I agree with all the general principles you list. The devil's in the details, though:
<I prefer civilization to barbarism.> Agreed. But I define "civilization" as: A culture where all relations between all individuals and groups, are based on (mutual, informed) consent, not force. Since you consistently support force, as the solution to problems, you have a very different definition of "civilization" than I do.
<I like moderate regimes> The policies you've championed, have provoked a nationalist war of liberation by Iraqis, against our army of occupation, led by fanatic Shiite clerics. You have no viable plan, which results in a moderate regime (= one that doesn't hate America) in Iraq, once our troops leave. Or do you see our troops there forever?
<I like the decentralization of authority among many actors, individual and corporate> You consistently champion a vastly expanded American military presence all over the planet. You deny the sovereignty of all nation-states other than your own. You see nothing wrong with a vast increase in Federal government spending, and government powers to spy on citizens, and power to detain citizens indefinitely without charge or trial. You support a concentration of all government power in the hands of the Executive branch. To sum up, you support all power being concentrated in the hands of the American President. I am the small government conservative, supporting Jefferson's plan for the Republic, in this debate.
<I like unfanatic religion> You're awfully loud, in your criticism of fanatic militant Islam. And awfully quiet, in your criticism of fanatic militant Jews and Christians. You consistently apply a double standard.
<I like people to be mostly left to tend to their own business, without elaborate regulation or oversight.> Then why are you so gung-ho about the NeoCon's Big Government social-engineering utopian plan to totally remake Iraq's society and government? (And that was just the first step planned, in transforming the entire Muslim world, from Morocco to Indonesia.) This Big Idea by Big Government, requiring a Big Budget (in dollars and blood) is exactly what true conservatives should oppose. There is a dis-connect here, between ideology and action.
<I also think that civilization has to be prepared to fight hard...> Agreed, again. But I think the most effective weapons are not bombs and bullets. Civilization is spread by people who say:
I am prepared to die, but there is no cause for which I am prepared to kill. Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) |
