A review by berthg
The Conscience of a Conservative by Barry M. Goldwater

reflective medium-paced

1.25

A watershed text for the conservative revival of the 60s. Goldwater gives a powerful and confident voice special kind of myopic and privileged perspective that is characteristic of American conservatism and libertarianism. This 2-3 hour read purports to contain the “common sense” solutions to the problems that the United States faced in that day. It is because of simplifications and omissions that readers may leave this text feeling enlightened and confused why the armies of professional diplomats, lawyers, politicians, and movement leaders of Goldwater’s time disagreed with him. History has shown the conclusions here to have been largely false, especially those regarding civil rights and national security. Still, readers will find here the roots of conservative ideologies of today even if, ironically, Goldwater himself would detest the modern Republican Party on principle.