Victor Davis Hanson: Angry Reader claims VDH abandoned Conservatism for liberal Republicanism...

victorhanson.com ^ | January 1, 2006 | Victor Davis Hanson

[xsmommy]

comments of those sort also substitute for a substantive response, in most instances. : )

[rdb3]

of course debate is healthy, and it flourishes on FR, sometimes to frenzied heights. your insular outlook on the innate superiority of born and bred conservatives does you no service. many fine conservatives have come from the bowels of the dark side and accomplished much for the cause

For a bit of perspective that agrees with your position:

"In the last resort, the conservative position rests on the belief that in any society there are recognizably superior persons whose inherited standards and values and position ought to be protected and who should have a greater influence on public affairs than others. The liberal, of course, does not deny that there are some superior people - he is not an egalitarian - but he denies that anyone has authority to decide who these superior people are." ---F.A. Hayek

Hayek was talking about classical liberals, not dyed in the wool Leftists.

Dittohead, Snow Flake, and Bushbot, so what of it?

[brothers4thID]

So you adhere to the archaic concept of corruption of blood? Because his parents were strong JFK Democrats means his vision is permanently tainted?

[Fierce Allegiance]

That ain't right and you know it.

[xsmommy]

great find.

[Fierce Allegiance]

Reading VDH in today's world is like drinking an icy cold beer on a blisteringly hot day.

Put's you to sleep in 20 minutes? < JK! >

[KC Burke]

I enjoy VDH and have bought three of his books in the last three months. However, he still descibes himself as a Democrat. I would not at all be surprised to find that he has more in common with what passes for a NeoCon world view, than what a PaeleoCon might be comfortable with if we look at some of their traditional adherents.

I'm pretty much on the PaeloCon side of the spectrum myself, except that Iraq clearly appeared to be a threat to harbor AlQeada once Afghanistan was closed to them, and that tipped the scales for me.

The letter makes little sense other that he is cautioning about statements that he has parsed out of the whole articles and it would be better to see them in context.

[Fierce Allegiance]

ask him.

[Tolik]

There is nothing wrong in changing one's views after learning the new facts. It even brings benefits sometimes because of additional questioning of the status quo:  the ideas accepted for granted need to be proved anew.

As many others, because of mine upbringing, I had to learn conservatism myself. Now, the biggest danger in teaching it to my kids is not to be dogmatic (that is much easier with kids of course), but proving and explaining whys and what's.

[Fierce Allegiance]

Let them earn their first paycheck. Democrats doings are the primary difference between gross pay and net pay.

[nuke rocketeer]

He would not have lived long enough to have done any of that, and if he had, his health problems would have precluded that sort of activity. JFK was a sick man, and the press knew it and were covering it up at the time, and still will not willingly talk about it.

[rdb3]

There is nothing wrong in changing one's views after learning the new facts. It even brings benefits sometimes because of additional questioning of the status quo: the ideas accepted for granted need to be proved anew.

You got that right. And once you ask "why", you never really stop. This type of intellectual autonomy was a major reason why I went to the Right.

As many others, because of mine upbringing, I had to learn conservatism myself. Now, the biggest danger in teaching it to my kids is not to be dogmatic (that is much easier with kids of course), but proving and explaining whys and what's.

If that's the case, I was always "conservative" as a result of my upbringing. Remember what Lt. Gov. Michael Steele said in the '04 GOP convention? Same thing applies to me. I'm Republican, or on the Right, because my parents really made me that way, much to their proud chagrin.

BTW, I still reject the "conservative" moniker with a vengeance.

Dittohead, Snow Flake, and Bushbot, so what of it?

[x]

Hanson is still a registered Democrat or was one until recently.

George Bush did not remove Saddam prior to 9/11 and was not part of the Project for the New American Century that sought preemption in the 1980s.

I don't know why he brings this up. It doesn't serve VD's case and makes him look dishonest. Cheyney was a member. So was Rumsfeld. So was "Scooter." And Jeb Bush. And Wolfowitz. If they advocated preemptive war before 911 surely that's significant and saying it isn't a crime.

Conspiracy theories of the "They planned it all along variety" are often simplistic caricatures, strawmen that it's easy to attack. But it does look like the administration was more predisposed in advance to wage preemptive wars than it appeared to people in 2000. The war may still be justified, but if some people feel like they were misled in 2000, they're not without some grounds for discontentment. This is something people will argue about for a long time, but VD's tactics and argumentativeness don't add much to the discussion.

[Tolik]

I have to agree with you. It did strike me as a weak argument. The second war with Saddam (or continuation of the first one) was preprogrammed the second we stopped back in 1991. It was only a matter of when. He could, of course, better pretend that he is playing nice, and with help of France and Russia remove the sanctions. But, scorpion is a scorpion. He could not pretend to be nice and loose authority in the Arab world. He miscalculated (again), and that was another of many reasons why he had to be removed.

The better argument from VDH in this aspect would be to admit that status quo could continue for many more years absent the 9/11, but 9/11 prompted us to re-evaluate situation, and dangers that previously were thought of as manageable became too unpredictable to ignore. As they said at the time, the danger of not acting is graver than danger of acting.

[jveritas]

One of the best political writers in the world! I really enjoy reading the impeccable logic, very coherent reasoning, and great historical facts that Mr. Hanson presents in his articles. He is the Rush Limbaugh of the print media or may be Rush Limbaugh is the Victor Davis Hanson of the Radio media :)

[Cyber Liberty]

This thread looks like swiss cheese. Did somebody get nuked?

[xsmommy]

a rather humorous remark was removed, just one, that i saw.

[xsmommy]

well goodness gracious sakes alive, i think stevejudd must have been a troll because i see now HIS remarks were the ones pulled.