Standing Pat

Lately I've been trying to look at people whose political views I disagree with, both public figures and people I encounter personally, through a wider lense. Rather than dismiss them out-of-hand for their views, I've tried to consider the factors that shape those views and see them as a whole person rather than an odious walking viewpoint.

Obviously there are exceptions, especially in the still thriving sector of dictators, tyrants and Michelle Bachmann. Then, there are the people who come out with comments that make attempts at being fair and balanced (as people commonly understand those terms) impossible - people like Pat Buchanan.

Buchanan's views had always been troubling, but a touching eulogy he'd given for one of my wife's former co-workers from Borders put a slightly different spin on the man. That was over a decade ago and, though Buchanan hasn't run for President since 2000, he continues to do and say things that make any effort at not demonizing him futile at best. Among the latest examples is a passage from his book Suicide of a Superpower: Will America Survive to 2025? In the book Buchanan reveals some curious ideas about national identity when writing about the era of legally enforced segregation.

"Back then, black and white lived apart, went to different schools and churches, played on different playgrounds, and went to different restaurants, bars, theaters, and soda fountains. But we shared a country and a culture. We were one nation. We were Americans."

Perhaps it slipped Buchanan's mind that the line that follows "one nation under god" in the pledge of allegiance is about "liberty and justice for all". In any case, the only surprising thing about these views is that Buchanan chose to express them publicly. Then again, one imagines that someone in his position knows who his audience is and what will push their buttons. It's theoretically possible that Buchanan doesn't hold these views and only put them in the book for the benefit of that audience - and his bank account. I wish I could decide which is worse.