I live on the east coast, in a very, Very, VERY liberal city. I am also of Hispanic heritage. As such, ever since I was about 12 years old, I referred to myself as a Democrat — not because I knew very much about what the Democratic party stood for, but simply because my teachers as well as my favorite channel in the world at the time, MTV, portrayed Republicans pejoratively, as evil, dispassionate, heartless, racist people. I knew I simply could not belong to “such” a group, and with much conviction, I concluded I was a Democrat. Even through my senior year of college, in 2000 (yes, I am still quite young) I rooted for Gore to win, in hopes that the “dumb white people” in the middle of the country would be unable to determine the rest of the nation’s fate.

I don’t recall when my transformation began to occur. It was actually a very slow process. Ever so slowly, I began adopting conservative ideas, mainly on social issues such as abortion, euthanasia, and homosexual marriage. After 9/11, although I didn’t identify myself as a Republican, I could certainly say I sympathized with many of Bush’s ideas. Later on, in grad school, my lovely, very conservative best friend (who is an African-American Evangelical) enlightened me more about conservatism. It was then that I completely made the switch, joined the “dark side,” and voted for Bush in 2004.

Recently, upon starting a new job, I, being naturally shy and reserved, kept my political views all to myself, for fear of the backlash. Eventually, as I warmed up to more people, I decided to share my views with two Midwesterners, who happened to be white liberals. I was barraged by their rebuffs — however, they could not call me a racist bigot, as I am a minority. Needless to say, these two very rarely speak to me anymore, and I have a feeling they look upon me as a sort of anomaly.

I thought I had really made a mistake in “coming out” and decided, for the future, to keep my political views to myself. More recently, however, I have started to share my views with other minorities, who happen to be uber-liberal, and although they, I must admit, find me quite strange, are much more respectful of my right-wing opinions.

I must admit, I thoroughly agree with neo-neocon’s assessment. It is important to “come out,” not simply for the sake of feeling brave but because it is important to shatter the left’s myths regarding what conservatives look like. I am a
young, twenty-something, Latin, conservative Republican woman, and I feel that it is important for the left to realize that there are people like me out there, even in the Northeast.

Isolationists always belong to the former.

You should go and study the history of why Empires fall. You might see that constant expansion comes to an eventual homeostasis state.

It comes from using too much of their power. Yet if isolationists had been given full reign, America would not be a world power, America would be fighting a Nazi Empire in Europe or a Stalin Empire in Europe. The principle of isolationism is that of a miser’s. People who hoard power and resources, until a point where it benefits nobody.

Wealth and power is meant to be used. There is no point to hoarding it, in the hope that in the future it may somehow gain compound interest.

Americans are a compassionate people, willing to do what is right, unlike you who want to do what is expedient.

There is a limit to expediency.

There is a reason why Democrats decry Imperialism and so do traditional people like you.

Because it is all of a piece, a fear of using power. I and the world has no use for a pompous nation that thinks itself a leader while never exercising their power for the weak and the downtrodden.

Real people owe real fealty to real sacrifices, committed by Americans in the past. They died to give us the power to do things in our present. And you dare to accuse neocons of wasting that treasure on the only real allies America will ever acquire.

Far better for a Mozart to rise and fall, having used and lived his talents, than to have a miser hoard his life and his treasures until his ancient body crumples through decay.

Those who live by the sword die by the sword, so that others can hide behind the shields of the town militia, never to be tested against better warriors and fighters.

You don’t have any belief in the power and justice of America. You will never sacrifice an iota of your hoarded strength and treasure, on the behalf of anyone else.

Those like you, will never have the strength to triumph.

Because you will never put it to the touch.

“‘He either fears his fate too much,
Or his desert is small,
Who fears to put it to the touch,
And win or lose it all.’

I don’t want to build an Empire, I just want us to recognize that we already are an Empire. Of 50 states, under a common banner, culture, and language. And that we need not be afraid of our power and our ability to right injustice in this world.

But isolatinists were never concerned about justice or liberty or strength of will. And they never will be.

I’m so glad that you expressed you opinion. Because you just answered what I’ve been thinking about all this time.

