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RIP David Horowitz

GlennAmurgis
@GlennAmurgis
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David Horowitz, American hero - Washington Examiner

Sorry to see him go. He was a good source to follow for information about how the left operated, having started his life as a cradle communist.

His Book Radical Son describes his conversion from the left to the right. He went over the pivot points (e.g., the murder of his Rampart's bookkeeper, Betty Van Patter, by the Black Panther Party). He told of the price he paid by his former allies. He warned us about how corrupt the university system is and how his former allies found their way as tenured professors, and explained how Higher Education was corrupted.

I read a number of his books - I recommend Radical Son - it is like a modern version of Witness.

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Discussion (13)

  • Percival@Percival

    The announcement from the editors of the David Horowitz Freedom Center on frontpage.com.

    David’s message to the conservative movement was that it needed to abandon its habit of embracing noble failure and instead fight to win. Indeed, Donald Trump’s MAGA movement was shaped and guided by David and his disciples like Stephen Miller. And while his passing is an incalculable loss, David lived long enough to see his ideas and tactics become the heart and soul of a new movement to take back America.

  • Hartmann von Aue@HartmannvonAue

    Thanks. I became aware of Horowitz because I happened to see him at a conservative summit of some kind that was broadcast on C-SPAN back in the late 90s. Then I started reading Front Page Mag regularly and watching the related YouTube channels when they appeared. What Percival noted above, that he motivated conservatives to grow a spine an fight, is entirely right and I doubt we can measure his immense influence on the current generation of conservatives and libertarians.

  • Chris O@ChrisO

    I'm surprised at the subdued reaction here. David Horowitz was one of the bigs, I thought. My years in publishing coincided with his pushing the Academic Bill of Rights. He was a public fixture and leader against the cultural hegemony of the Left. There weren't many people meeting them on their ground, so to speak, but he did and mostly let the Left's policies speak for themselves. Horowitz revealed to many the radicalization of colleges and universities. I just don't think we'd be where we are now without him. RIP.

  • Gary McVey@GaryMcVey

    David recruited me from the very establishment American Film Institute, to lead the American Cinema Foundation, which he co-founded to be "our" conservative version of the AFI. He was a wise man and a good friend. My first month on the job I was invited to speak at one of his events at Disney studios. (That's how different things were 28 years ago.)

    On a panel I got into an argument with an open borders extremist. It wasn't a screaming argument, but I punched back. While this was going on, I belatedly realized that this libertarian was one of David's financial supporters. Although my ACF was now legally separated from David's Center for the Study of Popular Culture, it wasn't a good look for me to be tussling with my benefactor's benefactor. So I wrapped it up and got offstage. When I saw David I started to apologize.

    He cut me off with a smile. "Why did you back off? You almost had him in your sights."

    "Well, yeah, but then I realized..."

    He shook his head. "You don't work for the Left anymore, Gary. You're a free man."

    I never forgot that.

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