Now in Power, Conservatives Free to Differ

[Rose Siding]

snip>
The debate participants include some of the foremost intellectual figures in American conservatism, men and women whose ideas have helped fuel the GOP's rise to power. Now their focus is on where the conservative movement needs to go, whether it focuses on making government smaller and less intrusive or making it more active in fostering morality.

In written essays and in discussions, participants explored the continuing fissures within conservatism. They fell into two factions, one arguing that the state has an interest in managing the behavior and moral conduct of individuals, the other contending that individuals should be free to manage their own lives as long as they do not harm others.
...
Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, took issue with those who would seek to use the power of government to curb what many others on the panel saw as a debasement of personal behavior and of the content of movies, television and music.
...
A second vexing issue for conservatives -- Bush's activist and interventionist foreign policy -- was raised in the written essays but not in the public discussion. Scott McConnell, executive editor of the American Conservative, attacked Bush's "wildly ambitious foreign policy vision . . . which holds that America can only be secure in a democratic world and so we must challenge much of the world, even threaten to invade it. Conservative foundations ought to be at the forefront of challenging these ideas and fighting against them."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A38440-2005Feb19.html

[high density]

1. Smaller and less intrusive government is obviously not high on the agenda

I don't think "conservatives" are in power. Republicans are in power, but they're certainly not conservatives anymore (on anything besides hand-picked social issues, at least.)

[Erika]

2. Nah, They back imperialism

and they will kill anyone who thinks otherwise for National Security purposes,

[TahitiNut]

3. "the state has an interest in managing ... behavior and moral conduct"

"Who will watch the watchmen?"

If the plurality advocacy of such a postition doesn't strike chills into a person's gut, I don't want to have anything to do with that person.

[ashmanonar]

11. hmmm...

Qvis cvstodiet iposos cvstodes - Who will guard those selfsame guardians? Don't assign a fox to guard the henhouse

that should be the motto of the democratic party.

[sjgman9]

4. havent read the article yet, but.....

Fight Conservatives, Fight!!!!
Its an unwieldly coalition they have. It'll fall apart

[ausiedownunderground]

5. Are there seriously some people in the Rethuglican party who are normal?

Who is this Scott McConnel guy? Has he got even a "whiff" of something in Rethuglican ranks?? He actually has the "guts" to take on the "Bush Gang"!!! Thats fuckin gutsy!!! Now its only in Foreign policy, which exites me but may not exicte DU'ers as much. But attacking the "Bush Gang's" wildly ambitious foreign policy vision is absolutely enormous - by any conservatives standard. He's actually right - No "Pun" intended. I don't live in "Bush's" America but is there a potential to "SPLIT" the Conservatives - Take note H.Dean on the "Bush Gang" and its direction for the US? Not all right-wingers might like it?

[Starbucks Anarchist]

6. These idiots never stop

>> Linda Chavez, president of the Center for Equal Opportunity, argued that "one of the things that most concerns people is the sexualization of culture," and that "in the culture wars, they are burning down our houses." She cited a recent experience of stopping at a traffic light as the car next to her played "an incredibly vile rap song. I couldn't avoid hearing simulated sexual intercourse." <<

Hey, Linda, maybe you could try rolling your windows up. Or better yet, shutting your damn mouth.

[ashmanonar]

12. they'll never shut their mouths now.

they have their man-date...well, at least bush does...:evilgrin:

and welcome to du! :hi:

[0rganism]

7. Yes indeed, where are the "small gov't conservatives" now?

Hell, if we must have a federal government run by corporate thugs, PNAC fascists, and religious lunatics, I'd far rather it be small and unobtrusive. Until the republicans are safely out of power, I'm on Norquist's side for this much: cut off the tax flow and starve the beast before it devours the biosphere and shits it out the backside in ruins.

A year ago it was different. I still had some hope that the 2004 election would bring us a divided congress and perhaps the presidency, to slow the bleeding and perhaps even begin a healing process. Now I see this is not to be, and instead we're going to have an endless cycle of oil wars and other "faith based" giveaways to bush's wealthy buddies as our rights are eroded by Grand Inquisitor Gonzales' goonsquads. Fuck them all. The less money in the treasury for those crooks to loot, the better.

We're going to be a long time rebuilding infrastructure anyway, might as well let it crumble to dust before the GOP can use it to further damage the world. Starting from scratch might just be easier than trying to unravel all the insidious corruption bushco is putting in place. In the meantime, we can focus on shifting our tax revenues to state and local governments and responsible charities. Never thought I'd see the day, but dubya's managed to change me from a socialist into something resembling a libertarian. "Economic freedom" from crazy warmongering freaks? Heck yeah, I'm all for it, sign me up.

[chicagojoe]

8. The Christo-Fascist wing of the Right

doesn't believe in liberty. They want the government to legislate "morality". For some unknown reason, they think they run the country now, and they believe that they speak for the majority of Americans.

[ausiedownunderground]

9. But to "Rest of the World" They Do! - Sorry!

[chicagojoe]

10. Don't buy their hype, ausie.

The Radical Right is overly emboldened by the current position they're in. The Christian Right, which was the deciding factor in Bush's election victory this time around, think that they are going to get a big payoff out of Bush. This group includes people who may have NEVER voted in past presidential elections. They typically don't trust politicians.
I don't know how things go down by you guys, but many Americans are very apathetic when it comes to voting. Let me cite an example.
According to census figures, there are approximately 220,388,400 ELIGIBLE voters in America. This means those who are of age to vote.
Approximately 115,000,000 people voted. Quite a difference. Now, John Kerry, the loser in this past election, recieved MORE VOTES than ANY WINNER in any previous election. George Bush, without the typically non-voting Christian Right, would have had his ass handed to him by half-way through election day. The Christian Right voters are going to see that they are not going to get that payoff they expect, and they are going to see that they were used like chumps.
All we can hope for is that things don't get too much worse before we get this idiot Bush out of office. If Bush ever comes down to your country, do the world a favor and throw him to the sharks.
G'Day!