Kulturkampf - Part II

Patrick J. Buchanan is a conservative author, columnist, commentator and politician.  He was both an advisor and consultant to Presidents, Nixon, Ford and Reagan.  His last public position was White House Communications Director from 1985 to 1987.

Buchanan is a bright guy and singularly prescient as he was among the first to advance the notion that it was the GOP's embrace of free-market economics and global trade policies as responsible for the decline of American manufacturing.  He felt that a relaxed immigration blueprint was responsible for driving-down wages.  As a consequence, Buchanan became a vocal advocate for protectionist trade tariffs and restrictions on foreign immigration.  It was Buchanan who first invoked the phrase: Culture War (Kulturkampf).

Buchanan eschewed the activism, interventionist policies and peace through strength that had become the hallmark of Republican policy-making for the duration of the Cold War.  He was indifferent to growth of the country's debt and restraint over big spending entitlements like social security and Medicare.  He was disdainful of traditional overseas alliances.  And he despised Republican elites.

With the dissolution of the Soviet communist empire, collapse of the Berlin Wall, German reunification, the First Gulf War Buchanan was provoked sufficiently to mount a primary challenge against a sitting Republican President.  He was of the opinion that Bush's meddling in the Middle East and Europe was imperious overreach and came at the expense of working class Americans.

While Buchanan failed in his attempt to oust Bush he succeeded in damaging him sufficiently that Bush lost the 1992 election to Bill Clinton.

Does any of this sound familiar?  

I thought so.

It is a classic clash between paleoconservatives and neoconservatives.  

Kulturkampf is not some dusty 19th century event.  It was in 1991 that Pat Buchanan first spoke the words:   

We will put America first.

Three decades later the rest became history.....