Posted on 10/15/2017 3:19:21 PM PDT by TBP
Jimmuh was neither the first nor teh last. China, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Egypt are some other examples.
In the classical definitions they are neither liberals nor conservatives.
Nixon won the war in 72. LBJ won- at least he was the CinC in 68 when we won the war then. In 68 our brilliant intellectuals in Washington determined that eradication of the VC and retreat of the NVA and northern preparations for occupation showed that the commie dog was down and it was unfair to kick it. So we stood down to magnanimously give our competitors a break, gave the fallen foe a hand up. After the 72 victory the enemy US Congress pulled the props out from under Saigon. Congress positively desired an American defeat and they attained their goal.
Just as the word “liberal” has been distorted in the American context so as to have lost its meaning, the word “conservative” has been fuzzed a bit too.
In general terms, American conservatives are classic liberals rooted in a Judeo-Christian world view. So was Locke. So were the founders.
As for whether or not “classic liberalism” will “work” everywhere in the world, you have to remember that not everyone is interested in freedom. They are interested in power. In the contest between Rousseau and Locke, most of the world chose Rousseau, including most Americans. Locke hangs on with a few stubborn souls who also cling to their guns and their Bibles.
It was def won after the Tet Offensive... well, except for Traitor Cronkite totally turning everything around :/
Conservatives want to learn from experience what actually holds societies together, benefits them and destroys them.
Such logic escapes the progressive mind.
Another word for it is neo-conservatism, which has come to mean the belief that the US has a duty to "bring democracy" to the rest of the world.
Politics is downstream from culture. A political system CANNOT work if the culture does not support it.
And what is culture? It is a shared set of beliefs regarding what is to be considered virtuous versus what is to be considered despicable or contemptible. In much of the world, behaving honestly and fairly with anybody who is not part of your tribe or clan, means you are a sucker. Moreover, valuing honesty and fairness over family means you are potentially a traitor to your clan. In such an environment, classic American culture CANNOT take hold.
We are even losing classic American culture in America.
There is nothing conservative about neo-conservatism.
Globalist neocons suck. Three words. All you need to know.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.