Comments on: The Republican Dichotomy

By: Republicanism Versus Conservatism, Minnesota Style | FITSNews

Republicanism Versus Conservatism, Minnesota Style | FITSNews — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 21:06:47 +0000

[...] they’re heralded to be. Indeed, that they are held up as visionaries underscores just how far off course the Republican Party has [...]

By: Clyburn Gets Off The Fence | FITSNews For Now

Clyburn Gets Off The Fence | FITSNews For Now — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 15:06:59 +0000

[...] In fact, in any other year the Democratic divisiveness would be a tremendous opportunity for Republicans, but from the looks of it the Grand Old Party is poorly-positioned to sow those seeds, seeing as it, too, is rife with division. [...]

By: piepton

piepton — Thu, 29 May 2008 13:44:23 +0000

“If Watergate had not happened then” - Watergate happened because Nixon was a paranoid bastard would do anything to win so he could try to lock up everybody who was part of the “counter-culture”, i.e. people who didn’t want to live like it was the 50’s anymore. Yes, if he wasn’t like that he would have been a pretty good president but that’s like saying if dubya wasn’t a moron his presidency would have gone over better.

By: Make it Nixon ex Watergate

Make it Nixon ex Watergate — Thu, 29 May 2008 00:28:50 +0000

Reagan was a nut. Psychics in the Whitehouse and the Hollywood crowd. Give me the old school Nixonites anytime over Reagan.

If Watergate had not happened then, he would be one of the best POTUS ever.

By: That'dBeGreat

That'dBeGreat — Wed, 28 May 2008 20:47:30 +0000

I see you are editing me again. Stop it.

By: That'dBeGreat

That'dBeGreat — Wed, 28 May 2008 20:46:35 +0000

P.S. Sic, you should write a piece on that Blogland rumor about Jake Knotts, “the sheriff of the county,” and a solicitor being 1/3 owners of a strip club. Maybe it’s Southern Gentleman in Hayseedville. We don’t know. We have been put on a “Need to Know” basis. And we don’t like it worth a snit.

By: Cal

Cal — Wed, 28 May 2008 19:24:40 +0000

I think Mike Munger, North Carolina’s Libertarian candidate for guv, might just be the next Ronald Reagan. If he could pull a Jesse Ventura-styled upset in the Tarheel State, social libertarians and fiscal conservatives might find themselves a new hero.

AND he’s hilarious…

http://mungowitzend.blogspot.com/2008/05/bill-o-day-control-beaver.html

(from his blog)

By: smart kid Grant

smart kid Grant — Wed, 28 May 2008 19:02:17 +0000

well, lets see… umm… yeah… where is the libertarian philosophy anymore? There has to be some social issues that everyone can agree on right? right? oh well, I guess that at least it isn’t total anarchy…

PS: Sic Willie, you should write a piece on what you talked about with us today over the club issue.

By: Jeff Snildon

Jeff Snildon — Wed, 28 May 2008 18:44:09 +0000

“Social libertarian” = social liberal

Any true, consistent libertarian supports gay marriage, abortion, cloning, prostitution, drugs, etc. To oppose any if these things would make them an inconsistent libertarian, and some of them do try this approach of having it both ways.

True libertarianism is noting to be proud of, as you refuse to defend the rights of the unborn to life and liberty. But rather than dealing with this reality, you attack Santorum as a socialist. How shameful! You do not represent Reagan, so don’t put up his picture above a weak attack on the strongest defender of the unborn that the Senate has seen in a long time. It is a shame that you misrepresented Santorums comments.

I hope this is not the continuing trend on this blog.

By: CL

CL — Wed, 28 May 2008 14:33:27 +0000

There is alot of misunderstanding of terms here, because labels are applied and adopted haphazardly and even incorrectly over time. Conservatism and libertarianism are not necessarily in conflict. Conservatism as a political philosophy (as opposed to a group of self identified conservatives in the U.S., like Reagan) refers to a preference for tradition and gradual change that does not disturb the established order (i.e. not throwing the baby out with the bathwater). Conservatism’s opposite is radicalism or anarchism.
You can be a conservative libertarian or an anarchist libertarian.

Libertarianism is a philosophy focusing on individual liberty and limited government. Its opposite philosophy is communism, but before you get there you pass progressivism (modern liberalism), fascism, and various other socialistic forms of government.

The American Right is generally conservative and libertarian (or, to confuse matters further, classically liberal). You can drift from this position in different directions. You can be more radical in how you want to transform government. You can drift away from libertarianism to progressivism as you come to believe in more and more government regulation and limitation of private enterprise.

Drift in both directions (radical change and more governmental intervention) far enough away from the Right and you will reach the other extreme - Barack Obama.