[CLUE-Talk] The prism of our experience

[Timothy C. Klein]

* Sean LeBlanc (seanleblanc at americanisp.net) wrote:
> On 07-10 19:47, Matt Gushee wrote:
> > On Thu, Jul 10, 2003 at 09:57:58PM +0000, Randy Arabie wrote:
> > > 
> > > I didn't read the commentary by the Christian Science
> > > Monitor.  But the quote you included in your email implied
> > > that starting wars without congressional declarations of war
> > > was a "conservative" and Republican issue.
> > > 
> > > It isn't, and to imply so is BS.
> > 
> > For once, I heartily agree with you (didn't expect that, didja?).
> > 
> > But the other side of the coin is that opposition to the Iraq war is not a
> > "liberal" or Democratic party issue, as some commentators have implied (though
> > you haven't, that I recall).
> > 
> > Some of the toughest critics of the Iraq enterprise are, in fact,
> > conservatives--at least, to the extent that word has meaning, and to the
> > extent that I understand it, they seem to me to be outstanding examples
> > of conservatism. Do the names James Jeffords and Ron Paul ring a bell?
> > And it probably won't surprise you to hear that I frequently visit
> > anti-war/anti-Iraq-war websites. Some of the best of them come from a
> > conservative viewpoint (e.g. antiwar.com, and particularly Justin
> > Raimondo's column: http://www.antiwar.com/justin/justincol.html).
> 
> I think, though I'm not 100%, that Pat Buchanan has long had a policy of
> avoiding foreign entanglements. I'm not sure how he stood on the latest
> Iraqi war, but I think a few of his comments on the McLaughlin Group tended
> towards "opposed".
> 
> Interesting you bring up the meaning of the term conservatism - I recently
> finished Noam Chomsky's _Understanding Power_, and he makes some sort of
> comment that he was "more conservative than the Reaganites". He was talking
> about much protectionism they brought on, etc..., but still it was odd that
> he'd say that. I'd say if there was merely a right-left scale on issues,
> that old Noamie would register on most issues pretty darned far to the left.
> I'd wish he went more into explaining that one...
> 
> Incidentally, the book wasn't too bad, though he does tend to lay just about
> every ill of the entire planet at the doorstep of Washington. I'd say I
> agree with maybe 5% at most of what he is saying, but there's no doubt he's
> doing a good job of keeping (at least some) folks vigilant.

I don't know much about Noam Chomsky's politics, but what he is saying
could easily make sense. Conservative != Right/Republican. Conservative
basically means to conserve or preserve the status quo. Take, for
example, or current President. He is a Republican, he is considered
Right, but he is *not* a conservative in most respects:

* He favors *changing* the school system to make our education system
better, and allow private vouchers.

* He favors *changing* the tax code to eliminate taxes he sees as wrong.

* He favors *changing* the size of the government. (I used to assume
he was the typical small government Repub., but the Dept. of Homeland
Security disabused me of that notion).

* He favors *changing* affirmitive action policy to eliminate race
consideration.

* He favors *changing* American war policy to one of preemption.

* He favors *changing* medicare to add a prescription drug benefit and
some form of privatization.

* He favors *changing* social security so that it is privatized.

All of these things are anti-conservative. Change is rarely (if ever?)
the conservative position. To be a true conservative, one has to
assume that the existing order is worth saving. That is actually quite
the opposite of most current Repub. / Right view-points today. The
Right feels the governement is wrongly constructed (or even out of
control), and wants is changed. Often changed drastically. This is not a
conservative opinion. It is a radical or revolutionary one.

I don't think it is all that hard to make the case that today, the
Republican party is, on most issues, the radical party, and that the
Dem. party is, on most issues, the conservative party. Terms like
Left and Right remain relatively static, but terms like radical and
conservative do not remain static as the position of our government
changes.

Tim
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== Timothy Klein || teece at silver_NO-UCE_klein.net   ==
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== "Hello, World" 17 Errors, 31 Warnings...         ==
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