[MayDay72]

'[Conservatism] that accepts the need for economic growth and the existence of the welfare state, though not in its liberal incarnation.' -goldstategop

...Huh...By 'liberal' I assume you mean 'socialist' [and not the more classical/European definition: 'libertarian' or 'free-marketer']...Please enlighten me as to another 'incarnation' of the 'welfare state' that would be possible, not socialist, produce 'economic growth' and is supposedly compatible with your definition of 'conservatism'...

...Have you read Hayek's 'The Road to Serfdom'? Have you been following the recent govenmental/labor union events unfolding in the welfare state utopia of France? Have you been following the economic decline in the socialist paradise of Sweden?

...Empirical data and work by economists like Hayek and Mises are in agreement on this point...Welfare statism is not compatible with economic growth...And the fact that I have to say this to a 'conserative' at the FreeRepublic is very weird...

[goldstategop]

Any one who thinks the welfare state is going to disappear is dreaming. The aim of conservatives should be to use it to promote conservative ends. There are proposals from various think tanks to suggest the best means of making sure social policy promotes less dependence on government, favors marriage, strengthens the family, and provides a path for the poor and the elderly to have choices in how they get basic needs fulfilled. In other words, conservatives don't think a liberal welfare state which is top down with a one size fits all model works. We need a different approach in which there are other ways of developing the right social policy than through a centralized government bureaucracy. So yes, conservatives accept the welfare though not in the sense liberals look at it.