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The Way Back: Restoring the Promise of America
The promise of America is that, with ambition and hard work, anyone can rise to the top. But now the promise has been broken, and we’ve become an aristocracy where rich parents raise rich kids and poor parents raise poor kids.
We’ve been told that the changes are structural, that there’s nothing we can do about this. But that doesn’t explain why other First World countries are beating us hands down on the issue of mobility.
What's different about America is our politics. An ostensibly progressive New Class of comfortably rich professionals, media leaders, and academics has shaped the contours of American politics and given us a country of fixed economic classes. It is supported by the poorest of Americans, who have little chance to rise, an alliance of both ends against the middle that recalls the Red Tories of parliamentary countries. Because they support an aristocracy, the members of the New Class are Tories, and because of their feigned concern for the poor, they are Red Tories.
The Way Back explains the revolution in American politics, where political insurgents have challenged the complacent establishment of both parties, and shows how we can restore the promise of economic mobility and equality by pursuing socialist ends through capitalist means.
We’ve been told that the changes are structural, that there’s nothing we can do about this. But that doesn’t explain why other First World countries are beating us hands down on the issue of mobility.
What's different about America is our politics. An ostensibly progressive New Class of comfortably rich professionals, media leaders, and academics has shaped the contours of American politics and given us a country of fixed economic classes. It is supported by the poorest of Americans, who have little chance to rise, an alliance of both ends against the middle that recalls the Red Tories of parliamentary countries. Because they support an aristocracy, the members of the New Class are Tories, and because of their feigned concern for the poor, they are Red Tories.
The Way Back explains the revolution in American politics, where political insurgents have challenged the complacent establishment of both parties, and shows how we can restore the promise of economic mobility and equality by pursuing socialist ends through capitalist means.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 26, 2016
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About the author
F.H. Buckley
15 books24 followersFrancis H. Buckley: Son of F.J. & H.B. Buckley; M. Esther Goldberg; child Sarah.
BA, McGill University 1969
LLB, McGill University 1974
LLM, Harvard University 1975
Exec Dir/Assoc Dean of Geo Mason Law & Economics Center & Foundation Law Prof who's taught there since '89 & was Visiting Olin Fellow at the U of Chicago Law School in '88/9. Shimer College trustee. Twice visiting professor at the Sorbonne/ Paris II, in fall '07 he was visiting professor at the Institut d'études politiques de Paris. He writes on law & economics & has published in journals, including the Journal of Legal Studies, the International Review of Law, Crisis & Economics & Public Choice. He's defended free markets before the American Enterprise Inst. His books include Fair Governance (Oxford '09), The Morality of Laughter (Michigan '03) & Just Exchange: A Theory of Contract (Routledge '05).
Geo Mason's Law & Economics Center, focusing on issues like tort reform, declines releasing fundraising & donor information. Documents released by the Community Rights Counsel, including some released as part of the nat'l tobacco settlement, show that its officials asked R.J. Reynolds Tobacco for $20,000 for its federal judges program, according to a Reynolds internal email. The center received $40,000 from Philip Morris from '96-99 & was listed among "key allies". It also received $40,000 from Exxon Mobil Foundation in '04. Buckley said their policy of silence as re donors is best for all. He declined to say where the seminars take place, citing security reasons: "We've been advised that there are more ethical problems if you disclose than if you don't."
BA, McGill University 1969
LLB, McGill University 1974
LLM, Harvard University 1975
Exec Dir/Assoc Dean of Geo Mason Law & Economics Center & Foundation Law Prof who's taught there since '89 & was Visiting Olin Fellow at the U of Chicago Law School in '88/9. Shimer College trustee. Twice visiting professor at the Sorbonne/ Paris II, in fall '07 he was visiting professor at the Institut d'études politiques de Paris. He writes on law & economics & has published in journals, including the Journal of Legal Studies, the International Review of Law, Crisis & Economics & Public Choice. He's defended free markets before the American Enterprise Inst. His books include Fair Governance (Oxford '09), The Morality of Laughter (Michigan '03) & Just Exchange: A Theory of Contract (Routledge '05).
