Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: Agrarian

Those particular "neos" at the Weekly Standard are, for the most part, the children of the original neos. Bill Kristol is the son of Irving Kristol and Gertrude Himmelfarb, for example. One thing that most writers for the Weekly Standard have in common is their non-involvement in the YRs, CRs, YAF and other conservative movement organizations. They are quite bright and on top of public policy, though. They are the brains of today's GOP.


209 posted on 03/10/2005 12:55:40 AM PST by BlackElk (Dean of Discipline of the Tomas de Torquemada Gentlemen's Club)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 207 | View Replies ]


To: BlackElk
If you'll notice, the article I linked you to was written by the old grand poo-bah himself -- Irving Kristol, not by his obnoxious son or the other second generation neos. Now in your last post, you admit that neoconservatives named themselves, which is what you jumped on me for saying in the first place. Please decide.

Opposing most foreign military interventions is not the same as "peace at any price," and it is dishonest and disingenuous to say so. I served a decade and a half as an officer in the military, which is a whole lot more than any of the neo's you have listed -- combined. One of the things that I agree with the paleos on is that the neos are a whole lot better at sending people to war than they are at going to war themselves. I call that the mark of cowards, and whether you agree with me or not on that, I have earned the right to say it.

I am proud of my service, and I am proud of having served in RR's military when the Cold War was being won, even if I contest the idea that it was a foregone conclusion that we needed to be fighting it in the first place. The bottom line is that it needed to be ended, and Reagan ended it.

Prior to GHWB, no GOP president in the 20th century had gotten us into a war -- they all happened on Dem watches. Reluctance to spill American blood on foreign soil runs deeper in the traditional Republican mindset than you give it credit for, or at least it did prior to the Bushes. I think that Junior even had a bit of that streak at one point (remember "I want a more humble foreign policy?)

Part of what sealed my decision to exit the military was Somalia -- that effort proved that the new generation was going to go to war over virtually anything, even things that hadn't the remotest relationship to national security.

I voted and worked for W. We're lucky to have someone as good as him in this gawdawful age, and we won't see anyone as good as him in my lifetime. We still have hell to pay for all of this war stuff, but as you say, drum-beating is carrying the day in the GOP for any number of reasons. I'll mind my own business, work in my local community and in my garden, and recommend to my sons that they not join the military for as long as we're in the old European/French Foreign Legion mode -- not that I listened to my old man on that score!

210 posted on 03/10/2005 1:38:42 AM PST by Agrarian
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 209 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson