Classics of Conservatism - part V - Barry Goldwater

Click here for parts I, II, III and IV.

This month's classic book recommendation is Barry Goldwater's "Why Not Victory?."


1962

Goldwater wrote many books, but this one is the most focused of any of those books. The book addresses one issue - victory in the cold war, and how the American people were being lulled into complacency, appeasement, fear and retreat. By the early 1960's, the buzzwords of the day were "peaceful coexistence" and other such codewords for appeasement. "Why Not Victory?" is filled with such nuggets as:

"For the first time in our history, that glorious word 'victory' is slipping from our national vocabulary."

Goldwater placed the issue in stark terms. Defeat, not "peace", is the opposite of victory. By focusing on victory in the cold war, Goldwater showed how we could achieve true peace. His words turned out to be prophetic, as the events of 1989-1991 would prove.

Goldwater's words are increasingly relevant today, as the MSM/DNC tirelessly attempts to shift America's focus away from victory in the war on terror to "peace." As the memory of 9-11 fades, MSM/DNC attempts to "resolve" the war through negotiated settlements, land-for-peace deals, UN involvement and outright appeasement will increase. Only by remembering history can we understand that the only way to resolve the war is to win it.