Geo Mason's Law & Economics Center, focusing on issues like tort reform, declines releasing fundraising & donor information. Documents released by the Community Rights Counsel, including some released as part of the nat'l tobacco settlement, show that its officials asked R.J. Reynolds Tobacco for $20,000 for its federal judges program, according to a Reynolds internal email. The center received $40,000 from Philip Morris from '96-99 & was listed among "key allies". It also received $40,000 from Exxon Mobil Foundation in '04. Buckley said their policy of silence as re donors is best for all. He declined to say where the seminars take place, citing security reasons: "We've been advised that there are more ethical problems if you disclose than if you don't."
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 11, 2016
Wither the American Dream?
Buckley's The Way Back offers a provocative argument in favor of conceiving of the American meritocratic dream as a project that seeks "socialist ends" via "capitalist means". In advancing the same, Mr. Buckley makes a compelling case for seeing the current American political and economic situation as fundamentally disordered — at least insofar as it pertains to the traditional view of America being the land of opportunity where social mobility is a lived reality available to everyone. To these ends Buckley is largely successful. The book may strike many American conservatives as provocative in its call for achieving socialist ends, but such persons would be well advised to take Buckley's call for a "conservative spleen" seriously (cf. a "conservative heart"). Beyond this, the book is of great practical explanatory valence in re understanding important aspects of the current american presidential political cycle.
Highly recommend this text to anyone interested in engaging with leading edge ideas respecting the state of the American polity and what it means for that country (not to mention the rest of the world).
Buckley's The Way Back offers a provocative argument in favor of conceiving of the American meritocratic dream as a project that seeks "socialist ends" via "capitalist means". In advancing the same, Mr. Buckley makes a compelling case for seeing the current American political and economic situation as fundamentally disordered — at least insofar as it pertains to the traditional view of America being the land of opportunity where social mobility is a lived reality available to everyone. To these ends Buckley is largely successful. The book may strike many American conservatives as provocative in its call for achieving socialist ends, but such persons would be well advised to take Buckley's call for a "conservative spleen" seriously (cf. a "conservative heart"). Beyond this, the book is of great practical explanatory valence in re understanding important aspects of the current american presidential political cycle.
Highly recommend this text to anyone interested in engaging with leading edge ideas respecting the state of the American polity and what it means for that country (not to mention the rest of the world).
August 13, 2016
I am trying , really I am, to understand the issues in this presidential election. "Make America Great Again" whose definition of great ? Peaceful ?, high emphasis on education ?, sustainability ? I feel like these aren't what we are going for ... "Honest understanding of issues, policies, motivations ?".. ya, not happening from either candidate. This book by FH Buckley essentially encourages us to create Parliamentary government vs. Presidential govt. I think we need a whole new constitution for that. So all in all, in doesn't seem we will be fixing America anytime soon. So I will continue reading fantasy books to imagine other worlds and just being grateful for the things I do have, like great friends and family, a job I love, health, a nice place to live, a car that is still making it on the road for now. We will try to educate kids to be critical creative thinkers to get out us out of this mess. I think I was supposed to feel hopeful at the end of the book; Not convincing me that "This is the Way Back"
October 10, 2017
An interesting book analyzing income inequality, social immobility and the causes. The author shows that the United States suffers badly in comparison with a number of other First World countries and suggests a number of reforms to address the problem, including tax reform and immigration reform. Most of these seem unlikely, as does the US changing to a parliamentary system. Education reform, however seems like it might provide the greatest opportunities for reform as the results of the existing systems are so horrifically bad for the poor (one half of the unholy alliance of aristocratic elites and poor that Buckley identifies as the root cause of both our increasing inequality and decreasing mobility).
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews