> (Thomas Frank's new book "What's Wrong With Kansas" argues implicitly > that the Democrats lose elections because they are identified with the > wrong side of the "culture wars". ... Frank himself would probably describe himself > as a Marxist, but not on the Charlie Rose show...)
I heard part of Terry Gross' interview with him on NPR's "Fresh Air." He'd probably describe himself as a social democrat (except that that term doesn't resonate in a US context). But I don't think labels are very useful. Political categories and who fits in them are pretty fluid these days. Frank himself describes himself as an ex-Reaganite. With a more radical mass movement in action, people like Frank and others who Louis doesn't like, may change their spots. (Of course, we shouldn't give the credit to _them_ if they do. It's the movement that deserves the credit.) With Yoshie, I think the most interesting part of Frank's analysis is that the GOPsters are using the Kulturkampf (anti-gay, anti-drugs, etc.) as a way to institute pro-business policies and in practice don't win many of the KK battles. However, I think that they win more battles than he thinks. The "war on drugs" doesn't actually stamp out drugs, but it pushes US (and world) society in a more authoritarian direction. The war on Iraq is partly a matter of this KK: "we" are "defending" the "freedom" of the "West" against the "ragheads" and "evildoers" with their "alien and barbaric culture" at the same time it justifies more Ashcroftism. The war hasn't been won, but it's served a lot of business needs (if only short-term ones). Finally, Frank plays down the fact that the KKers may actually win the war against abortion rights. Though being perpetual losers (and therefore being persecuted by the amorphous and invisible but still powerful "Liberal elite") may energize the KK base, as Frank argues, they have to win now and then. Otherwise, they may be demoralized (like the left). jd
