Neoconservativism: A Paradox of Terms
Steve Buffington
Issue date: 11/16/07 Section: News and Opinion
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Neoconservatism is the ideology that dominates the conservative movement today. With President Bush and his administration subscribing to it, the Republican congressmen supporting it, and the political pundits defending it, neocons have become the poster boys for the right wing. An unfortunate development in political thought, particularly for those who identify with true conservatism, is because liberals love it and the rest of us will pay for it.
Let's break down the meaning of the term. Conservatives, in the strictest definition of the term, want to conserve. What does this mean exactly? American conservatism by its very nature seeks to conserve the values and ideology of the American Revolution, nothing more. It is a very simple ideology if one understands the nature of the founding of this great country.
Trying to explicate the principles of the American Revolution is difficult, but let's list a few, like personal autonomy, responsibility, self-reliance, individual rights, limited government and, most importantly, freedom. For this article's purposes, let's focus on limited government and freedom.
According to the Oxford dictionary, "Neo" means "new and different". Combining the terms in order to make "neoconservatism" would therefore lead one to conclude that the ideology promotes a "new" conservation of the principles of the revolution.
How have the neocons betrayed limited government? Under the Bush administration, discretionary spending has increased by 49 percent, and pork-barrel spending under the Republican Congress has increased from just under 1,500 projects to almost 15,000. By the end of President Bush's first term, every domestic federal agency experienced an increased budget. Since the Republicans took over Congress in 1994, this country has seen the biggest expansion in government spending and welfare programs since the 1960's. (Of particular note: federal education spending has increased by 100 percent under George W. Bush, a far cry from when the Republicans promised in 1994, to abolish the Department of Education.) According to neoconservative champion David Brooks, "Reducing the size of government cannot be the governing philosophy for the next generation of conservatives." Limited government indeed.
Let's break down the meaning of the term. Conservatives, in the strictest definition of the term, want to conserve. What does this mean exactly? American conservatism by its very nature seeks to conserve the values and ideology of the American Revolution, nothing more. It is a very simple ideology if one understands the nature of the founding of this great country.
Trying to explicate the principles of the American Revolution is difficult, but let's list a few, like personal autonomy, responsibility, self-reliance, individual rights, limited government and, most importantly, freedom. For this article's purposes, let's focus on limited government and freedom.
According to the Oxford dictionary, "Neo" means "new and different". Combining the terms in order to make "neoconservatism" would therefore lead one to conclude that the ideology promotes a "new" conservation of the principles of the revolution.
How have the neocons betrayed limited government? Under the Bush administration, discretionary spending has increased by 49 percent, and pork-barrel spending under the Republican Congress has increased from just under 1,500 projects to almost 15,000. By the end of President Bush's first term, every domestic federal agency experienced an increased budget. Since the Republicans took over Congress in 1994, this country has seen the biggest expansion in government spending and welfare programs since the 1960's. (Of particular note: federal education spending has increased by 100 percent under George W. Bush, a far cry from when the Republicans promised in 1994, to abolish the Department of Education.) According to neoconservative champion David Brooks, "Reducing the size of government cannot be the governing philosophy for the next generation of conservatives." Limited government indeed.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Andrew Davis
posted 11/19/07 @ 5:30 PM AST
Brilliance.
Islamofacist
posted 11/19/07 @ 10:17 PM AST
Your first point was that neoconservatism is a paradox of sorts in syntax. This is essentially true but what you brought up next about conservatism trying to preserve the ideals of the revolution is just wrong. (Continued…)
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