The Intellectual Incoherence of Conservatism

Ludwig von Mises Institute ^ | March 4, 2005 | Hans-Hermann Hoppe

[thoughtomator]

What a poorly-researched piece. Socialism and conservatism are highly opposed to one another; of course a "socialist conservativism" or some similar such nonsense is incoherent. That's why it's at best a fringe.

Conservatism in the US today bears zero resemblance to what the article alleges is conservative.

[Pietro]

"In order to restore social and cultural norms, true conservatives can only be radical libertarians"

That's ridiculous.

[Conspiracy Guy]

The author sure spent a lot of time trying to define the undefinable. Conservative is a broad term.

[odoso]

American conservatism in rooted in Christianity. Never-mind the establishment of the U.S. of A has it's roots there as well.

What fodder!

[AntiGuv]

Yup. Sounds mostly right. I guess that makes me some type of archaiocon. ;^)

[Conspiracy Guy]

I agree with you both. The author basically broke wind.

[thoughtomator]

Doh, no wonder, this guy is is to libertarian as Pat Buchanan is to conservative. In other words, fringe and of questionable sanity.

http://www.hanshoppe.com/

[libertylover]

So many words; so little coherence.

[Airborne Longhorn]

Narcissistic website: homepage has 7 photos...of him!

[pissant]

"true conservatives can only be radical libertarians"
__________________________________________

If these clowns had their way, The Soviet Empire would be the dominant power in the world today

[foreverfree]

bump

[nonliberal]

However, most contemporary conservatives (at least most of the spokesmen of the conservative establishment) either do not recognize that their goal of restoring normalcy requires the most drastic, even revolutionary, antistatist social changes, or (if they know about this) they are engaged in betraying conservatism's cultural agenda from inside in order to promote an entirely different agenda.

We have a Bingo!!

[AntiGuv]

Well, actually, if they 'had their way' in the sense that you mean, then the Nazi Reich would be the dominant power in the world today.

That's in part why he's not entirely right, just mostly right..

[sitetest]

Dear kjvail,

Interesting read. Thanks for posting it.

Can't say I agree with it all, but it's from an interesting perspective.

And it seems to come out pretty close to my own views of Buchananism.

Are you going to ping the Crown Crew?


sitetest

[Durus]

Socialism and conservatism SHOULD be highly opposed. Unfortunately the political paradigm has shifted so far left then when a conservative "finds common ground" with the far far far left (most of the democrat party) the resulting legislation is leftist. For example instead of reforming social security the conservative position should be getting rid of social security. Instead of crowing about the sunset of the "assault" weapons bill conservatives should be pushing for the repeal of all gun control laws. Welfare shouldn't be reformed...it should be scrapped. You can oppose a far left position and still be on the left.

Ironically the Dems are self destructing because they have gone so far left. Most Americans still have an unhealthy view of communists and that is what the dems are at this point. Conservatives have to maintain the ideology of the constitution in order to take back America and shut down the socialist experimentation.

[kjvail]

Doh, no wonder, this guy is is to libertarian as Pat Buchanan is to conservative. In other words, fringe and of questionable sanity.

He is a radical to be sure, in his book he makes a convincing argument that we must be radicals if we hope to in any way roll back the Levithan state.

Narcissistic website: homepage has 7 photos...of him!

He is that too LOL

"In order to restore social and cultural norms, true conservatives can only be radical libertarians" That's ridiculous.

I found this difficult to fathom initially too, until I studied the issue fruther. Hoppe's ideas focus on the concept of "natural order, very Burkean overall. Society cannot be artifically created from the top down it must develop naturally. He makes an excellent case for this by examining the social mileau of Europe after the collapse of Rome where no central authority existed.

[Semaphore Heathcliffe]

There is no recognition that the natural order in education means that the state has nothing to do with it. Education is entirely a family matter and ought to be produced and distributed in cooperative arrangements within the framework of the market economy.

bump

[wayoverontheright]

Today, the continuation and preservation of the American welfare-warfare state is simply excused and promoted by new and neo-conservatives alike with reference to other foreign enemies and dangers: China, Islamic fundamentalism, Saddam Hussein, "rogue states," and the threat of "global terrorism."

What a windbag.

Anyone who can put "rogue states" and "global terrorism" in quotation marks to imply that they are constructs of the conservative imagination is completely denying reality.

It is so typical of anti-war types to simply ignore our right and obligation to have felt FEAR on that day, and proceed to defend ourselves.

[SalukiLawyer]

In contrast, much of the contemporary American Right "is less interested in Burkean immunities from government power than it is in putting a maximum of governmental power in the hands of those who can be trusted. It is control of power, not diminution of power, that ranks high."

Exactly.

Challenging, but interesting read.