Political Question

P1234567890 · Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2006 6:47 pm Post subject: Political Question

I am very curious about something. I suspect that many of the Christians here were Bush voters in '04... I am curious to know how well-informed everyone here is about the Neoconservative movement...

Here are some questions; can you answer them without looking them up? (No cheating!)

1. What is Neoconservatism? Who was Leo Strauss? What is the philosophy behind Neoconservatism?

2. Are you aware whether or not there are any STRONG connections between the Neoconservative movement and the White House?

3. If so, are there any Neoconservatives in Bush's cabinet or in the upper levels of government? Can you name them?
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Yehushuan · Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 12:11 pm Post subject:

Sorry, (voted for Kerry).
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P1234567890 · Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 3:58 pm Post subject:

RevJP · Moderator Joined: 18 Apr 2003 Posts: 7003 Location: USA

P1234567890 · Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 5:57 pm Post subject:

RevJP · Moderator Joined: 18 Apr 2003 Posts: 7003 Location: USA

Actually no, I'm not. For a couple of reasons:

1) Discussing american politics with a Canadian is akin to blasphemy Wink

2) I don't really know what you mean by 'neoconservatism' and you won't allow me to look it up.

3) I'm not sure if Leo Strauss is related to Levi Strauss and if this was trick question really pertaining to denim

4) 'neoconservatism' is not a term I have had much exposure to so I find it difficult to conceptualize it as some sort of 'movement'.
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P1234567890 · Posted: Fri Sep 01, 2006 7:45 pm Post subject:

RevJP · Moderator Joined: 18 Apr 2003 Posts: 7003 Location: USA

In light of your offered explanations I would have to answer in the negative to questions 3 and 4.

Simply in light of the fact that in ensuing years since the 'recognition' of a neoconservative 'movement' the political concept has incorporated itself very neatly into both conservative and liberal political philosophies. Giving rise to a more moderate approach to both sides.

Neoconservatism truly does not exist as a philosophy of its own any more. We can look at both sides and in particular the elements labeled 'moderate' on both sides and see the incorporation of the neoconservative philosophies.

Certainly one could make the case that there are 'conservatives' and neoconservatives, and there are liberals and neoliberals, ranging from far right through the moderate middles to the far left. This new political paradigm is now more of a continuous spectrum than a delineating scale.
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P1234567890 · Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2006 3:04 pm Post subject:

RevJP · Moderator Joined: 18 Apr 2003 Posts: 7003 Location: USA

The neoconservatives must be a secret society then.

You write as if this is a well documented infection of card-carrying 'neoconservatives', when in reality what it sounds like is a pet theory of some political hack, most likely a far-left political hack.

I'm sorry, but just judging from your definitions provided of neoconservativism, your assertions in your last post do not hold much water.

If one were to look at what defines neoconservativism, one would find that my take on it seems to be closer to the truth:

ne‧o‧con‧serv‧a‧tism /ˌnioʊkənˈsɜrvəˌtɪzəm/
–noun
moderate political conservatism espoused or advocated by former liberals or socialists.

ne·o·con·ser·va·tism also ne·o-con·ser·va·tism (n-kn-sûrv-tzm)
An intellectual and political movement in favor of political, economic, and social conservatism that arose in opposition to the perceived liberalism of the 1960s: “The neo-conservatism of the 1980s is a replay of the New Conservatism of the 1950s, which was itself a replay of the New Era philosophy of the 1920s” (Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.).

Neoconservatism is a political current and ideology, mainly in the United States, which is generally held to have emerged in the 1960s, coalesced in the 1970s, and has had a significant presence in the administrations of Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush. It is today most closely identified with a set of foreign policy positions and goals: a hawkish stance during the Cold War and, more recently, in various conflicts in the Middle East. At times there have been distinct neoconservative positions in domestic policies; in particular, the first generation of neoconservatives were generally less opposed to "big government" and to social spending than other U.S. conservatives of the time, though they also called for significant restructuring of the goals and methods of many social programs.

The prefix neo- refers to two ways in which neoconservatism was new: many of the movement's founders, originally liberals, Democrats or from socialist backgrounds, were new to conservatism; neoconservatism was also a comparatively recent strain of conservative thought, which derived from a variety of intellectual roots in the decades following World War II. While some (such as Irving Kristol) have described themselves as "neoconservatives", the term is used today more by opponents and critics of this political current than by its adherents, some of whom reject even the claim that neoconservatism is an identifiable current of American political thought.

Within American conservatism, the foreign policy of neoconservatism is particularly contrasted to isolationism, especially as found in paleoconservatism. While some neoconservatives share the Christian right critique of a purely secular society, this is not as central to their politics, nor are their policy prescriptions the same.

Neoconservatism is associated with periodicals such as Commentary and The Weekly Standard and some of the foreign policy initiatives of think tanks such as the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and the Project for the New American Century (PNAC). Neoconservative journalists, pundits, policy analysts, and politicians, often dubbed "neocons" by supporters and critics alike, have been credited with (or blamed for) their influence on U.S. foreign policy, especially under the administrations of Ronald Reagan (1981-1989) and George W. Bush (2001-present).

Overview of Neoconservative views

Historically, neoconservatives supported a militant anticommunism, tolerated more social welfare spending than was sometimes acceptable to libertarians and mainstream conservatives, supported civil equality for blacks and other minorities, and sympathized with a non-traditional foreign policy agenda that was less deferential to traditional conceptions of diplomacy and international law and less inclined to compromise principles even if that meant unilateral action. Indeed, domestic policy does not define neoconservatism — it is a movement founded on, and perpetuated by an aggressive approach to foreign policy, free trade, opposition to communism during the Cold War, support for Israel and Taiwan and opposition to Middle Eastern and other states that are perceived to support terrorism.

Broadly sympathetic to Woodrow Wilson's idealistic goals to spread American ideals of government, economics, and culture abroad, they grew to reject his reliance on international organizations and treaties to accomplish these objectives.

Compared to other U.S. conservatives, neoconservatives may be characterized by an idealist stance on foreign policy, a lesser social conservatism, and a much weaker dedication to a policy of minimal government, and, in the past, a greater acceptance of the welfare state, though none of these qualities are necessarily requisite.[/quote]
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P1234567890 · Posted: Sun Sep 03, 2006 5:44 am Post subject:

Pondering · King of the Jungle Joined: 15 Sep 2005 Posts: 1506

P#s,
so what's your point?
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RevJP · Moderator Joined: 18 Apr 2003 Posts: 7003 Location: USA

P123...

Let us look at your offerings:

P1234567890 · Posted: Sun Sep 03, 2006 8:29 am Post subject:

P1234567890 · Posted: Sun Sep 03, 2006 8:35 am Post subject: