USA in a nutshell NYC: Conservatives vs Liberals

Canarsie
By Jonathan Rieder
Harvard, 1985

“Since 1960 the Jews and Italians of Canarsie have embellished and modified the meaning of liberalism, associating it with profligacy, spinelessness, malevolence, masochism, elitism, fantasy, anarchy, idealism, softness, irresponsibility and sanctimoniousness.

The term ‘conservative’ acquired connotations of pragmatism, character, reciprocity, truthfulness, stoicism, manliness, realism, hardness, vengeance, strictness, and responsibility.”

Of course it all came undone after 2000. But that’s another story, for another book.

Thanks: Five Best Books – WSJ.com: “Great political upheavals are memorably recorded in these works, says David Frum”