What I wish more "Conservatives" believed

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This video* pretty much sums up the problems I have with modern conservatism (regarding foreign policy, specifically), and why I can no longer call myself one. This may be a surprise to some here, but I used to be a Bush-supporting conservative. This video reminded me of what I once found so appealing about it, but it also helps to explain my change of heart.

My posting this was inspired by both the Fred Thompson and Ron Paul threads, and the accusations of who is or isn't a "real" conservative introduced in both. Please watch the whole thing - it's only 5 minutes and goes fast.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzUB29dKu0k

Discuss.

edit - *This video is an essay from a very conservative radio personality, lest some dismiss it as part of the "liberal slime machine" and ignore it.

[ September 14, 2007, 20:52: Message edited by: Death Rabbit ]

 

The video mentions that we are living in a different time, however I believe it missed the boat on why the "new conservatives" support the war. The Democrats that are mentioned in the video as being Pro-War were correctly identified as wanting to "meddle" in international affairs, which Conservatives do not want to do.

The entire situation changed on 9/11. I know you have a disdain for Michelle Malkin, but one of the things she points out that many Conservatives take to heart is that their are two kinds of people. People who still live in a 9/10 world and people who live in a 9/12 world. Many conservatives (myself included) made the jump to 9/12. Conservatives (once again, myself included) would prefer to just mind our own business and let the World does at will. However, the one thing 9/11 taught is, is that we have an enemy that wants us and our culture either dead or assimilated.

I'm really not interested in figuring out who is to blame, as I'm sure we (The U.S.) are not blameless. That doesn't change the fact that we have a foe that must be vanquished. Once again American blood must be spilled to protect our way of life as well as the way of life of our allies (whether they appreciate it or not).

The people who want to turn tail and abandon Iraq are still living in a 9/10 world. If we were to do so, the killings would make Cambodia look like a vacation resort. How anyone thinks that the future after that would be peaceful escapes me.

Bill Whittle's essay called Tribes is almost required reading for the 9/12 conservatives.

Ignoring Neo-Con fantasies most (if not all) do not desire a world in which the U.S. plays the role of conqueror. However, we have always been willing to fight for our freedom and will continue to do so. Once our way of life is safe and secured, we have every intention of going back to our homes and doing what we always do.

One thing we have learned and history has repeatedly shown is that you can never appease a bully. Hopefully our European cousins will one day realize this. The news from Brussels is not encouraging.

 

A while back, Ragusa started a thread, where I first heard of Ron Paul. He sent me, via PM, some links to radio broadcasts where some people were interviewed, and sites 6 things that the terrorist groups objected to.

I can only remember 3 at this time.

1: The continues support of Israel. Does the US support it's ally or do they abandon them? How many people are really willing to consider isolationism?

2: The practice of having Oil trading in US dollars. It doesn't matter who buys the oil or where it comes from, as lone as US dollars are used to purchase the oil, there is a demand for US dollars, keeping the US economy strong (not sure how that works, but supposedly that is the case). If the US backed off, and say the Euro became trhe Standard, there would be less use internationally for US dollars, thus making the US economy worse...

3: Continued troop presense in Islamic countries (this also goes back to the fifties or earlier). It's obvious those troops are there for a reason. If they could have been withdrawn without consequences, they would have, wouldn't they?

Those three alone are thing that the US may not be able to change. It's likely a situation that they are in whether they want it or not...

 

I have always found it amusing when conservatives comment on what "liberals believe" or what is "to be a liberal" in the US. The fact is they haven't really a clue. By the same token, it would be ironic for me to explain to conservatives what it is to be a conservative, or what conservatives are supposed to believe. But I can comment on what they say they are and what they say they believe once they put it out there. But more importantly, I will comment on how they approach an issue, such as the over-hyped "War on Terror."

If the world changed after 9/11 then it means that Bin Laden is controlling our national policy; it means that he is directing the internal politics of America. How does a guy living in a cave in the mountains of Pakistan manage to control the greatest superpower of modern times? It must be some magic trick. I'm sure he feels quite smug, the evil little bastard that he is, sitting with his goats and what-not, in some shadowy dung-heap in the backwoods.

