Quote from Cutten:
Libertarians don't support imperialist foreign policies, or wartime abuses of civil liberties - they're pretty much the exact opposite of neocons.
First, are you now claiming to be a libertarian?
And second, do you spell that with a capital L?
I think you are incredibly confused, based on what you've written in past posts, in the event you are trying to claim the libertarian badge.
I also think you're confused about me, but I don't think it could be based on what I've written. I think I'm pretty clear and unambiguous in expressing my political philosophy. I'm most certainly conservative, which in it's purest American interpretation, is actually not far removed from libertarianism (the greatest difference being the degree of the use of allowable force by the state in imposing social order/law and order), despite great success the CURRENT GOP has had in convincing the general public that it is conservative (again, in the American tradition), which is most certainly not.
The modern GOP is not conservative. It has espoused theory and action that is contradictory to conservatism, especially in the areas of foreign policy and the size, scope and role of government.
As far as neoconism is concerned, it's not a 'real' philosophy, AFAIC. It's more akin to a barnacle of an outgrowth of a small group of individuals that believe they can hijack certain elements of conservatism, which in the American tradition, is not interventionist in terms of foreign policy, and morph it and twist in ways such that it becomes a tool to use American resources to benefit particular groups or nations,
at the expense of American interests.
Neoconism is really a kinder, gentler and newer word for fascism. And that's why the neocons (I'll call them that for now for lack of a better term) currently associated with and influencing the GOP have proven so injurious to true, American conservatism, the Republican Party itself, and the chances of increasing public support for politicians that truly do favor smaller government, more intelligent and less interventionist (and preemptive) foreign policy, and a the beautiful and poetic truism that government should fear its citizens, and not the converse.
The neoconism permeating the GOP for the last 8 years has set the cause of conservatism back for perhaps several decades. It will take that long for Republicans to disassociate themselves from neocon principles, assuming they are willing and able to, and begin to rebuild a reservoir of trust with the American electorate.
In the interim, there's now a greater chance that a tidal wave of welfare state liberalism will rise again in the U.S., than perhaps in 40 years.
If it does, it may just manage to outdo Bush II in deficit spending. But we can at least hope that no unnecessary wars or further trampling of the constitution will occur during that time.
That's the best that we true conservatives can hope for in the wake of Bush II. And that's a damn shame.