The David Horowitz Interview

John Hawkins:: To begin with, Eric Alterman has been the champion of people on the left who claim that the media is now dominated by Conservatives. In your opinion, does the media on the whole slant to the left, to the right, or are does the media seem to be “fair and balanced?”

David Horowitz:: Eric Alterman is a charlatan and a fool and the media is obviously left-wing. I can tell you that personally because there is nobody really that I could call at the LA Times, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, and find an ideological friend. At least no one that I know. Whereas Eric Alterman could call all of them. Let me put it this way; an extremist, a supporter of every American enemy since he was potty trained like Eric Alterman could get editorial support in those venues. Every major metropolitan newspaper in America is written by Democrats in the main. To say, “What liberal media?” Only a blind person could come up with a title like that.

John Hawkins:: Why do you think the left has never been able to produce their own Rush Limbaugh?

David Horowitz:: I just think it’s a matter of, “Who needs it?” They have NPR, government-funded radio with 600 stations. That’s what the left listens too. Plus, the left has Peter Jennings, Brokaw, Rather. Talk radio is the alternative press, the underground press if you will. So they don’t need to have a Rush Limbaugh. They could try Michael Moore though. He is an idiot, but he’s a very talented entertainer. I don’t know if he has thought of a talk show, but he has obviously had media success.

John Hawkins:: There are a number of popular left-wing pages on the net today that seem to be delusional. We’re talking about pages that believe the Bush administration allowed 9/11 to happen…

David Horowitz:: The left is delusional.

John Hawkins:: On the whole?

David Horowitz:: Look, if you define the left as people who oppose the war in Iraq after the fact, after Iraq has been liberated, that’s self-evidently delusional. How can you be a person who supports the liberation of women, gays, poor people, and watch the liberation of the people of Iraq and still oppose the war unless you are delusional?

John Hawkins:: I did notice that after the war, a lot of the anti-war people seemed almost glum that things went so well…

David Horowitz:: Of course, because they want America to lose. That’s what defines the left.

John Hawkins:: Speaking of the war on terrorism, what do you think the next step we need to take is?

David Horowitz:: Syria. They have got to stop supporting Hamas and Hezbollah and that probably means there needs to be a regime change in Syria, but one doesn’t know until one tests it. We have to do the same with Iran and of course, we have to deal with the little menace in North Korea. He already seems to be responding. The “shock and awe” of the three-week defeat of a country the size of France has had a sobering effect on rogue regimes throughout the world.

John Hawkins:: Apparently, we’re going to make another big push to bring peace between the Israelis and Palestinians. What do you think our chances are of achieving real peace…

David Horowitz:: How can you make peace with a terrorist regime and its terrorist supporting populace? I am of course referring to the Palestinian Authority and the Palestinians, 60% of whom support suicide bombers.

John Hawkins:: I agree that there don’t appear to be any short term prospects for real peace, but what about over the long-term, over a decade or so. What would it take to have peace in the region?

David Horowitz:: The Middle East problem is created by a 50 year war of the Arab States against Israel. Iraq was one of those States, but it’s no longer at war with Israel. So that leaves Syria, Iran, Lebanon which is a puppet state of Syria, Saudi Arabia, all these regimes would have to change for there to be a context in which there could be peace. Your guess is as good as mine as to when that is going to happen.

John Hawkins:: Speaking of the next decade or so, how do you see America’s relationship to Europe &/or the UN changing over the next few years? It already…

David Horowitz:: Well, it already has changed. The UN is not going to be referred to…well maybe Democrats are so out of touch with reality that they would call on us to go to the UN Security Council again (laughs), but that doesn’t seem likely.

Relations with parts of Europe, Eastern Europe, Britain, Spain, Italy, we’ll do fine with. It’s really only two countries and I suspect the Germans will have second thoughts when we yank our bases from Germany.

John Hawkins:: I imagine so. Back to the peace movement for a moment, do you think the anti-war protests were objectively pro-Saddam rallies since keeping Saddam in power…

David Horowitz:: I don’t like that term (anti-war rallies), they were pro-Saddam. There’s nobody who understand politics tactically better than the left and they fully understood that when they went out on the streets, they were helping Saddam. They may have given lip service to being critical of Saddam, but in fact they put their political bodies on the line to save his regime. That’s because they hate the United States more. That’s what defines the left in our times, it’s hatred for the United States.

John Hawkins:: Where do you think that hatred of the United States comes from on the left?

David Horowitz:: The left is a “crypto-religious” formation. It’s Manichaean. There is a principle of evil in the world that the left imagines itself to be redeeming the rest of us from. That principle of evil for the left is the United States, the center of world capitalism. If America would get out of the way, the left believes it could end racism, sexism, homophobia, poverty, war, and many other evils as well including SUVs (laughs).

