Diana West is an award-winning journalist and the author of The Red Thread: A Search for Ideological Drivers Inside the Anti-Trump Conspiracy (Center for Security Policy Press, 2019), American Betrayal: The Secret Assault on Our Nation’s Character (St. Martin’s Press 2013) and The Death of the Grown-Up: How America’s Arrested Development Is Bringing Down Western Civilization (St. Martin’s Press 2007). In Fall 2013, West brought out a companion volume to American Betrayal titled:The Rebuttal: Defending American Betrayal from the Book-Burners, which includes essays by Vladimir Bukovsky and M. Stanton Evans, among others. She is also one of 19 co-authors (including Frank Gaffney, Andrew C. McCarthy and James Woolsey) of Shariah:The Threat to America, a 2010 publication of the Center for Security Policy.
Given in the following are articles and videos dealing with each of her books. Note that there is a two-front “battle” that is being undertaken: not only exposing the Left and its Marxist ideology, but also dealing with some on the Right who disagree with the depth or perhaps content of her critique of the Left.
Death of Grownup
Death of the Grown-up: How America’s Arrested Development Is Bringing Down Western Civilization
From Amazon, for this 2008 book: With insightful wit, Diana West takes readers on an odyssey through culture and politics, from the rise of rock ‘n’ roll to the rise of multiculturalism, from the loss of identity to the discovery of “diversity,” from the emasculation of the heroic ideal to the “PC”-ing of “Mary Poppins,” all the while building a compelling case against the childishness that is subverting the struggle against jihadist Islam in a mixed-up, post-9/11 world.
Concerns about Islam
During the years following 9/11 and into the Obama presidency, like many other conservative journalists and writers, Diana West was concerned about Islam, especially with the inroads into the US cultural and political scene. Her focus on these concerns seemed to dovetail with the information she was gathering with respect to the penetration of Communism into the US during much of the 20th century.
In fact, as she became increasingly aware of if the influence of Islam within the American government, she wondered if this was a unique phenomenon, or had that happened before? The answer was a definite “yes”, as she began to assemble the outline of “American Betrayal.”
The three linked articles below provide insight into her concerns:
Diana West: A Nation’s Attempt to Survive Isn’t Racism
2014-03-24 Diana West compares the pushback to unlimited immigration in Switzerland to the similar need for pushback in the US. This clearly during the Obama administration.
Diana West – Enforcing Islamic Law at Brandeis
2014-04-10 Diana West discusses the dis-invitation of Ayaan Hirsi Ali to receive an honorary degree at Brandeis University, because she — being a Muslim — speaks out against Islam, and is thus not considered Politically Correct.
Diana West: Islam comes to the National Cathedral
2014-11-18 In this posting, Diana West points out the obvious disconnect by the National Cathedral in Washington DC in openning their “sanctuary” to host Islamic Friday prayers.
The following videos further elborate her concerns:
Diana West On Muslim Brotherhood Infiltration (11:59)
2013-07-17 Discussion of Muslim Brotherhood activity in the US with Erick Stakelbeck of The Blaze.
2013-10-06 Diana West and Glenn Beck compare the Islamic penetration into the US government compared to the similar penetration of the US government by communists during the 1930s and 1940s.
The American Betrayal Controversy
When published in 2013, American Betrayal broke new ground. For one thing, it contained knowledge obtained from the opening of top secret files in both Russia and the West following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Most of the classic texts on the political and governmental intrigue in the years leading up to World War II and well into the Cold War era did not have the benefit of that new information. Then based in part on that information, and taking a fresh look at the overall narratives seemingly fixed in place, a series of new perspectives have been provided by the author. There are two sections found below: the book itself, and the controversy that followed.
American Betrayal the book
Diana West: American Betrayal – The Secret Assault on Americas Character
This very comprehensive book unveils the great degree of Communist infiltration into the US government before, during and after World War II. Much of this aspect of the history of that era has needed to be rewritten due to the great body of new information obtained by the opening of the KGB files (and some of the similar US files) during the Yeltsin regime in the early 1990’s. Diana West’s haunting question is, “Who really won WWII?” The resounding answer appears to be the Left.
A Conversation with Diana West (1:02:21)
2013-06-12 Pastor David Stokes has a conversation with best selling author, Diana West about her new book “American Betrayal: The Secret Assault on Our Nation’s Character”.
American Betrayal: The Secret Assault on Our Nation’s Character (1:02:37)
2013-06-17 In “American Betrayal”, Diana West argues that — current policies today notwithstanding — America began to abandon its core ideals and march toward Socialism nearly 75 years ago. Starting in the late 1930s, at the time of FDR, the Soviets were already in a position to take advantage of the many communist sympathizers in the U.S. Not only FDR, but also Presidents Truman and Eisenhower and those in their inner circles played roles in enabling the U.S.S.R. as well as concealing the massive Moscow-directed penetration of American society. West shows that the system of spies designed to denigrate the American way of life was deep and extensive.
