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RSSPreview: NS Interview with Gore Vidal
On David Cameron, Barack Obama and why he thinks America is heading for dictatorship.
By Daniel Trilling Published 11 October 2010 16:45
On David Cameron, Barack Obama and why he thinks America is heading for dictatorship.
Melvyn Bragg has interviewed the American author Gore Vidal many times over the years – including for three separate South Bank Show films.
For his guest-edit of this week's New Statesman, Bragg called Vidal at his home in Los Angeles, where Vidal claimed to be working on perfecting "the telephone essay".
The resulting interview is a wide-ranging conversation, replete with Vidal's usual wit, that covers his life and career. But perhaps – as always – his political views are the most striking.
Here is what he had to say about the Republican Party:
These are the small-town enemies of everybody. They just dislike everyone. They couldn't come out and say: "We don't want a black president" – we've finally got past that roadblock. So what they did was set out to slaughter the opposition party, the Democrats.
Vidal's contention is that Obama's opponents, motivated by racism, have set out to discredit him:
Repetition. They keep saying he's really a terrorist and they even deny he's black. He's obviously brown in some way – a vicious way – because we know what they are like; those are terrorists.
This febrile political atmosphere, combined with economic turmoil, is a recipe for disaster:
I should not in the least be surprised if there were a kind of dictatorship at the end of the road, which seems to be coming more and more quickly as we lose more and more wars.
Vidal also gave his verdict on Britain's current Prime Minister:
Have you any opinion on our new Downing Street tenant, Mr Cameron?
You do like to adjust to types. You've got all the right types you should have for government in this adorable Tory. He's everything we thought Bertie Wooster was – and God knows we worship Bertie Wooster, in the form of Hugh Laurie.
And there is a warning for Britain, too, over the direction of its foreign policy:
Anybody who tries to hang on to America's coat-tails is going to find himself up to his eyeballs in, well, deceit and corruption. This is the crookedest place on earth – and I never thought I would go that far, having been to many other countries at least south of our borders.
You can read the full interview in this week's magazine.
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Daniel Trilling is an assistant editor of the New Statesman
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605 comments
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Mr. Obama is a LOOTER, stealing from the PRODUCERS at gunpoint, and giving "part" of the booty to the MOOCHERS. THAT is why he is not liked. He's not liked by the PRODUCERS, and they're going to be LEAVING the USA soon.
I wish Buckley had punched him in the face.
We have a "Gore" in this country too. Interestingly, he is also an ignoramus.
"Benedict" might want to stop brewing that fresh hot black tea long enough to read the Hawaii regulation governing issuance of "Certificaton of Live Birth":
http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol06_Ch0321-0344/HRS0338/HRS_0...
Note that it does NOT require any proof that the child was born in Hawaii or even in the United States. At the time of the Head Nagger's birth, there were MULTIPLE situations where he WOULD NOT be a US citizen if HE WAS NOT born in the US. But then we can't let that get in the way now, can we? How dat taste, bro? Mmm, mmm, mmm!
If willfull ignorance were a crime, another 98 percent of the US population would be in jail. But the elite doesnt need jails, just the schools, TV and other media to keep them in line, distracting them from real issues. Bread and cicusses during the collapse... got your foodstamps yet?
I just can't wait for the Republicans to control both the presidency and the congress so that they, along with their moral billionaire backers can get this country back on the right track! Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha!
Actually, Gore doesn't need to be interviewed in 2010. Gore's "State of the Union" writing from the 1970's still ring true. It's all about the "banksmen" If you don't think the teabaggers are going to bow to the bankers, I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you!
Wow, Vidal just keeps on cashing in like a true capitalist pig. Oh, that's right he is a commie. Fidel loves Vidal and I bet Hugo has all his books.
I have always found it an empty argument if someone who is a minority gets hired, then gets fired and calls it racism. Well I would imagine that if you got hired in the first place there was no racism. They had a chance to evaluate your performance and found it lacking and you were let go.
All the same applies to Obama. We liked his message of 'change.' We voted for him en masse. Now that we see what he had in mind when he said 'change' we are horrified.
Being a minority in California myself I can say with some confidence that racism cannot be found anywhere around here. If it exists elsewhere I do not know. But every single day people of every size shape and color get along just perfectly fine, go to work, work side by side without conflict and everything functions. But that never makes the news. Only the random and RARE hate crimes, usually committed by idiots are the ones that are reported. Not the millions of multi racial interactions that occur daily.
