Posted on 02/03/2011 8:23:48 AM PST by ventanax5
My interest at the moment is to try to understand more closely the American right. I've delved a little into the politics of a few personalities on the US right. It's not enough to write with great confidence on the topic, and I'm happy for American readers to jump in with their thoughts, but I think it's worthwhile to report on some early findings.
If I had to briefly summarise I'd say: The professed political philosophy of leading personalities on the American right is often classical liberalism, i.e. it involves a belief in individual liberty, a small state, low taxes, and a free market. But the personalities don't seem to identify as classical liberals. They prefer the term libertarian or occasionally conservative. This reluctance to identify as liberal is understandable, given that the term liberal in America is often reserved for those on the left (what we would call in Australia "left-liberal"). Classical liberals in Australia are usually very socially liberal, particularly those with an academic background. Commonly they will support the legalisation of drugs, gay marriage and even (I've had debates with them on this issue) polygamy. However, in the US those professing a classical liberal philosophy are more likely to take socially conservative positions on some issues, such as abortion or the family. It's possible, I think, that this is partly due to the influence of a Christian right in the US and partly due to the fact that there was an element of classical liberalism in the US founding and therefore classical liberals in the US are more likely to think of themselves as conserving traditional values.
(Excerpt) Read more at ozconservative.blogspot.com ...
Define your words how you like. This guy still misses the point.
“socially conservative positions on some issues, such as abortion”
Conservative for who? The baby or the mother?
This guy should listen to Mark Steyn, who can bridge the gap between his Anglicised misconceptions and the real understandings of American conservative thought.
If you don’t see how homo “marriage” or legal drugs screws up a country and leaves us dead in the water, you don’t want to conserve ANYTHING. But rather you are nothing but a selfish post-war baby, happy to sacrifice any fundamental morality in exchange for a temporary easy life.
Mark Steyn - Mr Ozzie - that’s your next port of research.
The likes of Hannity are cowards who have no balls to mention the conservative social issues instead they stay away form those issues while taking conservative money.
When we needed a voice against the bill of don’t ask he stayed silent and yet he states he is a friend of the military.
well you’;re not Hannity until you grow a set of balls
BS.
Drug prohibition laws have caused far more damage to this country than legal drugs - there wasn't a national prohibition of anything until 1914, and we did just fine.
BTW, it was the Progressives at the time that pushed for prohibition as a wedge to advance a statist agenda, with the 'social conservatives' happily going along.
And before you cite California or Holland as examples of how 'legalization' of marijuana has caused problems, realize that in neither case has pot been truly legalized. Decriminalization merely results in a 'gray' market instead of a black market, and the violence that results from a lack of ability to settle difference through legal institutions still exists. Witness what's going on in Mexico to see my point.
Did anybody hear Hannity call that iman on TV last night a SOB,sick puppy?
I don’t watch too much of Hannity anymore. I don’t get as much a chance to. I really don’t like him on the radio that much. He’s too self absorbed there. He’s better on TV. A better forum for him I believe.
If you want to understand the non-extremist American right (conservatives), you will have to understand Rush Limbaugh:
February 2011
How to Understand Rush Limbaugh
http://www.commentarymagazine.com/viewarticle.cfm/how-to-understand-rush-limbaugh-15634
“Did anybody hear Hannity call that iman on TV last night a SOB,sick puppy?” ~ magna carta
Yes. Here ya go (and more):
NOT TO MISS Hannity VIDEO !!
Hannity calls British imam a sick, miserable and evil SOB on his show last night.
VIDEO: http://www.mofopolitics.com/2011/02/02/sean-hannity-to-imam-anjem-choudary-youre-one-sick-miserable-evil-s-o-b/
<>
U.S. reexamining its relationship with Muslim Brotherhood opposition group
By Craig Whitlock Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, February 3, 2011
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/02/AR2011020206550.html
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NOT to be missed Hannity video
Chaos, Violence Erupts on Streets of Cairo
Feb 2, 2011 Lt. Col. Oliver North on turmoil in Egypt, Mubarak’s future
VIDEO: http://www.charter.net/front_controller.php/video/play/429930?playlist=1&pos=12
Sean isn’t a conservative
Uhhh, drug prohibition is much more in line with a socialist world view than is legalization. And there were no national prohibition laws for the first 138 years of the republic, and we did just fine. Try again.
“there were no national prohibition laws for the first 138 years of the republic, and we did just fine”
It was a very different world. You can’t compare that world to today. There was no demand, pushed by MTV, there were no enemies of America trying to get kids hooked on drugs to screw America up.
Just show me one country where it works. You’re not making my country your guinea pig, when increasing drug availablity screws up every country it’s been tried in.
People who try to push drugs on America are idiots.
One thing we can agree on is that the problems of the inner cities aren't going to be solved overnight, but we're never going to arrest and jail our way back to a civil society in these benighted places. We need to come up with a better solution as a society. And, IMHO, prohibition has been tried and found wanting.
the inner cities are not about prohibition. they are about the welfare state.
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