Diana West ‘American Betrayal’ at Politics and Prose Bookstore DC (36:29)
2013-07-17 Diana West talks about her 2013 book, “American Betrayal” at the DC area Politics and Prose bookstore. (From YouTube:) In her bold refutation of recent history’s official stories, West, Dispatch International Washington correspondent, casts a skeptical eye on FDR and other leaders, asking if the West’s “victory” in the Cold War was in fact more of a deal with the devil – one that led to today’s moral relativism and other social ills.
Diana West – American Betrayal – LIVE from Boston (2:07:46)
2013-08-29 A LIVE broadcast from the Rabbi Jon Hausman Memorial Speakers Series, Ahavath Torah Congregation 1179 Central Street Stoughton, MA. In this lecture, Diana West discusses her latest book American Betrayal: The Secret Assault on Our Nation’s Character in which she takes a deeper look at America’s historical record, uncovering a body of lies that Americans have been led to regard as the near-sacred history of World War II and its Cold War aftermath.
This lecture was given three weeks after the Ron Radosh putdown of American Betrayal.
2013 Mightier Pen Award: Diana West (21:31)
2013-11-21: Acceptance speech at the 2013 award ceremony, dealing with her book “American Betrayal” and the controversy surrounding it.
The Rebuttal
“American Betrayal” was published in May of 2013. It was initially well-received, including a positive review published in FrontPage Magazine. However, FrontPage owner David Horowitz disagreed with the review to the extent that he withdrew it from the FrontPage website. As the months rolled by, a controversy arose among conservative intellectuals concerning the book.
In October 2013, Diana West published a book entitled “The Rebuttal: Defending ‘American Betrayal’ from the Book Burners.” In this book, she takes on the criticisms which had been cited, and attempts to clarify and refute, often with the concluding statement, “Not in my book.”
In early December, National Review Online’s Andrew C. McCarthy published an extensive review of the book, followed a few weeks later by another extensive article dealing with the controversy.
The articles and video listed below provide some idea of the concerns on all sides.
David Horowitz: Diana West Invents a New Conspiracy
2013-09-08 David Horowitz reviews the sequence of events that led up to this posting relative to his actions in respect to American Betrayal. Initially, he had removed a favorable review of American Betrayal, and in this posting he explains why. He deals with what he considers Diana West’s over-the-top response to Horowitz’s critique, as well as to other unfavorable reviews posted in Frontpage Magazine and elsewhere.
M. Stanton Evans – In Defense of Diana West
2013-09-13 M. Stanton Evans responds to the controversy surrounding American Betrayal, and outlines in some depth his support for Diana West’s conclusions.
2013-09-26 Essay in support of Diana West and American Betrayal, written by two Russian exiles:
Vladimir Bukovsky is one of the founders of the Soviet dissident movement. He spent twelve years in Soviet prisons, labor camps and psychiatric hospitals during his fight for freedom. In 2007, he was nominated for president of Russia by the democratic oppostion in moral protest of Putin’s powers. His many works include To Build a Castle and Judgement in Moscow.
Pavel Stroilov is a Russian exile in London and the editor and translator of Alexander Litvinenko’s book, Allegations. He is co-author with Bukovsky of EUSSR: The Soviet Roots of European Integration, and the author of Behind the Desert Storm: A Secret Archive Stolen From the Kremlin that Sheds New Light on the Arab Revolutions in the Middle East.
The Rebuttal: Defending ‘American Betrayal’ from the Book-Burners
2013-10-02 Diana West and a host of others – including illustrious authors M. Stanton Evans and Vladimir Bukovsky – defend her new book, “American Betrayal,” against a wave of calumnious charges and vicious personal attacks.
Diana West Responds to Conrad Black (10/23/2013)
2013-10-23 Diana West posts a defense in National Review with the following initial question: “Why is NRO trashing American Betrayal, dismissing Vladimir Bukovsky, whitewashing Alger Hiss, and glorifying FDR?”
American Betrayed, Part 2: Planet X
2013-11-03 Posting by Ned May in his blog Gates of Vienna. The “Plant-X” phenomena he discusses refers to the hidden agenda of conservatives who have rejected some of the major findings of American Betrayal.
Diana West: American Betrayal and Planet X
2013-11-05 Diana West expands on Ned May’s “Planet-X” comments in Gates of Vienna.
Diana West Controversy Erupts During Horowitz QnA with Stanton Evans (14:02)
2013-11-12 The American Betrayal controversy is raised during a Q&A of a David Horowitz lecture at the Heritage Foundation. M. Stanton Evans raises one of the questions, in support of Diana West.
2013-12-03 Andrew C. McCarthy’s initial and extensive review of American Betrayal.
Andrew C.McCarthy – On American Betrayal (December 2013)
2013-12 A brief comment relative to some initial feedback to his extensive review of American Betrayal.
January 2014 American Betrayal, an exchange: Andrew C. McCarthy
2014-01 This extensive article attempts to deal with all sides of the American Betrayal controversy. It is noted that many of the important players on both sides are friends of Andy McCarthy.
M. Stanton Evans at Breitbart: McCarthyism by the Numbers
2014-01-21 Diana West comments on Evans’ Breitbart article which defends both Sen. Joe McCarthy and West.
