Unpatriotic Conservatives

National Review Online ^ | 4/7/03 (advance) | David Frum

[Chancellor Palpatine]

"I respect and admire the French, who have been a far greater nation than we shall ever be, that is, if greatness means anything loftier than money and bombs."
— THOMAS FLEMING, "HARD RIGHT," MARCH 13, 2003

rom the very beginning of the War on Terror, there has been dissent, and as the war has proceeded to Iraq, the dissent has grown more radical and more vociferous. Perhaps that was to be expected. But here is what never could have been: Some of the leading figures in this antiwar movement call themselves "conservatives."

These conservatives are relatively few in number, but their ambitions are large. They aspire to reinvent conservative ideology: to junk the 50-year-old conservative commitment to defend American interests and values throughout the world — the commitment that inspired the founding of this magazine — in favor of a fearful policy of ignoring threats and appeasing enemies.

And they are exerting influence. When Richard Perle appeared on Meet the Press on February 23 of this year, Tim Russert asked him, "Can you assure American viewers . . . that we're in this situation against Saddam Hussein and his removal for American security interests? And what would be the link in terms of Israel?" Perle rebutted the allegation. But what a grand victory for the antiwar conservatives that Russert felt he had to air it.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

Glad somebody finally said it.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

Paleo shredding here!

[MJY1288]

PJB is the most negative destructive person out there

[Chancellor Palpatine]

Over here, boys.

[Protagoras]

Just curious. Why did you ping me to this thread?

[Chancellor Palpatine]

Because you often make the same case as these folks.

[curmudgeonII]

PJB is the most negative destructive person out there

Pat has been attempting to make himself appear relavent for a good many years. As shown in the last presidential election, it hasn't worked.

[Catspaw]

Having quickly decided that the War on Terror was a Jewish war, the paleos equally swiftly concluded that they wanted no part of it.

Precisely the issue, along with the whiff of anti-semitism from the paleos.

[Constitution Day]

Bump. This should get interesting.

[Sangamon Kid]

Because you often make the same case as these folks>

Hey, I'm against Empire building. Does that make me an "America-Hater"?

[Chancellor Palpatine]

yup - when it comes down to it, the only real difference between a self described paleocon and a Nazi is that the Nazi is proud of his symbols and the heritage he represents.

The paleocon knows better, and is too embarrassed to state his beliefs openly.

[Protagoras]

Because you often make the same case as these folks.?

Please cite those times. As usual you are confused.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

When a permanent American military governor is appointed for Iraq, I'll concede that the US is engaged in empire building.

I expect that you'll be waiting a long time for that concession.

[Steve_Seattle]

Buchanan, Joe Sobran, and others of their ilk are motivated by several factors:

1. As old-line, traditionalist Catholics, they share the Islamic sense that the West is decadent and no longer deserves Divine protection.

2. They are anti-Israel and possibly anti-semitic, and oppose any mid-East policy which they see as even indirectly beneficial to Israel.

3. They are isolationist and share the Founding Fathers' distrust of standing armies and complex international treaties, agreements, and commitments.

4. They are staunch believers in the 9th and 10th Amendments, and feel that mainstream Republicanism has abandoned any pretense of defending the traditional concept of Federalism.

All of these factors, plus a pro-Europe bias, tend to make them oppose Bush both personally and ideologically.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

I am not going to run off on one of your little "show me where I said that" errands - I don't know why you enjoy it, I think its a little sick.

[american spirit]

Why is it that when someone like PJB dares to question all this alleged conventional wisdom and refuses to fall in line with other useful media idiots that it somehow translates into negative and destructive?

[Sangamon Kid]

When a permanent American military governor is appointed for Iraq, I'll concede that the US is engaged in empire building.

You are so naieve. Don't you know the plan? Our military will park it's collective ass in the Middle East and won't move for a long, long time.

[IowaHawk]

Ah, feel the love; the insane Left meets the insane Right in a big Jew-baiting, America-hating conspiracy kook group hug. Pat Buchanan, Noam Chomsky, Joe Sobran, John Pilger, Thomas Fleming, Robert Fisk; Get a room, you guys.

Kudos to NR and David Frum for pointing out the obvious; Buchanan and his ilk are no longer distinguishable from either David Duke or ANSWER.

[cactusSharp]

ditto that BIG TIME
to me Pat is in it for the money now