General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Party Loyalty [View all]H2O Man
(73,524 posts)Thank you for your response! I really enjoyed reading it!
I have a feeling -- based on the solid points you raised -- that you would enjoy the book "Nixonland" that I referred to in the OP. There are, of course, a number of outstanding books from the Nixon era, that document the damage that Nixon did to our constitutional democracy. But, sometimes, a later examination of events allows for new insights, and that is definitely the case with this book.
Sociology is one of my favorite studies. I've long admired Erich Fromm, and think that his books remain as important today, as when they were published. I'm thinking particularly of "The Sane Society," from the 1950s. In the context of that book, it seems that the fact that a Richard Nixon or a Ronald Reagan could actually be elected president -- and twice, at that -- is an exact measure of the sickness in the nation that elected them.
Nixon played upon the nation's fears. And fear is the worst enemy, at least in my opinion, that any person can have. Fear makes people reject the Truth, and accept absolute lies. Nixon knew that: he ran on it, than ran with it. The damage he did remains.