How have conservatives done in the WWII abandonment of Eastern Europe, leaving the Korean War unfinished, abandoning the Mnung and South Vietnamese, the Cubans, El Salvadorians ( at the height of Reagan power ), the first Gulf War leaving Saddam telling the Kurds to rise up and leaving them to Saddam, even the post Soviet Management of Afghanistan.
Where have the Conservative prevailed in their interventions? It seems that conservatives have a pretty bad batting average. Not so bad getting to bat, just the batting.
Pre WWII conservatives were very isolationist all the way back to Washington.
So, I guess it is conservatives who have abandoned a some what non entangling heritage and since WW II have gone on a half hearted, not well executed schemes of Wilsonian wars. You know, for democracy, and like Wilson, left most of those wars un won and messy.
I’ll give President Bush so far credit in Iraq and Afghanistan, but we may well see them devolve.
I don’t wish to debate the merits of an isolationist mentality or what fruits or lack thereof were born of past policys. Personally I strongly reject isolationism. I’m convinced to enough degree standing in the way of baddies even if half successful has strong merits.
What I point out is that libertarians are going up hill and up stream on that matter with the electorate. That isn’t going to change. Just political reality. I don’t see anywhere for them to gain traction frankly.
The Roosevelt and Truman administrations who conducted WWII were not conservative. As to Korea, Truman shares most of the blame for the unfinished war, as he halted our advance northward in 1951, when we had the Commies on the run.
JFK, who abandoned the Cubans, was not a conservative, and neither was the Democratic congress that cut off funding for South Vietnam and Laos. The Salvadorean government backed by President Reagan, defeated the Communist rebels. However, you may be right about George Bush's mishandling of the Kurdish uprising in Iraq.