1. If you don't mind, I have a few things I really have to get off my chest about Richard Hofstadter, the historian.
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12. Hofstadter: paranoid flourish on radical fringes of society. American history as a whole: um: how do you explain J. Edgar Hoover, Richard Nixon or (post-Hofstadter) Donald Trump.
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13. Let's ponder more the paranoid style theory point: what have been the most destructive conspiracy theories in recent USA history?
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14. J. Edgar Hoover's paranoid war against radicalism & civil rights had elite support from Palmer Raids till Nixon.
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15. Conspiracy theory that North Vietnam was pawn of Red China (and not motivated by nationalism) was held by elites in JFK & LBJ administration & led to war.
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16. Conspiracy theories that led to Iraq War (Axis of Evil, Saddam-AQ connection, WMDs) all fostered by elites.
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17. If you want to see conspiracy theories go read editorial page of Bret Stephens old newspaper Wall Street Journal on climate change or Vince Foster.
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18. Ultimately, the appeal of Hofstadter is that he provides the comforting idea of a sensible center, relegating discontent & error to the margins. That's a false view of history.
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19. One last point: it's interesting how much of centrist punditry still relies not just on Hofstadter but other Cold War liberals (Niebuhr, Trilling). They remain foundational for a elite consensus worldview.
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Interesting how in each example, you simply present the more recent historians as if their work obviously surpasses Hof's when, in fact, one could conclude they merely fit better with later historiographical trends and fads.
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No, what's key is that they all bolster their points with a body of archival research that Hofstadter just didn't do.
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