John Hawkins:: Speaking of that, there has been an undeniable change in American attitudes over the last couple of decades. The GOP has a majority of governorships, Conservatives are in the majority on the Supreme Court, and Republicans controls the House, Senate, & Presidency. Why do you think that has occurred?

David Horowitz:: It has really occurred over the last 10 years. Basically, it’s a reaction to “Clintonism” and the leftward surge of the Democratic party.

John Hawkins:: Well, that makes sense. Just out of curiosity, who do you see winning the Democratic primaries and challenging Bush for the White House in 2004?

David Horowitz:: I’m not a crystal ball gazer, but I can tell you that there are only 4 that have a chance now given the others stance on the war in Iraq. Lieberman, Edwards, Gephardt, & Clarke.

John Hawkins:: Oh, I thought you were going to say Kerry…

David Horowitz:: No, I think Kerry has shot himself in the head.

John Hawkins:: With the “regime change” comments?

David Horowitz:: I don’t think the left really trusts Kerry and he’s completely unelectable…of course, that doesn’t mean they won’t nominate him. I’m just not a crystal ball gazer…

John Hawkins:: I understand, it’s hard to predict that sort of thing anyway. Well let’s go in the other direction here, what’s your opinion of Paleo-Conservatives like Pat Buchanan & Justin Rainmondo?

David Horowitz:: They’re anti-American cranks….well I can’t say that about Buchanan, but in general the Paleos are cranks. Rainmondo is certainly an anti-American and many of the others are as well. The difference between the Paleo-cranks and the Commie-cranks is that the Communists are in love with an America in the future that’s designed in their image and the Paleos are in love with the America of the 18th Century. That’s the difference, but they share a common attitude towards America as it exists today. I think Buchanan actually is a bit more complicated, but since he’s such an anti-Semite, I can’t spend the intellectual energy to try to figure out where he’s coming from…

John Hawkins:: On a different note, what can we do to help break the left’s stranglehold on our colleges?

David Horowitz:: What’s necessary is to wake up Conservative students on our campuses who are being abused and harassed by the left and then to wake up the Republican party which in many states could effect the situation through its power in the legislature, but isn’t doing so. I brought up an academic bill of rights that stresses intellectual diversity and that makes it clear that politics should be unacceptable in the classroom. Faculties need to be diversified. Under-represented viewpoints need to be hired into universities…

John Hawkins:: Speaking of schools, I remember that there was quite a bit of controversy over an anti-reparations ad you tried to get published in a number of school newspapers. Do you think reparations are for all intents and purposes dead legally and politically yet?

David Horowitz:: No, I think that there will be reparations payments. It’s an extortion movement and it has enough political clout so that I think they will be able to extort some funds.

John Hawkins:: You think they’ll get them out of businesses or out of the government?

David Horowitz:: You’re thinking like a Conservative. Just because an idea is idiotic doesn’t mean it won’t be politically effective.

John Hawkins:: You said “thinking like a Conservative”. What other mistakes do you think Conservatives make when they’re dealing with the left?

David Horowitz:: Well, one is that they’re very complacent, they don’t see the threat until it’s too late. For example, the universities were surrendered to the left. Conservatives are gun-shy and the only time I ever see Conservatives behave in a bloodthirsty, ruthless way is when they’re fighting other Republicans (laughs).

John Hawkins:: Theoretically, let’s say you could get any two or three pieces of legislation passed that you wanted. These could either be bills that are already in the pipeline in Congress…

David Horowitz:: I have one up there that I suggested to Rick Santorum. It’s to amend Title IX to include intellectual and religious diversity. They’re already screaming (laughs)…

John Hawkins:: (Laughs) I can imagine. But, how would you actually implement intellectual diversity?

David Horowitz:: We’ve done studies that show nearly 90% of the faculty are Democrats. We’re not talking about quotas, just timetables and goals (laughs)…

John Hawkins:: (Laughs)

David Horowitz:: Conservatives have to learn to copy the left. They’re complete idiots when it comes to running the world, but they’re brilliant at politics…

John Hawkins:: Yeah, doing one step at a time.

David Horowitz:: And they’re effective…

John Hawkins:: Are there any blogs you read on a regular basis?

David Horowitz:Andrew Sullivan: and occasionally I’ve looked at: Little Green Footballs, but that’s about all I have time for.

John Hawkins:: I got you. Is there anything else you’d like to say or promote before we finish up?

David Horowitz:: People interested in the so-called “anti-war movement” should get a book called, “Who Is The Peace Movement?“.

Also, I think the left has suffered an enormous defeat here. I don’t think they’re going to go away and I think they’re going to give the President a lot of trouble as we move to other areas of the world that need attention. But, I think they discredited themselves pretty thoroughly. I believe the left has lost some of its allies in the center by defending Saddam Hussein.

John Hawkins:: Thank you, I really appreciate your time.

If you want to read more from David Horowitz then take a look at his website,Front Page Magazine.

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