291: Radical Son: A Generational Odyssey by David Horowitz

(During the month of September I'm recommending conservative titles with which every well-read progressive should be familiar.)

Radical Son: A Generational Odyssey

David Horowitz was a red diaper baby that grew up to be an important voice in the New Left of the 1960s. He edited the well-regarded leftist magazine Ramparts and worked closely with Huey Newton and the Black Panthers in San Francisco. In the 1980s Horowitz announced to the world that he had rejected the radical liberalism of his youth and embraced the Reagan revolution. Radical Son is Horowitz's autobiography of his journey from left to right.

Why this is libertarian/conservative: Horowitz is a prolific author and speaker. He is most notable for his criticisms of academia which he characterizes as a breeding ground for leftist indoctrination. He also often speaks and writes about the perceived dangers of Islam and radical Muslims.

292: Scalia Dissents: Writings of the Supreme Court's Wittiest, Most Outspoken Justice

(During the month of September I'm recommending conservative titles with which every well-read progressive should be familiar.)

Scalia Dissents: Writings of the Supreme Court's Wittiest, Most Outspoken Justice

Face it, you don't get through law school, become a law professor, serve as Assistant Attorney General, and serve as a Justice on America's top court by being an idiot. Since critics of Scalia pick and choose which comments to criticize, liberals probably don't know if Scalia is principled or an opportunist. The best way to find out is to read some of his writing and decide for yourself. This book collects some of Justice Scalia's opinions on hot-button topics like the death penalty, abortion, gender equality, free speech, and homosexuality.

Why this is libertarian/conservative: In addition to his conservative judicial decisions Scalia was instrumental in establishing the Federalist Society and has been associated for decades with the American Enterprise Institute. One of the architects of modern conservative judicial philosophy and one of the most influential living jurists.

293: Neo-conservatism: The Autobiography of an Idea by Irving Kristol

(During the month of September I'm recommending conservative titles with which every well-read progressive should be familiar.)

Neo-conservatism: The Autobiography of an Idea

Like any political philosophy neo-conservatism is difficult to define. This is partially because the category shifts over time, and partially because neo-conservatives differ on the central meanings and on whether such a concept even exists. These days it's mostly associated with a willingness to use the US military to install liberal democracies in the Middle East. But, as you'll see when you read Kristol's collection of essays, it has strong cultural components as well. This collection draws on Kristol's prodigious output through the latter half of the 20th century.

Why this is libertarian/conservative: Neo-conservatism has become an important contributor to modern conservative thought. What better place to learn about it than in this wide-ranging selection of Kristol's work?

294: War Stories and Poems by Rudyard Kipling

(During the month of September I'm recommending conservative titles with which every well-read progressive should be familiar.)

War Stories and Poems

It is the white man's burden, according to Kipling, to shepherd less developed races and nations to the cultural heights achieved by the British empire. In this collection of poems and stories Kipling celebrates the romantic nature of war. Kipling is a talented poet and story-teller. It's hard to read this work and not be moved.

Why this is libertarian/conservative: The conservative response to the French Revolution was to embrace Romanticism. Approaching politics "scientifically" was a miserable failure, according to 19th-century conservatives. While rationality and logic might work for science, it could not work for politics or culture. How could science ever understand courage under fire or the heartbreak of unrequited love? Kipling takes this romanticism and blends it with a stout belief in cultural superiority. Wildly out of sync to today's liberals, Kipling is still a literary force to be reckoned with.

Buy the Kindle version: War Stories and Poems

295: Union And Liberty: The Political Philosphy of John C. Calhoun

(During the month of September I'm recommending conservative titles with which every well-read progressive should be familiar.)

Union And Liberty: The Political Philosphy of John C. Calhoun

If you recognize the name John C. Calhoun at all it's probably because you remember him from history class as supporting slavery and promoting secession. Or, you might remember him for his awesome hair.

Before coming down on the wrong side of history, Calhoun was a highly respected Senator. Both John Quincy Adams and John Monroe thought highly of him. He was a candidate for president and served as Vice President to J. Q. Adams and Andrew Jackson (akin to serving as VP to Bush AND Obama). This collection of his key writings and speeches is an important addition to the history of US political philosophy.

Why this is libertarian/conservative: It's easy to understand why Calhoun isn't much discussed these days. He lost. Legal slavery ended, nullification is today considered a fringe idea, and the secessionist rebellion failed. So why, you might ask, should we give him a second thought?

While Calhoun isn't a household name, he made arguments that still resonate today. States Rights and nullification theory (the belief that states should be able to nullify federal laws with which they disagree) are still brought up occasionally. Especially in the South, and especially among conservatives. If you want to know more about these ideas (and why wouldn't you?) you can do worse than reading Calhoun's original arguments. Calhoun was a smart and devoted public servant. Reading his works doesn't mean you have to agree with him. However, you should probably understand the argument he's making before countering it.

296: The Turner Diaries by William Pierce (writing as Andrew Macdonald)

(During the month of September I'm recommending conservative titles with which every well-read progressive should be familiar.)

The Turner Diaries: A Novel

Good-hearted conservatives might might be unhappy with the inclusion of a book like The Turner Diaries in this list. This is a profoundly racist book and doesn't reflect the beliefs and values of many (a majority? a non-trivial minority?) conservatives. However, in the list of progressive books I'm also including extremists that are often lumped in with the mainstream left, so it seemed only fair to recommend some of the more extremist literature of the right.

The Turner Diaries came to national attention when it was found among the belongings of Timothy McVeigh after the bombing of the Murrah federal building in Oklahoma City. The Diaries is an action novel that describes a near-future scenario where a full-blown race war has erupted in the United States. The author was once the head of the white nationalist organization National Alliance, and this book is clearly the fantasy future he hoped to achieve through his organization. Removing the racial elements of the book you are left with a fantasy of a well-armed militia overthrowing a corrupt and increasingly totalitarian government.

Why this is libertarian/conservative: Just as black bloc anarchists are associated with the left, the US militia movement is closely associated with the right. There is a substantial underground literature supporting, advocating, and arguing about the role, tactics, and purpose of a right-wing take-over of the US. While many of these fantasies describe themselves as a desire to return to the imagined freedoms of the past, they often include radical Christian or conspiratorial ideas that preclude living in harmony with people of different ethnic backgrounds or belief systems. Familiarity with this literature will help you understand organizations like the Hutaree or the Minuteman Project.

Buy the Kindle version: The Turner Diaries: A Novel

297: The Road to Serfdom by F. A. Hayek

(During the month of September I'm recommending conservative titles with which every well-read progressive should be familiar.)

The Road to Serfdom: Text and Documents--The Definitive Edition (The Collected Works of F. A. Hayek, Volume 2)

The Road to Serfdom attempts to explain the rise of totalitarianism in European countries prior to WWII. For Hayek the answer could be found in the increasingly large role government played in the economy. The sort of centralized planning popular in Socialism and Communism would inevitably lead to totalitarianism, Hayek warned.

Why this is libertarian/conservative: This is one of the canonical texts shaping modern Libertarianism. Hayek makes the case for free markets and against central planning, and Socialism. Many contemporary Libertarian arguments are rooted in Hayek's argument, though often distorted. Hayek is a lot smarter than many of his followers, and, whether you agree with Hayek or not, you should make yourself familiar with the arguments set out in this book.

Buy the Kindle version: The Road to Serfdom