The Revolution That Wasn’t

by Laurence M. Vance
by Laurence M. Vance

The following is the brief introduction to The Revolution that Wasn’t, my new 36-page booklet that chronicles the dismal failure of the Republican Revolution. Although each of the eight essays is available online, I have compiled them into this booklet for wider distribution. May we always remember that as bad as the Democrats are, the Republicans are hardly an alternative.

The so-called Republican Revolution began on January 3, 1995, after the Republicans gained control of both houses of Congress in the 1994 midterm elections. The last time this happened was the congressional elections of 1952. The Revolution officially came to an end on January 20, 2009, when George Bush’s second term as president came to a well-deserved and much-anticipated end.

It is my contention that conservatives who think the Republican Party is the party of conservatism are mistaken, Christians who think the Republican Party is the party of God are deceived, and anyone who thinks the Republican Party is the lesser of two evils is ignorant.

These eight essays chronicle the Republican revolution that wasn’t. The first essay, "What a Republican Majority Has Not Meant," was published in the July 2004 issue of Freedom Daily, the monthly publication of the Future of Freedom Foundation. It is actually a revision of an earlier essay called "What a Republican Majority Will Not Mean," which was written just after the Republicans regained control of the Congress in 1994. The other essays all originally appeared on the anti-state, anti-war, pro-market website, LewRockwell.com. Along with their dates of publication, they are: "The Myth of Republican Conservatism" (July 12, 2004), "Four Years Growth" (Jan. 24, 2005), "Irritating, Lousy, Liberal Republicans" (Aug. 1, 2006), "What Republican Revolution?" (Nov. 11, 2006), "Not a Dime’s Worth of Difference" (Aug. 24, 2007), "Ichabod!" (Sept. 5, 2008), and T.G.I.F. (Jan. 26, 2009).

For further reading one may consult the in-depth examinations I authored of the legislation passed by the Republican-controlled 108th and 109th Congresses: "The 108th Congress: An Analysis" (Jan. 17, 2005) and "Our ‘Conservative’ Republican Congress" (Jan. 14, 2006). On George Bush, see "The Christianity of George WMD Bush" (May 23, 2005). All three are in my article archive at LewRockwell.com.

The Republican Party had a chance to roll back the size, scope, and cost of the federal government, but failed miserably. It is truly the party of Lincoln – the party of war, crony capitalism, pious platitudes, empty rhetoric, big government, and an imperial presidency.

March 4, 2009

Laurence M. Vance [send him mail] writes from Pensacola, FL. He is the author of Christianity and War and Other Essays Against the Warfare State. His newest book is The Revolution that Wasn't. Visit his website.

Copyright © 2009 Laurence Vance

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