But ask yourself, can a handful of political idiots wipe out Western Civilzation? Can they REALLY kill millions of people in the West and snuff out what we believe? Why no, no they can't. Over 150,000 American soldeirs can barely control a country the size of Cali, so can they control one of the most expansive countries on the face of the planet? I think not.

And they are political, make no mistake about it. All this "for Allah and Islam" baloney is the same hype that the "religous" right in the US has been chanting for the last 25 years. It's all bull - it's mostly about a political agenda disguised as "religion." They leave out all the peace, goodness and kindness towards others and go straight to the "authoritarian code of conduct," just like flies on a turd.

These guys are much like the guys that over-threw Russia at the beginning of the last century and went on to murder the Czar and his family and then millions of their own people once they gained power. Or like that ruthless and murderous little bastard Pol Pot. Take a look at the Taliban: They were like a loaded gun turned on their own people. It's about power in its most raw state - right from the point of a gun. Look inside almost any cistern where basic human rights are disrespected and trampled on and you can find a toad like Saddam. What do you think made Iraq so speical?

Sorry, I'm getting a bit carried away. But the most rational thing to do, is to continue to live our lives fully in the sun. Here, let me use a direct quote from Thompson: "Embrace freedom in your own country." Nothing sticks in the craw of a would-be tyrant as much as seeing people doing as they please - and enjoying it. And for God's sake, don't turn the rest of the world against us - not when we need the help of others the most. It's really better to have friends, rather than enemies. Really. Now, if we could only get Fred to take his own advice....

 

Snook, about the Brussels bit: The demo was indeed aimed at islam as a whole, not just against islamism. It was organized by a far right party, the Vlaams Belang and believed to would have featured violent neo-nazis.

In the light of a far right coup plan last year in Belgium, banning this particular rally was understandable. The police just enforced this ban.

Besides, you should read some of the weblogs these people write (I only know about german blogs, though.) The stuff they post on the internet has nothing to do with rational islam critique (I'm all for that). They're just cherry-picking the bad stuff and conveying it to all muslims. For them, there only exist ex-muslims and radical muslims. Moderate muslims lie by default.

You got to be careful what allies you seek here in Europe. This islam-hysteria goes to far.

[ September 16, 2007, 16:03: Message edited by: Fabius Maximus ]

 

To elaborate on Gnarff's post: iirc I sent him the links because he remarked he couldn't get the books. His point #3 was from interviews with Robert A. Pape, that can be found here and here (by a Libertarian host, quite refreshing). Of course, his little book, 'Dying to win - The strategic logic of suicide terrorism' is in my view a must read, perhaps the most rewarding 264 pages you'll ever read on why people are blowing themselves up to kill Americans - solely based on empirics.

In that context, Michael Scheuer's aka Anonymous 'Through our enemies' eyes' is also very rewarding. Both books should of course be bought through the links here on SP

PS: Ah yes, to add some more context - these books are on Ron Paul's reading list, and of course, I read them before he made that cool

[ September 15, 2007, 19:23: Message edited by: Ragusa ]

 

I suppose it does matter if you think the world changed drastically at 9/11. I don't think it does. Through skill, tricks and dumb luck Al-Queda delivered a powerful blow, but the US was still the US, and Al-Queda was still Al-Queda. The attacks made an impression everywhere and remain the most visible and symbolic act of terrorism afaik, but to say that they mark the beginning of a new era is imo fallacious - or showing that one has a certain agenda regarding the issue.

It might have sounded absurd once, but it's hardly new now. I think Bin Laden would love to make people believe that 9/11 changed the world - from a world dominated by the US to a world where the "faithful" (I have suspicions regarding thе faith of those who would use religion for political power) would rise and dominate. Under his leadership, of course. Likewise, I'm sceptical towards anyone in Europe or the US who says that 9/11 changed everything; for some of them, focusing only on terrorism would mean that they will not be held responsible for their other failings. So we shouldn't care about corruption, or social problems, or oppression... because if we waver, they will come for us, from everywhere, using everything to take everything away from us. It's a tried and true trick - afaik they were really good at it in the USSR.