Posted on 06/10/2006 6:20:18 AM PDT by FerdieMurphy
Conservative Republicans held such hopes when Pres. Bush was heralded into office and the Republicans gained control of the Congress. That was then, this is now.
According to recent polls, conservative republicans are perplexed by the non-conservative actions of this president and the Republican-controlled Congress.
As I probed this latest confusion I found that I, and millions of other citizens, are f-o-s-s-i-l-s. According to Wikipedia Encyclopedia online, we are "Paleo" or "Old" conservatives. We are living fossils, 'about-to-become-extinct' hangers-on of the Grand Old Party which no longer appears to represent traditional conservatism.
The Republican Party in its essentials has been taken over by a mutation. Wikipedia describes this line of thought as "Neo" or "New Wave" conservatism. It's tenets are not really new, just enjoined by present-day politicians and citizens as the direction our nation should pursue. But it is contrary to many basic "Paleocon" principles.
"Paleocons" believe in the principles of limited government, limited spending and borrowing, limited intervention into citizens' lives, and states' rights. They also believe in restraint of foreign entanglement, a strong national defense and traditional family values
"Neocons" believe in an agressive foreign policy, empiric intervention in other nations to spread democracy, and global economic-trade policies. Weak on domestic policies, they lack emphasis on national issues. Their vision includes motivating our nation towards what I believe Pres. Bush's father referred to as the "New World Order." Include growth of government and overspending too.
Sound familiar? Now we know why the media refers to Pres. Bush and his administration as "Neocons." Many congressional Republicans belong in this catagory too.
The Republican-controlled Congress has acted and evolved in accordance with the mutant Neocon concept of overspending and overgrowing government, ignoring the burgeoning National and Public Debt approaching $40-60 trillion, most of it owned by foreign investors.
Recent crises and scandals such as social security, medicare, tax reform, earmarks, budget deficits, illegal aliens and gasoline prices gain the media spotlight for a few days or weeks. Then they seem to fade away, crammed together on the "we'll deal with you later"shelf. Always later.
My wake-up call came the morning I woke up to Howard Dean saying, "The first thing we want is tough border control, we have to do a much better job on our borders than George Bush has done." Though I knew this was blatant political rhetoric, it was shocking because I completely agreed with him.
Pres. Bush and the Congress have ignored domestic security of our homeland, borders and ports — until it was raised by the people! But if I agree with a liberal democrat, that does not a democrat make.
It is clear that the Grand Old Party has evolved and mutated which leaves a large conservative group, the Paleocons, scratching their heads and wondering what happened? I, for one, feel isolated from the GOP. The Party has entombed the Paleocons on the sidelines, bleached fossils, puzzled eyes peering at the GOP's total embrace of Neo-conservatism.
There is excited talk about Congress gearing up and acting on a few issues before the upcoming elections so they won't lose voters. I've got news for them. They have already lost citizens like this old fossil, who have reflected on the last five years of non-conservative actions.
Where's the limits on spending, limits on growth in government, adherence to the U.S. Constitution? Where's the traditional values and seeking the good of the nation as a whole instead of the corruptive influence of special interests? Yes, there are a few "Paleocons" in Congress but they are not listened to nor even heard amongst the clamor of "Neocons" and "Liberals" calling each other names.
I am a living fossil as are million of citizens, which brings me to the point. Where's the party that speaks to my conscience? I am past that retort: "Oh no! you must vote Republican or the Democrats will win!" Oh Please! I say — so what? Has it made any difference?
The Grand Old Party appears to have accepted this "Neocon" mutation, to move towards a world economy policy, open borders and the "New World Order." Why would I, this old fossil of white-bleached bones, vote for any republican candidate? No longer does the Republican Party speak to or for my "conscience."
As for this Paleocon, I am searching for a party that matches my "conscience." This is the one freedom citizens still have in this country — a citizen's privilege and responsibility to vote his or her "conscience." This old fossil takes this duty seriously.
9/11 proved how well open borders work.
Is the criteria only the method?
It's not nation building if it doesn't involve the armed forces? What if it only involves the CIA, and only American funding and only involves hidden American military advisers.
Grenada was a military invasion and we changed the Government. So is the criteria now the size of the invaded Nation?
Reagan was Nation building all over the place, and for the most part we are better for it.
Personally, I've never found the "neo" or "paleo" descriptives to be even close to reality.
I think there are "conservatives", "faux conservatives" (those who have learned to speak the language but whose only real agenda is garnering power for themselves no matter what policy road they have to follow), and "liberal Republicans" (those who don't even bother to hide it).
I could probably make a pretty strong case that the fake conservatives do the most damage to the republic.
Oh well, it's a wheat and tares situation. It's always been that way, and likely will be to the end.
I used to rail against Reagan and for the likes of Carter, Mondale, etc.
I am so glad I've changed. And I know I'm not alone.
There will never be a perfect President, but the conservative electable party is the Republican party, and I'll work to CHANGE it, to make it more conservative, but I won't abandon it.
Reagan didn't abandon it, and he took years--many years--from 1964 until 1980, to get it to be a true conservative party that the nation would support.
He didn't give up, and we shouldn't either.
Not in the sense paleos object to and candidate Bush campaigned against.
It's electable ... but is it still conservative?
So to understand, Paleos do not object to Nation building.
Paleos object to the use of the armed forces.
To them the question doesn't turn on whether doing something is in the vital interest of the US but on whether it takes the military to accomplish what must be done.
A pathetic laughable philosophy.
Real nice piece of work.
You violate the rule of NO WHINING!!! Look it up..
Between the two electable parties, yes.
I'm finally back...
Your #111 is wonderful, too! That Karl Rove is an expletive deleted. We have been had.
They didn't come in here via "open borders", so that is is an amazingly ridiculous thing to say and furthermore has absolutely nothing to do with my point.
I see you were there too. I also recall being devastated when the attempted assassination occurred and so grateful that he recovered. However,I think that it made Reagan much more cautious and not as able to carry out his agenda as he and his constituency would have liked. Additionally,it afforded others an opportunity to surround him with men who were not as committed to putting some of his more conservative ideas into practice.
"Paleocons" believe in the principles of limited government, limited spending and borrowing, limited intervention into citizens' lives, and states' rights. They also believe in restraint of foreign entanglement, a strong national defense and traditional family values
Yep, I believe I am. :-)
Don't let the door hit your butts on the way out. You all have been nothing but a drag on the Conservative movement all along. You all will not be missed. The only difference between you and the Hard Leftist is what you want the Govt to do FOR you. Sorry but we Conservatives got better things to do then waste our time listening to you all bitch endlessly
You know, Johnnie, you repeat yourself every time you post, and you cannot yell at conservative Republicans enough...yell yell yell.
Has it ever occured to you that you are yelling at fellow posters who who have been REPUBLICANS for 50+ YEARS? This screaming and name-calling is very juvenile.
If you are a Republican, you certainly don't make us proud. Have you ever tried to read your stuff?
I usually scroll past you, but some words and phrases leap off the page...
It's a waste of band width.
"There will never be a perfect President, but the conservative electable party is the Republican party, and I'll work to CHANGE it, to make it more conservative, but I won't abandon it."
Wise words! That is the only way to make positive change in the right direction.
Letting RATS get back into power would be a change, but it sure as hell wouldn't be a change for the better.
They need to add that in the Paelocon definition.
I broke my streak of ignoring MNJ a little while ago. For all the good it will do.
I love your description of him! Poo-flinging monkey indeed!!!
"neo" = "not" -- as in "neoevangelical."
Very true. Pat's supporters couldn't live with being responsible for a Gore victory.
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