Ann Coulter’s Treason Indispensable Truth
I do not believe I am exaggerating when I say that Ann Coulter’s latest book, Treason: Liberal Treachery from the Cold War to the War on Terrorism (Crown Forum, $26.95) is, to date, the most important political book of the 21st century [see "I Dare Call it Treason," HUMAN EVENTS, June 30, page 6. Treason is available from www.hebookservice.com].
Written in Coulter’s trademark style, the book is insightful, well researched, and at times downright hilarious. But more than that, the book has some things missing from far too many conservative tomes of recent years: originality and daring.
Coulter takes what many conservatives already understand (and talk to each other about in private) and spells it out for the layperson to understand: liberalism is an ideology of sedition, the Democratic Party is the party of treason, and, in this great war for the future of the American Republic and Western Civilization, the left is an ally of the enemies of freedom.
The book is a thorough examination of the record of the left during the Cold War-when it constantly took the side of the Soviet Union and every other pro-Soviet group-to the present-day War on Terrorism, where liberals have constantly made excuses for Islamo-fascism and consistently gone to great lengths to combat every sensible measure proposed for fighting terrorism.
She artfully details how a careful campaign of liberal propaganda has succeeded in making the loyalty and patriotism (or lack thereof) of leftists a verboten subject.
Coulter is far from the first author to address many of these subjects.
Earlier this year, nationally syndicated columnist Mona Charen penned a book on the subject entitled Useful Idiots: How Liberals Got it Wrong in the Cold War and Still Blame America First [published by Regnery, a sister company of HUMAN EVENTS and also available from www.hebookservice.com], which offered an excellent accounting of anti-Americanism (and support for the Soviet Union and terrorists) among many of America’s most revered liberal icons.
However, in Treason Coulter takes the arguments advanced by other conservatives to their natural conclusions: The left has, at some point, crossed the line from being simply stupid to actively working as a traitorous fifth column within the United States and they must be exposed and stopped.
Perhaps what makes this book so significant is its re-examination of the life and times of Sen. Joe McCarthy (R.-Wis). Unjustly smeared in life and viciously pursued beyond the grave, today McCarthy’s career is never invoked, save by liberals who wish to hide behind the myth of ‘McCarthyism.’
Joe McCarthy, a farm boy who rose to be a lawyer, judge, Marine officer, and United States senator, is maligned in the history books as some sort of dark fascist who ruined the careers of many ‘innocent’ communists. This image is rarely challenged with most conservatives feeling compelled to distance themselves from Old (Tailgunner) Joe by offering ritualistic denunciations of his ‘excesses’ or by claiming that he ‘hurt the conservative movement more than he helped it.’
However, in Treason, we are given, at long last, the real truth about the career of America’s most hated senator. Joe McCarthy was no fascist; he was a true patriot who did a great service to his country by exposing many Communist spies operating freely in the upper reaches of the United States government.
More than that, he helped to effectively awaken the American people to the threat posed by Soviet agents and sympathizers throughout the country. McCarthy’s search was unusually restrained-the mission of his Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations was to probe Communists in the government, and he restricted himself to doing that. His investigations exposed high-ranking Soviet agents in the State Department and Communist officers in the Army.
Treason is nothing less than a declaration of war against the left, a manifesto for a cultural counter-revolution. Richard Nixon once said that "if the American people knew the real character of Alger Hiss, they would boil him in oil."
The same is true of the modern left as a whole. They survive only through lies and deception, and their true nature must be exposed. Treason transgresses the old lines of polite debate and it speaks the truth. We must hope that there are still enough people listening.
On Rusher and Novak
I read the commentary by Bill Rusher regarding Bob Novak ["When Is a Conservative Not a Conservative," HUMAN EVENTS, June 2, page 31].
My problem with Mr. Novak is that he constantly uses misstatements of fact in his columns.
I am very knowledgeable about the situation between Israel and the Arabs. Mr. Novak is extremely prejudiced against Israel and pro-Arab. This is his right. However, I have found so many lies in his column on this matter that I must conclude he is probably as inaccurate in other subjects about which he proclaims.
Mr. Novak’s column in your paper is the one reason I am hesitating about renewing my subscription.
Finds Blunt ‘Grandma’ Headline Objectionable
HUMAN EVENTS is always great overall and is 100% right in opposing a proposed large prescription drug benefit plan for all Medicare-eligible people (a needless and dangerous plan).
However, I wonder if your recent cover story headline ["Buy Your Own Drugs, Grandma," HUMAN EVENTS, June 23, page 1] is the kind of rhetoric which (though flashy and humorously entertaining to some in our ranks) hinders recruiting and other persuasion by seeming to confirm liberal stereotypes of conservatives as being unconcerned about people with serious problems.
I believe that conservative commentators have already explained that those relatively few elderly who allegedly face a grim choice between needed prescription drugs and adequate food can be helped by private charity or targeted, market-oriented remedies such as medical IRAs, etc.
However, let’s not use trash talk, which can imply that we don’t care-not even as individuals-if some of our needy elderly, through bad luck, face some seemingly unsolvable problems.
On Rescuing Private Lynch
With regard to Mr. Jeffrey’s recent column, ["No More Nasiriyahs," HUMAN EVENTS, June 2, page 4], it is tragic that one female soldier was killed and two were wounded, but the nation rejoiced in the rescue of Pfc. Jessica Lynch-a happy ending.
However, I wonder how the national mood on women in combat would have changed had we learned that sweet, wholesome, girl-next-door Lynch had been raped or gang-raped by her captors? This could easily have happened.
Is our country ready to deal with this kind of atrocity?