Obama and his party are getting the boot because they passed laws no one wanted, no one got to vote on (as Dems control the govt 100% they were able to force through EVERYTHING they wanted). The only brake on their obscene behavior were the few brave Dems who stood up to their own party. Well most of those were 'bought off' with billion dollar kickbacks.
So no, its not color. Or you would not have gotten the job in the first place. Duh!
man this blog is red ........you limeys need to wake up and smell the coffee. Vidal is an ass
Gore Vidal seems to ignore the record this administration has to answer for and prefers to focus on what he perceives to be the problem, racism.
There is a reason he's irrelevant.
Vidal said: "These are the small-town enemies of everybody. They just dislike everyone. They couldn't come out and say: "We don't want a black president" - we've finally got past that roadblock. So what they did was set out to slaughter the opposition party, the Democrats."
This this is supposedly one of the great thinkers of our time? He sounds like your run-of-the-mill 16 year old know-nothing liberal drone who simply parrots nonsense leftist propaganda with demonization and comical generalizations.
Blimey I knew Right wingers were given to slander and statements without evidence but the 500+ comments after this piece must be some new record. Is there a campaign going on? The truth does tend to provoke those in denial though doesn't it?
As fas I can see the Obama administration is dealing with the fallout from the unprecedented economic crash caused by corrupt unsustainable financial practices tacitly sanctionned by the Bush adminstration. I don't know how much good Obama is doing as regards resolving that goal but it WAS Republican policy which created it...
just as the Tories would not have done anything different to reign in the City over here.
Oh and wasn't it Bush and the Republicans who got America into the quagmires of Iraq and Afghanistan? Wars which it is estimated will cost the US tax payer $3 trillion.
How is Obama a Marxist if he is overseeing a massive transfer of wealth to private banks and arms manufacturers?
So according to Vidal the opposition to Obama is because he is black. But then they deny that he is black, and decide to call him brown(?), because in their feeble minds that better equates Obama with a terrorist.
How does any of that even remotely make sense? I don't suppose Vidal even has minor anecdotal evidence to flimsily support any of these claims. And this is from a man who for decades has been renowned for his erudition and wit. Not much of either, as far as I can see.
November will prove that you can't fool all the people all the time. Two years ago, all the people (or at least a majority) were fooled some of the time.
Obama is one of the most duplicitous campaigners and ineffective Presidents in the history of the U.S., insofar as he promised the moon and hasn't delivered so much as a pebble. The healthcare "success" is an embarrassment, and wasn't even READ before it was signed into law! Civil rights are a quaint memory. The military machine is bigger and richer than ever. The economy? WHAT economy? Our society is on the brink of collapse thanks to American imperialism and excess, and Mr. Obama seems too comfortable to take up the baton to lead that parade. The dictatorship Vidal speaks of is already at hand, and began openly with little Bush but had seeds down in executive orders dating back to Truman. Democracy has been smothered to death. We may never have a democratic society, ever again; once liberty is lost, it is nearly impossible to regain it. I am neither a Republican nor a racist, not a militia member nor someone who wishes to harm anyone. Believe it or not, I'm a mainstream member of society who is simply fed up with the likes of Mr. Vidal and other media darlings who tell me I must be racist because I value civil liberties, free trade, political debate (free speech), just wars... There used be a word for people like me, and it wasn't "racist," but American.
Gore Vidal warns us that a dictator is coming - one must conclude, in the logic of the day and writer, that Vidal must hate obama cause he is black.
Why would Vidal assume that obama will be a dictator? {he must mean the current President because nobody else is in a position of such power and opportunity}
Well, thanks for the warning...
Rambling from a faltering mind. Outright delusional.
I'm always amused how on the one hand Republicans are the high-flying greedy corporate elite but then morph inexpilicably into the small town nasties who dislike everyone.
These views are those of an extremist, lurching from one extreme to the other. Surprisingly unbalanced.
You anti-gore people are pathetic!
He's smarter and funnier than
YOU could ever hope to be.
Sad!!!
Does he forget Obama's popularity after the election? And he says small town racists destroyed all that momentum?
He has chosen to be an ignorant player in a team infantile twatter bums.