The man with the sword made a war cry and charged down the battlefield swinging it proudly to cut down his opponents and when the dust settled he was dead.
You see the imbecile wasn’t carrying a shield to protect him.

Those who follow the philosophy of the sword unfortunately also die by the sword. I Follow the philosophy of the shield which guarantees me one thing; the preservation of life.

Traditional Conservatives are too gutless? Traditional Conservatives are limited?
For over 100 years traditional conservatism has protected this country from outsider and preserved the many traditions you are enjoying today. I would look in the history books if I were you before making an ignorant Statement.

“They won’t reach for something greater and vaster and more stupendous than what they can grab on the run. Such limited horizon for glory and liberty is stagnation supreme to me.”

This sounds like empire building to me. Be brave and be proud and say what you really mean. There is a one major problem with empire building. All empires have fallen and will fall, no exceptions. And the bigger they are the harder they fall. And once the dust settles the only question you should ask a Neo-liberal is was it worth dragging the American people to the pits? Was it worth attempting to build a new Rome?

I say attempt because there are others as ambitions as you who follows the sword who also wants to build an empire. Don’t forget you are not the only one with a big sword. It is safe to say once you start to compete a lot of people will pay. I suppose in the eyes of a Neo-Liberal having a thousand year old empire can be an eternity. Unfortunately it is an unrealistic ideology which has no base or sense to last long. Which is why people like yourself don’t understnad the meaning of Tradition.

You seem to be interested in the greater and vaster and stupendous goals. I hope to see you cry out the battle charge at the front line. Empire building is hard work and we need few proud people such as your self.

This purging you speak of was also conducted by Joseph Stalin. He also felt that he needed to purify the people’s party. I truly pity what this country has become.

As far as you labeling traditional conservatives as racist and David Duke supporters; this isn’t a new idea. Traditionalists since 1994 have been named many things. Unlike your conventional liberal counterparts who get all mad, we simply shrug it off like a bad case of dandruffs. 🙂

I always wonder if you, Philosopher, is doing a philosophical devil’s advocate with your words or if you are serious.

If I adopted any philosophy personally, it is definitely not a neo-con one. Those tend to be liberals and revert to a more human basic format because of a need for the government to do its job and protect against outside threats. Coupled with a new vision of their environment. I can sympathize with those elements, but the path I chose was far different than most people prefer.

I follow the philosophy of the Sword, which can be encapsulated in the words “Peace through superior firepower”.

Historically, this goes back to Leonidas, King of Sparta, and Athens.

Traditional conservatives are isolationists, of course. Which is why I don’t like them. Too gutless, too concerned with their limited selves. They won’t reach for something greater and vaster and more stupendous than what they can grab on the run. Such limited horizons for glory and liberty is stagnation supreme to me.

As such, that kind of political philosophy won’t last very long. Republicans are already purging the isolationists, and soon they will all be gone, to form their own party with the White Supremacists as allies. Eventually the Supremacists, like David Duke, along with isolationists, and fake liberals will all have one big tent party. Then everyone will be happy.

There is potent clear evidence that Hussein was a truly evil man who indiscrimately had thousands upon thousands of innocent civilians — many women and children — killed in the most abominable fashion.

I truly think they don’t care at all. And why should they? Does the death of a million equal to them a jet liner, a million dollar movie deal, or star studded treatment? A million deaths to them is nothing but a statistic, they know nothing of depravity and soul crushing despair, other than drug withdrawals and the personal fear that they will become poor. A million deaths of strangers is nothing but a statistic to them. How do they handle this guilt you might wonder? Easily, by donating money to Democrats. That is how they handle the guilt.

The human mind and the human standard of morality is very flexible.

I am curious if any of the liberal commenters who castigate President Bush for his “lies” acually read or listened to his speeches before the Iraqi invasion. I did. I clearly recollect numerous instances where he, and others in the administration also cited to Hussein’s violation of numerous UN resolutions as a basis for the invasion.

