Pat Buchanan

Pat Buchanan (born November 2, 1938), is an American author, syndicated columnist, and television commentator. In 2000, he ran for President of the United States on the Reform Party ticket. He had twice unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for president. He has written several books on his political and religious views.

Political views

Buchanan is typically categorized as conservative, right-wing, or even far right-wing, but this is not a complete description. His political views include elements of populism (such as protectionist sympathy for displaced factory workers) as well as a strong anti-war position adopted after the end of the Cold War (he vehemently opposed the 1991 Gulf War and the 2003 invasion of Iraq). He is conservative on almost all social issues.

Related Topics:
Conservative - Right-wing - Far right-wing - Populism - Protectionist - Anti-war - Cold War - Gulf War - 2003 invasion of Iraq

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Buchanan refers to himself as a "traditional conservative" (in contrast to "mainstream conservative") and is often categorized as a paleoconservative. Although he was a long time member of the Republican party, he is highly critical of the party today, believing that the party has largely abandoned its traditional conservative principles in favor of neoconservatism. Many of his positions are in line with conservative Republicans of the first half of the 20th century, with views that have become less popular in recent decades.

Related Topics:
Paleoconservative - Neoconservatism - 20th century

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Buchanan has described multiculturalism as "an across-the-board assault on our Anglo-American heritage" and supports restricting immigration into the United States. He has described homosexuality as leading to "a decay of society and a collapse of its basic cinder block, the family." He opposes abortion, including in cases of rape and incest. He supports allowing prayer in public schools. He supports abolishing many government bureaus and advocates a flat tax. He is in favor of ending treaties that do not protect the interests of the United States, such as one-way defense treaties where the U.S. must militarily come to the defense of another country, but not vice versa.

Related Topics:
Multiculturalism - Immigration - Homosexuality - Abortion - Rape - Incest - Public schools - Flat tax

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In contrast to many neoconservatives, Buchanan opposes free trade and interventionist American foreign policy. He supports repealing NAFTA and raising tariffs on imported goods to provide tax relief to domestic industry, and is often described as an isolationist. He is also critical of what he sees as unconditional American support for the State of Israel.

Related Topics:
Free trade - Interventionist - Foreign policy - NAFTA - Tariff - Import - Isolationist - Israel

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He accuses the Bush administration of being overinvolved in world affairs to the point where it is committing imperialism. He believes that Islamic terrorist attacks, such as the events of September 11, 2001 come as a result of intervening in foreign countries, saying "terrorists hate us for what we do, not what we are." He describes the term 'isolationist', frequently applied to him, as a derogatory label used by political groups which put foreign or global interests ahead of U.S. interests.

Related Topics:
Bush administration - Imperialism - September 11, 2001

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Despite being an isolationist with regard to contemporary politics and World War II, Buchanan was a staunch supporter of the Cold War and the Vietnam War, positions he justified on the basis that Communism directly threatened the safety of the United States.

Related Topics:
Cold War - Vietnam War - Communism

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In Britain, he was supported by the conservative journalist Auberon Waugh, whose position relative to Britain's Conservative mainstream post-Thatcher was very similar to Buchanan's position relative to the modern Republican mainstream. The British political thinkers most similar to Buchanan in this respect - notably those in the Conservative Democratic Alliance - would be unlikely to acknowledge the similarity because they tend to be strongly anti-American, seeing the pro-US policies of the modern Tory party as its greatest betrayal.

Related Topics:
Auberon Waugh - Thatcher - Conservative Democratic Alliance - Tory

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