Dinesh D'Souza
Biography of Dinesh D'Souza
Full Name and Common Aliases
Full Name: Dinesh Joseph D'Souza
Common Aliases: Dinesh D'Souza
Birth and Death Dates
Birth Date: April 25, 1961
Death Date: N/A
Nationality and Profession(s)
Nationality: American (originally Indian)
Profession(s): Author, Filmmaker, Political Commentator
Early Life and Background
Dinesh Joseph D'Souza was born on April 25, 1961, in Bombay, India, now known as Mumbai. He grew up in a Roman Catholic family, which was part of the Goan community in India. His father, Allan D'Souza, was an executive with Johnson & Johnson, and his mother, Margaret D'Souza, was a housewife. Dinesh attended the Jesuit-run St. Stanislaus High School in Bombay before moving to the United States as an exchange student. He completed his high school education in Arizona and later attended Dartmouth College, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English in 1983. During his time at Dartmouth, D'Souza was actively involved in the Dartmouth Review, a conservative student publication, which laid the foundation for his future career in political commentary.
Major Accomplishments
Dinesh D'Souza's career is marked by a series of accomplishments in the fields of writing, filmmaking, and political commentary. After graduating from Dartmouth, he worked as an editor for Policy Review, a journal published by The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank. He gained national attention with his 1991 book, "Illiberal Education," which critiqued the state of higher education in America and became a New York Times bestseller. D'Souza's work often challenges liberal ideologies and has sparked significant debate and discussion.
In addition to his writing, D'Souza has made a name for himself as a filmmaker. His 2012 documentary, "2016: Obama's America," became the second-highest-grossing political documentary in the United States. The film explores the potential consequences of President Barack Obama's policies and was both praised and criticized for its controversial content.
Notable Works or Actions
Dinesh D'Souza is the author of several influential books, including "The End of Racism" (1995), "What's So Great About America" (2002), and "The Big Lie: Exposing the Nazi Roots of the American Left" (2017). Each of these works reflects his conservative viewpoint and has contributed to his reputation as a provocative thinker.
His filmmaking career includes notable documentaries such as "America: Imagine the World Without Her" (2014) and "Hillary's America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party" (2016). These films have been instrumental in shaping public discourse around American politics and history.
D'Souza's career has not been without controversy. In 2014, he pleaded guilty to making illegal campaign contributions, an event that led to a period of probation and community service. Despite this setback, he received a presidential pardon from Donald Trump in 2018, which reignited discussions about his influence and the polarizing nature of his work.
Impact and Legacy
Dinesh D'Souza's impact on American political discourse is significant. His books and films have reached a wide audience, influencing public opinion and sparking debate on key issues such as race, education, and American identity. His work often challenges mainstream narratives, providing a counterpoint that resonates with conservative audiences.
D'Souza's legacy is marked by his ability to engage and provoke. Whether through his writing or his films, he has consistently pushed boundaries and questioned prevailing ideologies. His influence extends beyond his immediate audience, as his work often becomes a focal point for broader discussions about politics and culture in the United States.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Dinesh D'Souza is widely quoted and remembered for his incisive and often controversial commentary on American politics and culture. His ability to articulate complex ideas in a compelling manner has made him a prominent figure in conservative circles. D'Souza's work is frequently cited in discussions about political ideology, race relations, and the role of America on the global stage.
His quotes often reflect his sharp wit and critical perspective, making them memorable and impactful. Whether one agrees with his views or not, D'Souza's contributions to political discourse are undeniable, and his work continues to be a source of inspiration and debate for many.
Quotes by Dinesh D'Souza
There are some who invoke separation of church and state - to try to get the government out of the business of morality - but this is antithetical to what the founders wanted. The founders wanted to keep theology out of government so that government could focus on the proper business of morality.
This point seems counter-intuitive, given the amount of conspicuous vulgarity, vice, and immorality in America. Indeed some Islamic fundamentalists argue that their regimes are morally superior to the United States because they seek to foster virtue among the citizens.
O.K., if the desire to knock America off its pedestal, to redistribute American income to other countries, to shrink America's footprint in the world, makes you anti-American, then Obama is in fact anti-American.
'War on terror' is a misnomer. It would be like calling America's involvement in World War II a 'war on kamikazism.' Terrorism, like kamikazism, is a tactic.
'2016' is based on an experiment: what if you let Obama do it himself? That experiment is necessarily limited because I'm not factoring in a Republican House, a Supreme Court or the tug of public opinion.
In the end, of course, Republicans ended slavery and permanently outlawed it through the Thirteenth Amendment.
Republicans passed the Fourteenth Amendment, securing for blacks equal rights under the law, and the Fifteenth Amendment, giving blacks the right to vote, over the Democrats' opposition.
Obama remains frozen in his father's time machine. His anti-colonialism is the anti-colonialism of Africa in the 1950s: state confiscation of land, confiscatory taxation, and so on. My anti-colonialism is the anti-colonialism of India in the 21st century.
I came to America at the age of 17 as an exchange student, and a year later, I was a student at Dartmouth. I would say that the rather weak foundation of my Christianity was effectively battered at Dartmouth. I've had mostly a secular career. But I became intellectually interested in Christianity again in my mid-30s.