American Betrayal: Update Reviews Debates Discussion (2/7/2014)
2014-02-07 Diana West discusses responses to American Betrayal from overseas reviewers.
Diana West: Who Really Won the Cold War?
2014-04-04 Diana West raises the question as to what ideology has emerged in the West since the fall of the Soviet Union.
JR Nyquist on American Betrayal
2014-04-29 Diana West comments on a defense of American Betrayal and the resulting controversy by J.R Nyquist.
Diana West: Influence and the Experts – Part 1
2014-05-06 First of two articles addressing the issue of “influence” of pro-Soviet sympathizers rather than actual Soviet assets in the US government, as discussed in American Betrayal.
Diana West: Influence and the Experts – Part 2
2014-05-09 Second of two articles addressing the issue of “influence” of pro-Soviet sympathizers rather than actual Soviet assets in the US government, as discussed in American Betrayal.
Supportors of American Betrayal
Two important supporters of American Betrayal are highlighted: author M. Stanton Evans, and Soviet dissident Vladimir Bukovsky.
M. Stanton Evans
(From Amazon) Accused of creating a bogus Red Scare and smearing countless innocent victims in a five-year reign of terror, Senator Joseph McCarthy is universally remembered as a demagogue, a bully, and a liar. History has judged him such a loathsome figure that even today, a half century after his death, his name remains synonymous with witch hunts. But that conventional image is all wrong, as veteran journalist and author M. Stanton Evans reveals in this groundbreaking book.
The long-awaited Blacklisted by History, based on six years of intensive research, dismantles the myths surrounding Joe McCarthy and his campaign to unmask Communists, Soviet agents, and flagrant loyalty risks working within the U.S. government. Evans’s revelations completely overturn our understanding of McCarthy, McCarthyism, and the Cold War.
M. Stanton Evans is the author of ‘Blacklisted by History’ (27:54)
2008-07-08 M. Stanton Evans is interviewed bu Howard Phillips, Founder of the Conservative Caucus. (From YouTube:) M. Stanton Evans is the author of “Blacklisted by History”. Mr. Evans owns the FBI files from the McCarthy Trials. The book proves that Senator Joe McCarthy was right about Soviet Agents in the U.S. government. Mr. Evans discusses the impact of the McCarthy trials on American Policy. He founded the National Journalism Center.
Vladimir Bukovsky
Vladimir Bukovsky and the West’s Collusion with Soviet Russia
This webpage provides an introduction to Soviet dissident and human rights advocate Vladimir Bukovsky. He first ran afoul of the Soviet authorities in 1958 as a 16-year-old, being involved in organizing protests against the post-Stalin regime. He ultimately served a total of 12 years in Soviet “psychiatric” hospitals and prisons. He was released to the West in 1976 as part of a prisoner swap with a Chilean communist, and settled in the UK.
The Red Thread (2019)
(From YouTube:) There was nothing normal about the 2016 presidential election, not when senior U.S. officials were turning the surveillance powers of the federal government — designed to stop terrorist attacks — against the Republican presidential team. These were the ruthless tactics of a Soviet-style police state, not a democratic republic.
The Red Thread asks the simple question: Why? What is it that motivated these anti-Trump conspirators from inside and around the Obama administration and Clinton networks to depart so drastically from “politics as usual” to participate in a seditious effort to overturn an election?
Finding clues in an array of sources, Diana West uses her trademark investigative skills, honed in her dazzling work, American Betrayal, to construct a fascinating series of ideological profiles of well-known but little understood anti-Trump actors, from James Comey to Christopher Steele to Nellie Ohr, and the rest of the Fusion GPS team; from John Brennan to the numerous Clintonistas still patrolling the Washington Swamp after all these years, and more.
Once, we knew these officials by august titles and reputation; after The Red Thread, readers will recognize their multi-generational and inter-connecting communist and socialist pedigrees, and see them for what they really are: foot-soldiers of the Left, deployed to take down America’s first “America First” and most anti-Communist president.
If we just give it a pull, the “red thread” is very long and very deep.
Book published February 21, 2019. (From Amazon:) The first investigation into why a ring of senior Washington officials went rogue to derail the election and the presidency of Donald Trump.
There was nothing normal about the 2016 presidential election, not when senior U.S. officials were turning the surveillance powers of the federal government — designed to stop terrorist attacks — against the Republican presidential team. These were the ruthless tactics of a Soviet-style police state, not a democratic republic.
The Red Thread asks the simple question: Why? What is it that motivated these anti-Trump conspirators from inside and around the Obama administration and Clinton networks to depart so drastically from “politics as usual” to participate in a seditious effort to overturn an election?
Diana West’s ‘The Red Thread’ Book Launch–Featuring Chris Farrell of Judicial Watch (1:02:40)
2019-03-14 Last week, a group of experts–including Judicial Watch Director of Investigations & Research, Chris Farrell–appeared in a broadcast by the Center for Security Policy to discuss author Diana West’s new book–“The Red Thread.”
The Red Thread – Who Runs the Anti-Trump Conspiracies – West Molyneux (58:40)
2019-03-31 A discussion between Stefan Molyneux and Diana West talk about her new book, The Red Thread.