Lucky In Our Enemies

Has anybody seen Patrick Buchanan's recent column about UNITY? Check NABJ's here. Les Payne says does a very good job, I think, but I thought I'd add my own two cents anyway.

Buchanan really hates the whole idea of the UNITY convention, which is strangely gratifying to me. You may know Buchanan as the columnist that frequently condemns multiculturalism, like he does here and here, and laments the demise of a "Western civilization" dominated by Caucasians, as he does here. Views like these might help explain why he opposed a federal holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In his response to Barack Obama's speech about race in March, Buchanan explained how blacks should be grateful to America because slavery did us a favor. But that's not all...

He dealt with persistent (and justified) charges of antisemitism during his campaigns for president in 1992, 1996 and 2000 - charges that have resurfaced following his recent book about WWII, Churchill, Hitler, and "The Unnecessary War."

I haven't read it, but judging from columns he's written about it and the comments others have made, it seems that Buchanan argues that WWII is Great Britain's fault and sort of blames the Allies for the Holocaust. He also grieves the loss of Britain's often-repressive empire. Check out what Newsweek's Christopher Hitchens has to say about it here.

Buchanan has got some really heart-warming stuff to say, doesn't he?

I have to confess that I'm only half joking here. People like Buchanan make me feel needed - they remind me that there really is a desperate need for people who care about truth, justice and forging an "American way" that isn't so steeped in hatred.

I guess what I'm trying to say here is that when Pat Buchanan has nasty things to say about the diverse and multicultural things we do, it must mean we're doing something right.

We've joined the long list of people Buchanan doesn't like. Congratulations, folks.

~Geoffrey Dobbins
Vice President, UCABJ