The Freeman 1972 - The Ludwig von Mises Institute

1972 LIES 571that America is a Fascist country,(2) that America means genocide,(3) that "the Bomber Left is amoral force," (4) that the Americanworker is a "honky," (5)that our political system is afraud, (6) that our values .arematerialistic, (7) that Americausuallyspelled Amerika - is insane,(8) that the American peopleare "guilty," and (9) thatwhat our country needs is "a violentrevolution." Of course, theave,rage Dayton, Ohio, housewifewho is the unassuming heroineof Richard Scammons's and BenWattenberg's The Real Majoritywouldn't believe even the least ofthe nine big lies, nor would hermachinist husband. But the socalledintellectual betters of theDayton housewife swallow theGoebbelsian bait whole, which isone good reason for withholdingFederal assistance from our institutionsof higher learning. Why,indeed, should the taxpayers becalled upon to subsidize the lynchers?Attention-GettersSpeaking of the intellectualswho .justify bombing and arsonas necessary attention-getters, Mr.Beichman calls it a "terrifyinglogic" as "we move from the oldliterary explosions of small intellectualcoteries to the infatuationof a new young avant-garde withthe power that comes out of thebarrel of a gun." Mr. Beichmansays it is "small wonder" that aweary European visitor was moved"to make the bitter joke, 'When Ihear the word gun, I .reach formy culture.' " But culture, in thisera of the "counter-culture," is aweak shield. Editors who shouldbe defending our cultural heritagesell out merely to be "with it."Anything and anyone can makethe cover of our mass magazines.It's women's lib (the femalechauvinistic kind) one week, gaylib the next, and Yippie JerryRubin or Abbie Hoffman the. weekafter."Ideas," says Mr. Beichman,"no longer 'trickle down' over aperiod of time." Instead, they aregobbled up uncritically by publisherswho, "obeying some editorialtropism," accord the craziestnotion "the most respectfulhearing with color photographs aswell." Says Mr. Beichman, our"literary avant-gardists in Americaare in permanent danger ofbeing overrun by their own eagermiddle-class followers."Raceless GenocideThe lies, however, remain lies.How can you call America aFascist country when anyone init can say anything, no matterhow outrageous? How can our defenseof the right of individuals