I also recently read in a number of blogs that many Iraqi documents discovered after the invasion, that have recently been made available, disclose Hussein’s active support and training of terrorists in Iraq — approximately 2,000 per year for 4 years. Accordingly, the connection between Hussein and the terrorist threat to the US is now becoming more clear. While this may not have been evident 2-3 years ago to the general public, it is now based upon clear admissions in official Iraqi documents. As time progresses, other purported “lies” by the President and his administration may also find clear support in irrefutable evidence and documents. Time has a tendency to clarify matters that have been conveniently fudged by those who live to find evil motive behind every act by the President.

One thing that is absolutely clear to me, and I do not understand why those who are against the war in Iraq completely disregard this. There is potent clear evidence that Hussein was a truly evil man who indiscrimately had thousands upon thousands of innocent civilians — many women and children — killed in the most abominable fashion. He was a tyrant in every sense of the word, and publicly threatened neighboring countries with annihilation (besides the invasion of Kuwait). He committed atrocities against his own people that had not been seen since Hitler. If there ever was a tyrant who deserved to be removed, it was Hussein. How can this be an evil war, when 25 million people have been freed and his reign of terror has ended? That question simply has never been answered to my satisfaction by anyone (liberal or Pat Buchanan conservative). These factors, and the belief by both this administration and the Clinton administration — as evidenced by the numerous public comments of many high level members of the Clinton administraion regarding the almost universal belief in the threat posed by Hussein, lead me to conclude that this war was unquestionably justified.

As for the Matrix, there was nothing wrong with the Architect. An old man who wants stability and keep the balance of power as equilibrium. If you did pay attentions to the movies you may have noticed that humans did scorch the skies and destroyed the planet to cut off life support for the machines. Thus the Architect had to place man in bondage for sake of survival of machine and ultimately saved humanity in the process.

Ever Wonder what would happen if Neo did awaken every man on earth. It would be a chaos. Imagine to be awakening to world were the skies are black as the darkest abyss, and every other life has been wiped out other then man. And the only means of survival is liquidating the dead for consumptions. Yes and all this time so many want to find out what the “Matrix” is.

Liberals couldn’t stab anyone in the back if they wanted to.

Don’t they get it that the Jacksonians hold like 95% of the firepower, in steel and in bullets?

If liberals are going to be stabbing whomever in the back for revenge or whatever, they’ll have to do it with a pen.

My sword beats the pen any day of the quantum year in a stabbing contest.

It is just real funny how people posture about how words protect and create freedoms. Jefferson’s words didn’t create freedom for blacks. Guns, blood, and smoke did that. And it ain’t the liberals that have the guns or the bullets or the swords. They’re too busy outlawing them and selling them on ebay after they move to the big city.

One of the things liberals don’t get is that people who favor the sword, like me, may use the pen just as well if not better than naked force. But it isn’t our primary weapon at all. Not the weapon we rely upon when the going gets tough. The liberals are at a disadvantage precisely because they stick to one weapon only, the pen. THey ain’t got any proficiency with anything else, so the only thing that they can do is cry Havoc and Envy at others.

What they don’t know is that people use force the way liberals use words. Pragmatically, dishonestly, and unfairly. Just because they live in the good old US of A doesn’t mean that their methods and weapons will always be supreme. In cases of war time and national patriotism, the sword holds greater sway. As it should, and as it does.

Nobody with a sword is going into a fair fight with a gun. And no one with a gun is going into a fair fight with a guy wielding a pen.

That’s just how it plays out, rock, paper, scissors. And sometimes it just seems so unfair that liberals speak all the evil but can never shoot any to back it up. While Republicans and intellectually honest folk can shoot but can never speak any evil.

It’s a real con job to expect those with no bullets to protect people like Neo’s existence ANd like all cons, turn on the light and the roaches scurry for their hides.

People like Neo actually believes in the power of the Pen. And that’s fine with me. But I cannot help but contrast the different methods of dealing with insurgents. One uses reason and diplomacy, the other just uses a bigger hammer.

God, it is convenient not to place the foundation of liberty upon the First Ammendment. Because I see how it so constrains the actions of others that do. No guilt, no regret.

If the Architect really represented traditional conservatives, then I really do feel sorry, if not guilt, for the traditional conservatives. Boy, are they messed up.