US political figures are avidly reading -- Destructive Generation (Rethinking the 1960s)

Author: Peter Collier, David Horowitz
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-04-01
Features: This book has been reprinted three times in the United States and is one of the influential books on President George W. Bush's philosophy. The two authors of this book were once leaders of the radical movement in the 1960s. Over time, they began to reflect on the tragedies caused by the reckless hedonism, destructive "revolutionary" fervor, the "New Left," and the "anticultural" movement of that era. This book is revered by Republicans in the United States as a classic of conservatism and one of the main sources for President Bush's development of "compassionate conservatism." Peter Collier and David Horowitz co-authored Destructive Generation: Second Thoughts about the Sixties (1989, first edition, reprinted three times), which is one of the influential books on President Bush's philosophy. The two authors of this book were once leaders of the radical movement in the 1960s. Over time, they began to reflect on the tragedies caused by the reckless hedonism, destructive "revolutionary" fervor, the "New Left," and the "anticultural" movement of that era. This book is revered by Republicans in the United States as a classic of conservatism and one of the main reference books for President Bush's development of "compassionate conservatism." The youth of the 1960s indulged in parties, alcohol, and drugs, generally wanting to break free from responsibility and moral constraints; the "New Left" attacked the existing "system," trying to destroy the center of authority; the radicals claimed to "change the world through assassination," wanting revolution but, due to their lack of planning, fell into anarchy, with crime and pathology becoming the defining characteristics of the era. After the 1960s, American society became fragmented. If there was any shared belief, it was a consensus that "America was sinful," which was the lasting legacy left by the 1960s.