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We Are Doomed: Reclaiming Conservative Pessimism (2009)

by John Derbyshire(Favorite Author)

3.83 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

0307409589 (ISBN13: 9780307409584)

languge

English

genre

Nonfiction

publisher

Crown Forum

review 1: A skeptic's and pessimist's dream of a book. What's happened to the healthy pessimism and realism of our founding fathers? John Derbyshire says "It's gone, bleached and parched by the false sun of optimism, then blown away by the cold winds of reality, leaving all the roots of our liberty exposed to the colorless, featureless glare of infantile cheeriness, to wither and die." He further states that "Happy talk and wishful thinking are for children, fools, and leftists." So, it comes as no surprise that the book is addressed to American conservatives, too many of whom the author believes "have fallen into foolishly utopian ways of thinking." Therefore, Derbyshire is very critical of George W. Bush, and even Ronald Reagan in a few instances. Essentially, most of the boo... morek serves as big truth sandwich on a variety of topics. Derbyshire says you can either be "Wrong but Wromantic" or "Right and Repulsive." His is an argument for a more intelligent, realistic and pessimistic conservatism, with the firm understanding that a pessimistic outlook is NOT necessarily connected to a melancholy temperment. Only 261 pages in length and a pretty quick read, the book contains chapters on Diversity, Culture, Sex, Education, Religion, War, Immigration, The Economy and others. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It doesn't have much good news, but I prefer unvarnished truth. And if 21st century America is on the precipice like 4th century Rome, then I want to know it.
review 2: An incredibly entertaining and insightful polemic pie-in-the-skyism of shapes and sizes. Derbyshire argues quite persuasively that undue political optimism leads not merely to disappointment, but to overreach, excess, and harm. If Bobby Kennedy dreamed of things that never were, and asked "Why not?", Derbyshire entreats us to look at them as they are, make the best of them, and to tell the Bobby Kennedy's of the world to stuff it. Not that he expects many to follow his advice because, well, We Are Doomed.My one complaint is that, in the interests of being controversial, Derb gets selective. One often gets the sense that one might come to -- if not different -- more thorough conclusions if he had looked harder for other angles or viewpoints.Regardless, a total hoot and highly recommended. You'll want to slit your wrists by the end, but at least you'll have some interesting conversation starters in the hereafter. less

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