Re: "I think one would have to have a strong libertarian point of view to take quite this position. The consensus position in the post- War generation has been against appeasement and for strategic resistance to potential adversaries. The break down, in fact, between liberal and conservative has been between satisfaction with "containment" and a call for more vigorous strategic competition...."
>>> What's 'Libertarian' about counting spending?
>>> Discressionary spending under Bush II has increased (so far) at twice the Clinton rate, and even more than the Carter rate.
>>> As to ways to 'break down' the differences between 'Liberal' and 'Conservative', there are many: 'social liberal - social conservative', 'fiscal liberal - fiscal conservative', 'classical liberal' (anti-authoritarian) - 'authoritarian conservative', antiestablishmentarian - establishmentarian, etc.... I think the one thing most people of any major political stripe would agree on is the need for an 'effective' (one that achieves it's goals efficiently) national defense policy... and, of course, the upholding of the democratic principles and individual rights and liberties that our nation was founded upon.
>>> Of course, there is ample muddle-headedness everywhere in the political spectrum.
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IMO, the Bush II administration most resembles a cross between the administrations of our last 'Texas President' LBJ (massive unfunded spending increases, both social and military, an 'open-ended' period of war, interventionist foreign policy) and of Nixon's ('Imperial' view of the Presidency, expansion of the federal role vs. that of the states, heightened concern for, and ascertment of, executive secrecy... continued expansion of the size of government). |
