Tag Archives: conservatism

The 1819 Project: Restoring America, by John Wilder

Posted on June 23, 2021 | Leave a comment

Conservatism is me-too liberalism, with about a five-year lag. From John Wilder at wilderwealthywise.com:

“Restoration may be possible, in two days. By the book, Admiral.” – Star Trek II:  The Wrath of Khan

We can finally predict the platform that George Bush’s kids will run on.

The United States is in a bad place.  Monetarily.  Philosophically.  Morally.  It even has bad manners.

Ultimately, the systems that led us to this situation won’t lead us out.   Voting won’t save us.  The Supreme Court won’t save us.  Conservatism?

Conservatism© certainly won’t save us.  It certainly didn’t save itself, and it becomes increasingly quaint as Conservatism 2021® quietly ignores nearly every position of Conservatism 1965™, if not right out taking the exact opposite position from even a decade ago.

Conservatism® has led us to where we are today.  It’s just last year’s Leftist platform, but dressed up in a suit with a useful idiot explaining the Conservative Case for Sex Change Surgery for Toddlers.  Oh, and this should be done even if the parents disagree.  For the good of the child, you know, which they will all nod and agree, is a Conservative™ value.

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Posted in Collapse, Government, Politics

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The Disappearance of the American Conservative, by Bill Bonner

Posted on March 5, 2019 | Leave a comment

What use to be conservatism is no more, replaced by conservatism that’s adopted  the same premises and tenets regarding government of its supposed enemies. From Bill Bonner at bonnerandpartners.com:

GUALFIN, ARGENTINA – As the quality of government declines – from Jefferson and Adams… to Dubya and The Donald – the observer needs a broader sense of humor.

Where he used to titter over a bon mot… or smile wryly at a double entendre, now he can only give a hoarse laugh, like a half-wit watching The Three Stooges.

For now, there’s not even a single entendre. It’s just mud wrestling and pie throwing.

Big Jamboree

Conservatives held their big jamboree last weekend. We sent our own eyes and ears.

“There was hardly a conservative in sight,” he reported. “There were no Ron Pauls here. No Eisenhowers. No Howard Buffetts. Certainly no Thomas Jeffersons.”

The essence of traditional conservatism is humility, doubt, and cynicism about what government can achieve.

Activists, on the other hand, think they can use the feds’ muscle like a ball-peen hammer, to knock the country into whatever shape they want.

But conservatives doubt that civil society is so malleable. In nearly every proposal, they see ugly dents, not a smooth and elegant new shape.

“Balance the budget… and mind your own business,” said the old-timers.

But there was no mention of either at the CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) shindig.

The importance of this observation from our financial standpoint is that the country needs conservatives. It used to count on them to keep the books in balance.

Conservatives were wet blankets, reliably voting “no” to expensive schemes and deficit spending.

“There was some talk about smaller government,” said our informant.

“But nobody wanted to touch the reality of it – challenging The Swamp by cutting back government spending. And while people seemed to be in favor of bringing the troops home, nobody really wanted to confront the military arm of the Deep State. I heard no proposals that the Deep State wouldn’t like.”

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Posted in Business, Debt, Economy, Foreign Policy, Government, Law, Politics

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A Response to Daniel McCarthy’s “Why Libertarians are Wrong”, by Jeff Deist

Posted on February 28, 2019 | 4 comments

Libertarianism is a political philosophy that deals with the proper use of force in a society, by government and everyone else. It can’t be criticized for not dealing with issues outside that essential but not all encompassing question. From Jeff Deist at mises.org:

Daniel McCarthy, editor of Modern Age and editor at large for The American Conservative, recently published an essay on the Spectator USA site titled “Why Libertarians are Wrong.” It merits a response because Mr. McCarthy is friendly and sympathetic toward libertarianism, and despite the infirmities of his article ought to be seen as a fellow traveler.

The title misleads us a bit from the beginning, because McCarthy is sound on the single most important libertarian political issue: war and peace. He objected to George W. Bush’s foray into Iraq, he attacks the permanent-war complex and its funding, and he consistently advocates a reasonably non-interventionist US foreign policy far closer to Ron Paul than John Bolton. He also has read Mises and Hayek, and unlike many intellectual conservatives (a dwindling group) McCarthy is not mired in Burke or Buckley or Reagan. He even blogged for the 2008 Paul presidential campaign and has spoken at the Mises Institute on foreign policy. So unlike a Bill Kristol or Sean Hannity, his conservative critique comes without ignorance or malice.

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Posted in Capitalism, Civil Liberties, Government, History, Philosophy, Politics

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