To: Neocon who wrote (2949 ) 6/8/1999 2:01:00 PM From: Tom Clarke Read Replies (1) | Respond to
Yes, the paleoconservatives are impotent politically, but as an intellectual force they retain their vigor. Where that leaves us (yes, I am a paleoconsimp) it is hard to say in the present climate. I get this niggling feeling the tide of history is against us, moving inexorably leftward. As far as dyspepsia goes, there is certainly much on the paleocon side ( I think it is inherent), but when it comes to dealing with paleocons the neocons seem to have a share of dyspepsia also. In David Frum's book Dead Right, doesn't he describe Thomas Fleming as a "disgruntled beatnik" who "wound up" in Rockford, Illinois? C'mon David! Fleming's articles alone are worth the price of Chronicles magazine. Some of Fleming's thinking gets a little baroque, maybe Mr. Frum has a hard time following along. Also, William Buckley's eulogy of Murray Rothbard in National Review was uncalled for. He might as well have spit on his grave. Rothbard was an eccentric, but a brilliant thinker who contributed to libertarian thought. A few kind words after his death would have been nice. There seems to be the attitude in neocon circles that anyone to the right of them must be discredited. Why is that?
