Horowitz and Collier also were horrified to see the radicalization of Leftist politics, for example, the rise of the Weatherman Underground and the takeover of SDS by the Progressive Labor Party, a Maoist group (admittedly, by the time they gained control, SDS was down to about 5,000 members on a dozen campuses). They became revolted by the trend towards anti- anti- Communism during a period of Soviet adventurism, and especially after the brutal suppression of the Prague Spring. They were sickened to learn that while celebrities like Shirley MacLaine visited China and cooed over its success, the Cultural Revolution was tearing the country apart and ruining lives. Finally, they decided to vote for Ronald Reagan, and a reaffirmation of the essential goodness of the United States, and of a determination to play a constructive role in the world.
By the way, it is true that David retains some of that style that was characteristic of the New Left when he was young, and that it can be pretty obnoxious. He gets very combative easily....... |
