So, what is a 'neocon'?

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review ^ | Saturday, May 29, 2004 | Bill Steigerwald

[OrthodoxPresbyterian]

There may be another definition. True conservatives who HATE socialism but LOVE a good bombing...Once the fireworks start going off and America looks tough, they forget that we are drowning future generations with the debt of an exponentially growing welfare state. Foreign policy becomes a distraction from the looming economic disaster.

Not a bad definition.

However, "hate" may be too strong a word for the clssical Neo-Conservative feeling towards Welfare Policy (such as that expressed by Kristol, et al). It might be better said that Neo-Conservatives are uncomfortable with Welfare, but take its continuation as a Government policy to be a given. Assuming the abolition of Welfare to be a political impossibility, then -- the Neo-Conservative seeks to streamline, rationalize, and re-orient Welfare in more "market-friendly" directions.

I.E., Vouchers and the like.

Which might or might not be an improvement, politically -- but the Paleo-Conservative is understandably dismayed at the notion that a Conservative must resign himself to simply consolidating the Liberal gains into a more tolerable and rational Welfare State, which is that to which the Neo-Conservative programme essentially boils down.