Comments Posted By funny man
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OBAMA'S SPEECH A CALL FOR A VICTIMHOOD COALITION
Rick,
you probably are going to hate me for this article from 'The American Conservative' which makes some good points. However, it sums up some good points and you have to admit that the speech politically speaking was brilliant. I used to live in Detroit and I certainly remember plenty of black folks jumping on Coleman Young's Soultrain who, in effect, really hurt black people. His speech was a welcome departure and his reaching out to the white working class clever.
Anyway here is the piece:March 24, 2008 Issue
Copyright © 2007 The American ConservativeThe Right Choice?
The conservative case for Barack Obama
by Andrew J. Bacevich
Barack Obama is no conservative. Yet if he wins the Democratic nomination, come November principled conservatives may well find themselves voting for the senator from Illinois. Given the alternatives—and the state of the conservative movement—they could do worse.
Granted, when it comes to defining exactly what authentic conservatism entails, considerable disagreement exists even (or especially) among conservatives themselves. My own definition emphasizes the following:
* a commitment to individual liberty, tempered by the conviction that genuine freedom entails more than simply an absence of restraint;
* a belief in limited government, fiscal responsibility, and the rule of law;
* veneration for our cultural inheritance combined with a sense of stewardship for Creation;
* a reluctance to discard or tamper with traditional social arrangements;
* respect for the market as the generator of wealth combined with a wariness of the market’s corrosive impact on humane values;
* a deep suspicion of utopian promises, rooted in an appreciation of the sinfulness of man and the recalcitrance of history.
Accept that definition and it quickly becomes apparent that the Republican Party does not represent conservative principles. The conservative ascendancy that began with the election of Ronald Reagan has been largely an illusion. During the period since 1980, certain faux conservatives—especially those in the service of Big Business and Big Empire—have prospered. But conservatism as such has not.
The presidency of George W. Bush illustrates the point. In 2001, President Bush took command of a massive, inefficient federal bureaucracy. Since then, he has substantially increased the size of that apparatus, which during his tenure has displayed breathtaking ineptitude both at home and abroad. Over the course of Bush’s two terms in office, federal spending has increased 50 percent to $3 trillion per year. Disregarding any obligation to balance the budget, Bush has allowed the national debt to balloon from $5.7 to $9.4 trillion. Worse, under the guise of keeping Americans “safe,†he has arrogated to the executive branch unprecedented powers, thereby subverting the Constitution. Whatever else may be said about this record of achievement, it does not accord with conservative principles.
Please use only a snippet of the article and supply a link. Reproducing the article in full is against copywrite law.
ed.
Comment Posted By funny man On 18.03.2008 @ 18:07
ENOUGH WITH ALL OF THIS "OBAMA IS A MOOSLIM" CRAP
I for one like reading "The American Conservative" (Pat Buchanan's journal) because it has insightful conservative articles. That is where we have to get back to and I also applaud Rick for his insights. Some people think all you need to do to be a conservative is to hate liberals, hippies, muslims and mexicans. I certainly do not qualify but rather believe in conservative IDEAS.
Comment Posted By funny man On 25.02.2008 @ 18:55
Don't embarrass the movement with such trifle nonsense as a candidate's middle name. If Reagan's middle name would have been Omar would you have called him the Antichrist?
