Radix Journal Volume II. The Great Purge: The Deformation of the Conservative Movement

by Richard Spencer (Editor), Paul Edward Gottfried (Editor), Peter Brimelow

A central crucible in the evolution of the American Right has been “the purge”—that is, the expulsion, often in an explicit fashion, of views or individuals deemed outside the bounds of “respectability.” Victims include the John Birch Society, Peter Brimelow, John Derbyshire, Sam Francis, Revilo P. Oliver, Murray Rothbard, foreign-policy makers deemed “isolationists,” immigration reformers, and many others.

This essay collection is an attempt to better understand conservative ideology (often euphemized as “timeless principles”) and how it functioned within its historic context and responded to power, shifting conceptions of authority, and societal changes. Through the purges, we can glimpse what conservatism is not, those aspects of itself it has attempted to deny, mask, leave behind, and forget, and the ways in which memories can be reconstructed around new orthodoxies.

Genres: Politics

230 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2015

About the author

Richard Spencer was formerly an Assistant Editor at The American Conservative magazine (2007) and Executive Editor of Taki’s Magazine (Takimag) (2008-2009). In 2010, he founded AlternativeRight.com and edited it for its first two years.

Currently, he is Editor of Radix Journal, a biannual journal on culture and critical theory, and the host of Vanguard Radio, a weekly podcast.

Richard holds degrees from the University of Virginia and the University of Chicago.

Reviews

[Vagabond of Letters, DLitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

*****

Excellent. Essays consistently superior. Approaching perfection for political history.

[Benjamin Wetmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Solid critique of the conservative movement from the right. Many stories and anecdotes that aren't well captured elsewhere. The deconstruction of Buckley is interesting, and if there is any critique of the collection of essays, it would be that none really did a deep dive into Buckley, and merely scratched the surface. All in all, a very enjoyable read.

[Frederick Hammill · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pretty ignorant overall. Underwhelming, and they need to employ a copy editor BADLY.

[Elias · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and highly recommended