tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8591018003444406729.post2956406211705665570..comments2023-10-25T06:13:28.265-04:00Comments on The Conservative Wahoo: What is Conservatism?The Conservative Wahoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17818674434286683162noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8591018003444406729.post-53198364447991660612009-01-03T18:14:00.000-05:002009-01-03T18:14:00.000-05:00I forgot to question number 12 -- since when is co...I forgot to question number 12 -- since when is conservatism linked to preemption? Preemption is the trade mark of pseudorealist hawks. Not historical practices of the likes of conservative giants such as Eisenhower, Goldwater and Nitze. In fact the latter specifically rejected preventive war in NSC 68. JPHAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8591018003444406729.post-87109574807585397572009-01-03T17:57:00.000-05:002009-01-03T17:57:00.000-05:00Let’s talk about the long term effects of the grea...Let’s talk about the long term effects of the great communicator, who by the way i voted for. He vowed to put America's economic house in order. He said "You and I, as individuals, can, by borrowing, live beyond our means, but only for a limited period of time. Why then should we think collectively, as a nation, we're not bound by that same limitation?" Reagan reiterated an oft-made promise "to check and reverse the growth of government." And as Bacevich tells us "he would do none of these things. In each case, he did just the reverse. During the Carter years, the federal deficit averaged $54.5 billion annually. During the Reagan era, deficits skyrocketed, averaging $210.6 billion over the course of his two terms in office. Overall Fed spending nearly doubled from $590B to 1.14T. The Fed government did not shrink. It grew the bureaucracy swelling nearly 5% while Reagan occupied the WH." Additionally, Bacevich does a good job of mitigating the often cited conservative argument of the positive effects of the positive GDP growth during this period. We’ve mortgaged our future, now I hope we can pay for it… <BR/><BR/>I liked Reagan as a person, much like I admire GW Bush, however I contend that neither served the long term interests of this country well. I strongly believe that many historians are starting to identify Reagan as one of the primary culprits of our current woes. Although terribly sad about some aspects and conditions of our country i am strongly starting to believe our current economic condition, which i liken to a house of cards started with Reagan's explosion of federal deficits and thus his fiscal irresponsibility. <BR/><BR/>It is often said in democracies, people get the government they deserve – well I am hopeful that a sobering effect occurs and both sides of the political aisle start working together to make tough economic decisions. (in this respect both parties have failed miserably during the past 8 years) Perhaps it is time to honor candidate Reagan’s inference that government, like its citizens should live within its means. <BR/><BR/>I am grateful for the opportunities that I have been afforded and hopeful that our elected leadership can right the direction of this ship. JPMAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8591018003444406729.post-48299761560883322752009-01-03T14:31:00.000-05:002009-01-03T14:31:00.000-05:00I miss that finest President of my lifetime.I miss that finest President of my lifetime.Mudgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10106218895150473141noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8591018003444406729.post-27572774576631907842009-01-03T11:09:00.000-05:002009-01-03T11:09:00.000-05:00A couple of quotes from Ronald Reagan that also su...A couple of quotes from Ronald Reagan that also sum-up views of what Conservatism is, and what it is not:<BR/><BR/>"Here's my strategy on the Cold War: We win, they lose."<BR/><BR/>"The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help."<BR/><BR/>"The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it's just that they know so much that isn't so."<BR/><BR/>"Of the four wars in my lifetime, none came about because the U.S. was too strong."<BR/><BR/>"I have wondered at times about what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the U.S. Congress."<BR/><BR/>"The taxpayer: That's someone who works for the federal government but doesn't have to take the civil service examination."<BR/><BR/>"Government is like a baby: An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other."<BR/><BR/>"The nearest thing to eternal life we will ever see on this earth is a government program."<BR/><BR/>"It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first."<BR/><BR/>"Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it."<BR/><BR/>"Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed, there are many rewards; if you disgrace yourself, you can always write a book."<BR/><BR/>"No arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is as formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women."<BR/><BR/>"If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under."Danhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09265009372809112989noreply@blogger.com