Destructive Generation: Reconsidering the 1960s

Author: Peter Collier (USA)
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 the philosophy of George W. Bush. 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 "counterculture" 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 of George W. Bush's philosophy of "compassionate conservatism." Destructive Generation: Second Thoughts about the Sixties, co-authored by Peter Collier and David Horowitz, is one of the influential books on George W. Bush's philosophy. The two authors 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 "counterculture" 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 George W. Bush in forming his philosophy of "compassionate conservatism." In the 1960s, young people 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; 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 traits 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 aftereffect left by the 1960s.