several decades, and often in plain sight, but the true architects of this plan and their ultimate aim have never been fully exposed—until now. Nancy MacLean’s DEMOCRACY IN CHAINS: The Deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America (A Viking Hardcover; On Sale June 13, 2017) blows open the doors to the unknown history of the relentless campaign by the radical rich to eliminate unions, suppress voting, privatize everything from schools to Medicare and Social Security, and change the Constitution. MacLean traces this game plan back to one man, the Nobel Prize-winning political economist James McGill Buchanan, who forged his ideas in an attempt to preserve the white elite’s power in the wake of Brown v. Board of Education. Painstakingly researched over ten years with unprecedented access to Buchanan’s personal files, DEMOCRACY IN CHAINS explores the genesis of this new radical right, from its beginnings in academia to the eventual embrace and financial backing of the billionaire Charles Koch. From his research centers, first at the University of Virginia and later at George Mason University, Buchanan developed a long-term strategy to prevent those of us without great property or power from using the democratic process to enact meaningful change. Jane Mayer’s Dark Money followed the money behind the rise of the radical right; DEMOCRACY IN CHAINS follows the ideas, exposing the intellectual arguments that Koch and company embraced and applied in their quest for an operational strategy to entrench the power of the wealthy. This is a frightening, important book, and required reading for voters on either side of party lines. For Democrats, it’s immensely important to understand the opposition’s motivations and the logic of its tactics and ultimate endgame. For Republicans, it’s an eye-opening look at the appropriation of their political party by a messianic wealthy elite. Using the architects’ own words and predictions, MacLean creates a chilling portrait of what is in store for the country should this movement succeed. As much of America (and the world) reels from a seemingly unexpected swing to populism and far-right rhetoric, DEMOCRACY IN CHAINS offers a peek behind the curtain to reveal just how we got here and what the future will hold. 
 ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Nancy MacLean is the award-winning author of Behind the Mask of Chivalry (a New York Times "noteworthy" book of the year) and Freedom is Not Enough, which was called by the Chicago Tribune "contemporary history at its best." The William Chafe Professor of History and Public Policy at Duke University, she lives in Durham, North Carolina.

David Cole, legal director of the ACLU, talks about different ways Trump could end the work of the special counsel -- and what that would mean politically. plus Nancy MacLean, author of "Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right's Stealth Plan for America" and Bob Dreyfuss of The Nation on the Russia investigations and the Trump family businesses.

Nancy MacLean is an award-winning scholar of the twentieth-century U.S. history at Duke University. She joins us this week to discuss her book on an important topic: "Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right's Stealth Plan for America." Why the Elite Libertarian project has been destroying American democracy. John C Calhoun and James Buchanan as forefathers of Neoliberalism. The still-operative property rights arguments that were born of defending slaves as property. Why the Koch Brothers’ time horizon was key to their success. The Koch’s goal of a constitutional convention to shackle majority will.