Comments on: A Very Short War http://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/2009/10/08/a-very-short-war/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-very-short-war n. the principle of good order<br /><br /> "Observe the strange inversion of all order and sense! Dignity debased; how vilely is the function of a consul prostituted!" ~The Craftsman Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:25:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Reason60 http://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/2009/10/08/a-very-short-war/comment-page-1/#comment-33937 Reason60 Sat, 10 Oct 2009 01:23:36 +0000 http://www.amconmag.com/larison/?p=10193#comment-33937 One bright spot is that the massive deficits will, I hope, compel anyone who wants to speak the words "Fiscal Conservatism" without giggling to accept that some sacred cows will need to be cut, in order to balance the budget. And since military spending occupies such a huge portion of discretionary spending, there is no way to talk about spending cuts without cutting the military. And cutting their budget will then force a reevaluation of military scope and goals. Maybe a backhanded way of getting to the point, but I would take it. One bright spot is that the massive deficits will, I hope, compel anyone who wants to speak the words “Fiscal Conservatism” without giggling to accept that some sacred cows will need to be cut, in order to balance the budget. And since military spending occupies such a huge portion of discretionary spending, there is no way to talk about spending cuts without cutting the military. And cutting their budget will then force a reevaluation of military scope and goals.
Maybe a backhanded way of getting to the point, but I would take it.

]]> By: nrmurra http://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/2009/10/08/a-very-short-war/comment-page-1/#comment-33934 nrmurra Fri, 09 Oct 2009 07:56:51 +0000 http://www.amconmag.com/larison/?p=10193#comment-33934 Red, Its not enough for us outsiders to recognize that the GOP message of perpetual aggression and nation-building is neither prudent nor popular with the public. What must occur is for a plurality of insiders - activists, pundits, elites - to come to that recognition, something most are emphatically not willing or able to do. That said, I think the anti-war position will be represented in the Republican primaries, although I worry about who is going to pick up the cause. It this situation, where there is no clear favorite for the nomination, the candidates are going to try to find ways to distinguish themselves from the herd. Some of these ways are going to be trivial and stupid. But some of them may be potentially interesting. The Ron Paul movement may have succeeded in raising our profile one tiny notch: Instead of being non-entities, we paleos might get some opportunistic pandering. Its a start, but a long way from a takeover. Red,
Its not enough for us outsiders to recognize that the GOP message of perpetual aggression and nation-building is neither prudent nor popular with the public. What must occur is for a plurality of insiders – activists, pundits, elites – to come to that recognition, something most are emphatically not willing or able to do.

That said, I think the anti-war position will be represented in the Republican primaries, although I worry about who is going to pick up the cause. It this situation, where there is no clear favorite for the nomination, the candidates are going to try to find ways to distinguish themselves from the herd. Some of these ways are going to be trivial and stupid. But some of them may be potentially interesting. The Ron Paul movement may have succeeded in raising our profile one tiny notch: Instead of being non-entities, we paleos might get some opportunistic pandering. Its a start, but a long way from a takeover.

]]> By: Reason60 http://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/2009/10/08/a-very-short-war/comment-page-1/#comment-33932 Reason60 Fri, 09 Oct 2009 01:31:51 +0000 http://www.amconmag.com/larison/?p=10193#comment-33932 I would welcome, if not a war, at least a discussion about the cost and wisdom of our foreign policy interventions; And the notion that we have the brains is flattering, but probably pointless; for evidence, visit David Frum's New Majority site and see the dust-up between him and Mark Levin. Specifically note the tenor and tone of Levin's followers in the comments section. Somewhere, Wm. F. Buckly is weeping I would welcome, if not a war, at least a discussion about the cost and wisdom of our foreign policy interventions;
And the notion that we have the brains is flattering, but probably pointless; for evidence, visit David Frum’s New Majority site and see the dust-up between him and Mark Levin. Specifically note the tenor and tone of Levin’s followers in the comments section.

Somewhere, Wm. F. Buckly is weeping

]]> By: RedPhillips http://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/2009/10/08/a-very-short-war/comment-page-1/#comment-33930 RedPhillips Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:45:29 +0000 http://www.amconmag.com/larison/?p=10193#comment-33930 Daniel, I'm not so sure it would be such a short war. While we do not have the personnel at this point, as you point out, we have the brains. Reflexively bellicose "conservative" style interventionism is so obviously brain dead and counterproductive that over time this will have to dawn on people and they will begin to flake away. This is already happening. Look at the number of non-interventionists who show up in conservative venues these days compared to five years ago. The non-interventionists usually make rational and coherent arguments while all the interventionists can do is get shriller and shriller. While there remains a broad interventionist consensus, the loudest mouths are bitter enders who can sense that their grip is slipping away. Hence they up the rhetoric. This can only last so long. It is not making converts. It is only keeping the already converted in line. Daniel, I’m not so sure it would be such a short war. While we do not have the personnel at this point, as you point out, we have the brains. Reflexively bellicose “conservative” style interventionism is so obviously brain dead and counterproductive that over time this will have to dawn on people and they will begin to flake away. This is already happening. Look at the number of non-interventionists who show up in conservative venues these days compared to five years ago. The non-interventionists usually make rational and coherent arguments while all the interventionists can do is get shriller and shriller. While there remains a broad interventionist consensus, the loudest mouths are bitter enders who can sense that their grip is slipping away. Hence they up the rhetoric. This can only last so long. It is not making converts. It is only keeping the already converted in line.

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