In WW2, we had a strong isolationist element on the right, too, but that is a different story with different, pro-American origins, and it is mostly out of the picture now, with the exception of the (fringe) Ron Paul types. The consensus on the right and in the center is that the US must be a global power--not for imperial gain, but to spread free market capitalism for our own security. Free nations do not attack each other; they make each other richer.
The consensus on the left is that the US should be a global power, too. Make no mistake, if an Obama won, he would, like Clinton, use American power, but he would use it in ways that HARM America's interests, like Clinton did in Serbia. Yeah, we need to creat more Muslim states in Europe. Good work. A socialist America would exert its power to bring rogue states like Australia, Taiwan, and Chile into line. Breakaway movements in Spain, the Balkans, Central America, Columbia, the Philippines, Thailand, North Africa, etc. would be supported by the US, so that more Anti-American regimes could emerge. Any Muslim grievances would be nursed, since Islam is profoundly anti-western civilization, and the left needs to destroy western civilization in order to create its utopia.
In any event, the left is pro-war, just not pro-America.
Thanks for your post. It is unfortunate that we are back to having to deal with the Russian bear again. We have too lazily defended the victory in the cold war, and now it turns out to be a lull, not a victory. Very sad.
And I like the phrase that the left isn't anti-war but really anti-america.....which of course brings us back to our true enemy and how they should be fought and defeated.
My favorite quote from Burke is "The Revenue of the State IS the State ". Taking that as a truism and applying it to the left we can say that all the REVENUE of the institutions that make up the "LEFT" in this country ARE THE LEFT. Old Howard Phillips used to talk about de-funding the left to defeat it. Nixon failed,Reagan failed, and the Bush's have failed. More than failed, through their policies they have funded and empowered the left.
My point is that small government isn't just a convenience so we can live our lives as we choose , but a survival necessity.....small frugal government is not just a necessary cause but a sufficient cause to destroy the Left....the Left cannot exist without US and State government cash on the barrel head. Everything from our Universities and National Endowment for the Arts to Planned Parenthood are being kept alive and at a dangerous level by taxpayer funded money.It is no accident that they are Leftist through and through. And these institutions are destroying America
Conservatives ( like me ) have been wrong all these years because we thought that if we got control over Government spending we could direct it to enhance rather than destroy our culture. I am now convinced that the fatal flaw in that argument is that any institution, organization, school, family itself, etc that cannot stand on it's own two feet without Government funding must not exist in a free society....save for the military and other constitutional institutions. And the reason for that is that fighting for one's survival in a free society builds qualities in men that make healthy cultures and strong nations.
The left is populated by people who have lost the will and necessity to wrest their living from the free market. Witness the slums of our great cities. Anyone, including teachers, doctors, Catholic Bishops, Artist, even fathers and mothers,etc. who receive government money will eventually succumb to the siren song of leftist political assumptions. I honestly believe we have one or two generations left to destroy the funding for all of these programs and institutions, or this country will be finished. To paraphrase Burke, The Government Revenue of the Left IS the Left. Destroy that and we will destroy the Left.
Absolutely true and a wonderful post (the rest of it too, but especially this).