Patrick Buchanan Diversity Essay

In Patrick J. Buchanan’s essay on the diverse demographics in modern America, he aims to convince his republican supporters and those skeptical about the consequences of diversity that the pursuit of diversity and other values such as liberty are self-destructive. Diversity is one of the most polarizing issues in our country, so to appeal to as many Americans as possible and their mixed opinions, Buchanan invokes fear caused by the downfall of other empires who adopted the same practices that we have. Buchanan also invokes other sentiments that are felt by the majority of Americans, namely nationalism. Finally, Buchanan addresses the more logical side of his audience by explaining how governments maintaining a tight reign over their people …show more content…
The first historical example Buchanan lists is the English defeat of the Spanish Armada. Though this conflict didn’t result in many deaths compared to Buchanan’s other examples, its usage is effective because this event is known universally and emphasizes the incredibly large scale that conflicts can occur on (this battle involved the navies of the two most powerful, relevant countries in the world). The second conflict Buchanan references is the colonial extermination and expulsion of the Native American tribes. This example is effective due to its symbolism: Buchanan aims to liken the original settlers to the modern day Americans who have their roots deep within this nation, and compares the Native Americans to the present day minority populations, invoking pride from the modern day Americans as the colonists are admired for laying the groundwork for our present day country. Additionally, our history books categorize the banishment of the Native Americans as a necessary action to take for our country to succeed, and consequently inspires us to do the same to present day minorities for the same cause. The final example Buchanan employs is the Civil war. This is a prime example because it occurred in America and killed more people than any other American war. …show more content…
Buchanan conveys this argument by invoking the fear from his audience of their own nation collapsing. The first example referenced of nations collapsing due to their transition from a dictatorship to a more liberalized government include the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia. The next example Buchanan uses is when the United Kingdom lost its position as the world’s most powerful nation when it split up into Britain, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales when some citizens weren’t satisfied with their rights. Up until the point of separation, wars of independence caused additional problems in the empire; a more authoritarian government would have prevented both the split of the U.K. and the desire for independence. Buchanan’s final example of how an exclusive, authoritarian governments wields the most success is the Virginia House of Burgesses. This government excluded anyone who wasn’t a white, land-owning male, but this institution successfully laid the foundations for the colonies existing independent of British rule. These examples demonstrate how governments that rule with an iron fist but don’t necessarily give their subjects desired civil rights are the longest-lasting and most