The People are sovereign Mr. Vidal. (That's what the first four words of the Constitution mean). And the Constitution gives the Congress the ultimate authority to set the date of the election for the House & Senate. The President doesn't have authority to prohibit the Congress from meeting, setting an election date, & tallying the results, absent some catastrophic emergency. Even if there were emergency conditions, as soon as the condtions were gone, the Congress would meet, set an election, the people would evaluate how everyone had performed & vote, & the Congress would record the results. Bottom line, a Republican House is going to be seated; a right leaning Senate is going to be seated. America is more important than one man, especially a feeble President with disastrous ideas -- even if his followers threaten to burn cities to the ground. Don't worry Mr. Vidal, the new Congress would quickly impeach & convict such a dictatorial President; Americans would quickly fire such a man from his job/office.
I laugh when I read Gore Vidal. The right's hatred towards Obama??? Perhaps because he was part of the vile hatred towards President Bush, he has conveniently forgotten. It's part of the hardball American political landscape, always has been. You should read what was said about Lincoln! Harry Truman said, "if you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen."?
Bush took it like a man. He didn't wine or complain or snipe. He kept on leading. Like him or not, he was a man. Obama seems pretty thin skinned by comparison
Like most left-wing nut jobs, Gore does not understand American pride and rugged individualism.
Americans never wanted a two-thousand-five hundred page fiasco health care bill.
DemoRats are the only ones who bring up race when losing a debate.
I like it when the Commies get all upset, it's pretty funny when they accuse those opposed to Communism as being totalitarian. This old gas bag was never really intelligent, just another elite darling pumped up by the left wing media propaganda machine, sort of like Obama the idiot savant Community Blackmailer.
Dictatorship? We have it already. Der Fuhrer Yobama. He and his minions are taking over the private sector, and won't rest until they control everything.
Gore Vidal was senile 25 Years ago.
Quit interviewing him
you can take your commie ideals and your dictatorship and shove them up your irrelevant ass!
I started wondering if Vidal suffers from dementia, or if this is the result of 3rd stage syphilis!
Obama is proving what many were concerned about prior to the vote in Nov 2008. He is inexperienced and his incomptence has surfaced. His arrogance, steming from left leaning media idol worship, is now confronted with actually having to do the work of leading a country in a difficult time. Where others in the past have succeeded he is failing ant he can't handle it. Hence, the return to by him to what he does best: campaigning and competeing with his political adversaries. Unfortunately, that's not part of the "President" job description. Dividing the US nation by slurring business, slurring high income earners and expecting hard working self made people to give up their eearnings to support illit
erates who would rather become drug infested procreants will not gain him support. January 2013 can't come soon enough.
And as far as you Europeans are concerned, I would be very concerned about the disruption in economic success that Obama, Pelosi and Reid have generated - don't forget who buys your goods and services.
For some reason, this piece has really rubbed some Republican Rhubarb. The crackpots are out in force. Tell your friends to come and have a look at this thread, it really is a sight to behold. It's as if they're on a conversion mission. They don't seem to realise the readership of this publication are, for the most part, leftists and- in the correct sense of the word- Socialists.
You silly senile elitist Remember all of us little people inthose towns that "hate" blacks. Frog Spit. We are not in for a dictatorship, we are in for another revolution. Just like france, bring out the Guillotine and off with your heads you liberal, progressive, anti-christian communist hedonistic pagans. Promoting Homosexuality in our schools. Destroying families. tearing down our economies. Your BS has not worked in Socialist France, Germany or any other State in Europe. So you have to bring your elite socialism here. Well, just remember, it is us little people that have allthe guns
Who cares what this old fairy has to say?
Vidal plays to his audience and sycophants of left-wing libtards. He has never had any relevance.
tymtrvlr, I'm not an Obama fan, in fact I voted for Ron Paul. The only reason Obama was elected was because it was a mandate against Bush and his policies. Our current and former president will no doubt be seen as our worst. The republicans had complete control from 2000 to 2006 and the democrats from 2008 to present, what have we got? Two wars at a trillion dollars, a nearly 14 trillion dollar total debt, a growing trade deficit, dependency on the federal reserve and China to fund our stupidity, unemployment that is actually much higher then the reported figure when you add discouraged workers, corporation who pay almost zero taxes and reward us by shipping jobs overseas, a society in decline both morally and economically. Are people better off today then a generation ago, two generations ago? I'm saying no, although they may think so due to the illusion of affluence made possible by credit card and other debt. This country is soft. Gore Vidal has not said anything that is not true. He may like Obama, so what? Look around, what you see is the decline of America brought on by both parties. Gore Vidal is just an astute observer of how and why with special blame on the republicans. I think both parties are to blame. By the way most of these comments are made by morons who get there news spoon fed to them by FOX. Wake up people, you're part of the problem. tymtrvlt - time to revolt.
