Why Neo-Conservatives Are not Real Conservatives

self

[southern rock]

What does this "5" thing mean?

It means someone is trying to tell you you are a 5th columnist. Seriously. It is some people's idea of a sense of humor around here.

[inkling]

Ok, I'm risking a shelacking here, but hey, I'm among friends, I hope...

We got into trouble when we lost control of "liberal". As in, John Locke liberal.

No need for a shellacking; you're completely correct. It is not "liberal" to enforce speech codes on college campuses. Neither is it "conservative" to favor a top-down overhaul of the current federal tax code.

The problem with debates about ideological labels is that they always collapse into semantic arguments rather than substantive ones. And right-wingers like us are more concerned about substance; we leave semantic debates to the lefties!

[Howlin]

ROFLMAO!

[VaBthang4]

"loserdopian"

ROTFLOL

[Reagan Man]

Bill Buckley is no libertarian.

But he is a pot head!

[headsonpikes]

So we'll put you in the undecided column, I guess. ;^)

On a scale of 1-10, I guess this merits a '5'.

[Mr. Mojo]

Heros of the neo-cons include Harry Truman, FDR, Woodrow Wilson, Leon Trotsky, Nelson Rockefeller, Henry "Scoop" Jackson, and Sen. John McCain.

Boy are you deluded. Not one of these people are either "heros" or even remotely liked by neo-cons. A good source for neo-con political thought is Bill Buckley and his National Review. If you can show me one op-ed from this mag that praises any one of the people above, I'd be very surprised. McCain was excoriated by neo-cons during the 2000 GOP primaries. Trotsky was a freakin' communist, for cryin' out loud!

[Satadru]

3. Would you approve of a law that forced Congress to cite a specifically enumerated constitutional power before it can pass a law? Also, apply this to every law already on the books.

I am not sure if George W Bush, your candidate of choice in #2, can pass this step.

[Mr. Mojo]

Many neo-cons, including the godfather Irving Kristol, were Trotskyite radicals.

Even if you're right, the operative word is were. Ronald Reagan was once a Democrat, so what's your point?

[goldstategop]

Neoconservatism is the intellectual current I was influenced by and the great writings I read over the years persuaded me conservatism was a respectable and intellectual defensible philosophy for an aspiring intellectual to adopt. A decision I've never regretted. Today, we're conservatives period and these debates about who is and who isn't a "real" conservative just divide us and distract our attention from the enemy and the real danger: liberals. Before they were opposed to dealing with the Soviet Union as the "Evil Empire" and now they're opposed to dealing with Iraq as one of constituent members of the Axis of Evil. All conservatives, regardless of who they are, believe in two things: America is a force for good and America is on the right side of history. Tell me any liberal who believes in those two axioms - certainly not Algore this past Tuesday who seemed to spend more time apologizing for us than defending what I firmly believe is the greatest country on Earth.

[Still Thinking]

2. There is a hypothetical election with no Democratic or third party candidates. The person who wins the Republican nomination wins the election. The candidates for nomination are Ron Paul and George Bush. Who do you vote for?

Well, if those are the only two choices, I guess I'll have to live with Paul, although he is a little too far left for me. I've never heard him advocate public ritual mutilation for liberals, or the death penalty for the politically correct.

[meenie]

I disagree to the extent that the Kristol "were" should be in the present tense "are".

[Petronski]

Heros of the neo-cons include Harry Truman, FDR, Woodrow Wilson, Leon Trotsky, Nelson Rockefeller, Henry "Scoop" Jackson, and Sen. John McCain.

You're kidding, right?

[Mr. Mojo]

So you believe Kristol to be a communist?

[Reagan Man]

>>>Today, we're conservatives period and these debates about who is and who isn't a "real" conservative just divide us and distract our attention from the enemy and the real danger: liberals.

Well said!

But libertarians aren't conservative

[JimSEA]

I am sick and tired of litmus test politics. I come by my own opinions honestly, without desire to "fit in". If you don't like what I say -- you don't fell it is adequatly "conservative", give me the boot. Just don't expect me to accept the label smear tactic, that smacks too much of PC and the tactics of the left (ie: right wing conspiracy, racist, homophobe, etc.). If you are the type that refuses to listen to anything some one says because you disagree on one issue, we won't get along.