Today we have a wing of “conservatives” trying to redefine conservatism so as to remove this cornerstone of what it is all about.
Ron Paul is doing a heroic job of trying to fight this, but his naivete on the threat of Islamic Fascism is something that I can not overlook.
The author of “Jeffersonian” non-interventionism in foreign policy, Jefferson himself, came to realize that groups fueled by a totalitarian ideological/theological vision will not leave us alone if we simply mind our own business.
His experience with the so-called “Barbary Pirates”, who were Islamic fanatics engaged in Jihad, changed his view on this matter.
Buckley/Goldwater/Reagan conservatism included resistance to totalitarian movements as well as standing for limited government.
It still does.
Only liberals and sheep redefine terms.