I would rather be an "Imperialist" than a commie pinko liberal trying to save the world by changinh it to how they think it should be... I liked it the way it was! Gore Vidal is a piece of Sh!t just like Obama and the rest of his Regime
but LOVED the bertie wooster analogy
To: Gore Vidal caretaker
Pleae give him the final injection or pull the plug. Much better all around for all concerned. Don't take photos and don't put out a press release.
Rest In Peace and God bless Mr. Vidal.
He's intolerant of anyone who doesn't hold his same opinions. A simpleton of a man. And he claims to be educated, though he's really an anti-intellectual-knowing little or nothing about America's Constitution, the concept of freedom, and people really. Those who wish to follow the rules, and not chaos, are enemies to him. Those who want to live free to practice their religion, work in a job of their choosing, be responsible, and really allow everyone to live as they please, whether they make good or bad choices, are dictators to him. Those who want to impose their morals on others and steal from others, Obama is a perfect example, are friends. And the amazing thing is in Obama we have the closest thing to a dictator we have ever seen in this country, and most people in the US are scared of what is happening. Yes, Vidal's a hypocrite and a bigot of the worst kind- if he were in power freedom would be over, people would be incarcerated and killed just for their opinions.
I always found Gore to be and in-your-face prissy. He howls with laughter when speaking about republicans or conservatives. He is an old limp-wristed thinker who never did a thing for this country And enjoyed the applause of the effte left who also never did a thing for this country except to trash it at every opportunity.
If anyone was thinking of reading any of the posts above, I'll save you some time. To summarise 'you're all going to eat your commie, pinko, liberal, fag loving words when the Republicans ride in on their horses and clean up this mess that that black fella got us in (not that they caused it in the first place you unerstand.' That's more or less the sentiment just with added hate.
All you people saying "Obama is a communist"... Sorry to break it to you, but you're going to have to do some hard work. You thought it was easy to say intelligent, true things? Well, it is... but only to people who've done their homework. For you, it's not. You'll need to hit the books and learn a little politics, economics, and history. Not much, really, but a lot more than you now know. And it'll be good for you in the long run.
What a crock! Why is opposition to Obamas's ideology RACISM?! The man is incompetent, over his head, a lousy leader, inept...the list goes on and has nothing to do with his skin color! Give us Allen West, Cain, JC Watts..the list goes on of highly capable and intelligent black Americans who would be outstanding Presidents of this country. Obama is an idiot. Period (so was Bush, if that will make you lib dumbasses feel any better)
Yes Mr. Vidal...the same people who voted Mr. Obama into office (and were obviously not racist then) have suddenly become racist and want him out. Or maybe the polls are all wrong? The President's policies are not popular...is that so hard to understand?
Well, I suppose this shows that, as with lefties and the Daily Mail here, the opposition reads your stuff. I am impressed that neo-cons, tea-baggers and rednecks are flocking to read NS and then denounce Obama, Healthcare, Old Poofters (charming Olde Worlde speak that) and much else of liberal outlook, and so eloquent and reasoned they are with it too. If the US falls to this kind of rhetoric and analysis, what a jolly old time we are all in for, hey guys? Makes we want to book my place in the deep shelter hidden somewhere in the local countryside around here. Hey boys, Allah is the Greatest .... now now stop slavering at the mouth, just getting you going. (Hey boys, we want to conspire with atheists to make you have a national health service, especially mental health - ah just kidding, calm down.)
Someone in an earlier post wrote "I thought Gore Vidal was dead." No surprise because he really is, in every way except being room temperature. Too bad!
If we are so bad what the hell are you doing in this country. Anyone that can not see that Obama does not have the experience to lead this country if downrigt ignorant regardless of the number of degrees he or she may have. Has nothing to do with the color of the skin. Additionally, his policies are aligned with communism which only works if you are the elitist with all the power and money while all the so called commmon people are left to live equal with nothing. Garbage in garbage out.
This man lacks wisdom.
The fear of the Lord is the begining of wisdom. No one on the Left even bothers with the Lord, their God is government.
The dictatorship he fears is coming from the LEFT not the conservatives.
The LEFT is the party of FORCING people to do their bidding.
When Obama see's that he can't get elected, he will probably do what Chavez would do, assume marshall law, and send us to war, so the LEFT can stay in power, and nationalize that which is left of our industrial base.