Is Bush a Conservative

[Andrew Fletcher]

Depending on their mood, my conservative friends love to bestow and/or revoke the conservative label upon George W. Bush. Now we learn that the Bush Administration authorized apparently illigeal programs to spy on the American people.

Is Bush still a conservative this morning? It is conservative to spy on Americans and completely ignore the bill of rights?

[BCPVP]

Bush is conservative, but not a conservative.

[Andrew Fletcher]

Can you please point me to any elected officals who are real conservatives?

If you can't, can you point me to any think tank/policy organization that is conservative?

Actually, can you point me to a working definition of conservatism that you guys all agree on?

[tylerdurden]

What difference does it make? Does it matter if a guy is named "Jack" or "John" when he's steping on your face with his jackboot?

[Andrew Fletcher]

NH, sir.

[BCPVP]

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Can you please point me to any elected officals who are real conservatives?

[/ QUOTE ]
My own representative, Mark Green, is pretty conservative.

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If you can't, can you point me to any think tank/policy organization that is conservative?

[/ QUOTE ]
AEI, Heritage Foundation, Tax Foundation, EPPC, ACU, Federalist Society...there are many. Is this a serious question?

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Actually, can you point me to a working definition of conservatism that you guys all agree on?

[/ QUOTE ]
This is impossible. Can you point me to a working definition of liberalism that all of "you" (those who call themselves liberals) agree on? Good luck.

[Andrew Fletcher]

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Can you point me to a working definition of liberalism that all of "you" (those who call themselves liberals) agree on? Good luck.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes.

Liberalism is a public philosophy that demands citizens think of themselves as members of a national community committed to greatness. Instead of understanding liberalism as a series of policy plans generated by policy wonks or activists, I think liberalism is a humanist project committed to pushing people to think beyond the interests of the self. Liberalism demands that citizens think of public purposes and improve the quality of collectively shared resources. (paraphrased from When America Was Great: The Fighting Faith of Postwar Liberalism.)

[ QUOTE ]
Liberalism is a public philosophy that demands citizens think of themselves as members of a national community committed to greatness.

[/ QUOTE ]

I thought that was Marxism

[BCPVP]

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[ QUOTE ]
Can you point me to a working definition of liberalism that all of "you" (those who call themselves liberals) agree on? Good luck.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes.

Liberalism is a public philosophy that demands citizens think of themselves as members of a national community committed to greatness. Instead of understanding liberalism as a series of policy plans generated by policy wonks or activists, I think liberalism is a humanist project committed to pushing people to think beyond the interests of the self. Liberalism demands that citizens think of public purposes and improve the quality of collectively shared resources. (paraphrased from When America Was Great: The Fighting Faith of Postwar Liberalism.)

[/ QUOTE ]
All liberals will agree exactly with your definition? I highly doubt it.

[XxGodJrxX]

[ QUOTE ]

Liberalism is a public philosophy that demands citizens think of themselves as members of a national community committed to greatness. Instead of understanding liberalism as a series of policy plans generated by policy wonks or activists, I think liberalism is a humanist project committed to pushing people to think beyond the interests of the self. Liberalism demands that citizens think of public purposes and improve the quality of collectively shared resources. (paraphrased from When America Was Great: The Fighting Faith of Postwar Liberalism.)

[/ QUOTE ]

I HIGHLY disagree with this definition of liberalism, on every level imaginable. The closest thing that comes to this definition is Communism, fascism, and possibly some theocracies, and only in theory since no person can reasonably be expected to care about the collective more than themselves (at least in my opinion).

I thought we went through this on the "What is a Liberal" thread Waxie. The focus of liberalism is less government so as to increase personal liberties. Everybody is self-interested, and that includes Al Franken, Bill O'Reily, and everybody in between.

This quote is absurd, and obviously written in such a way to provoke a positive response to "Liberalism".

By the ways, I am a liberal; although I try to be as objective as I can on these kinds of matters.