A neo-con on neoconservatism

	Duration: 140 seconds Upload Time: 06-09-22 11:56:15 User: Politicstv :::: Favorites
Description: British commentator Douglas Murray spoke at the Hudson Institute in August 2006 on "why neo-conservatism still matters" (his latest is book is similarly titled "Neo-Conservatism: Why We Need It") Here's the transcript of this video excerpt: Neo-conservatism is not a cabal or a party, but rather a sense, an instinct, a way of looking at the world. That way of looking at the world is in my definition a blend of idealism and realism. We look at the world as it is, but act in the world to make it as we would like it to be. This makes our instincts different than traditional conservatives, who often distrust social engineering projects or any form of alteration of a status quo they perpetually see as being an irreversible if often quietly enjoyable decline. And of course, it makes us different from modern day liberals who simply don't see the world as it is. I say that neo-cons look at the world through an idealist's eyes, but wear heavy and powerful glasses. We're moralists with good eye-sight. As such, I believe that neo-conservatism is the most valuable and indeed necessary political outlook of our time. I should point out here that I'm not terribly worried here about offending or alienating what you call liberals and I call socialists — people for whom in any case alienation-like self-flagellation seems to be a pleasure as well as a principle. But before offending conservatives any further, I would like to stress that I see old school conservatism not as wrong in itself, but largely, merely tactically wrong. As primarily an instinct and almost a non-philosophy, old-style conservatism today has, to my mind, two major flaws. The first is that conservatism relies on a noble sense of loyalty to the status quo, but the status quo, as we know in much of the West today, has changed, especially in western institutions and thanks to socialist interferes, they've largely changed very much for the worst. This being the case, the instinctive conservative is now often left trying to feel loyalty to a status quo that is not his status quo. That is, he's left trying to feel loyal to things which have not been loyal to him. I greatly sympathize with people caught in this dilemma. As an Anglican, I'm like many Anglicans today, left permanently caught between the desire to express loyalty to what one regards as a true faith, and at the same time, experiencing rage and bafflement at a church hierarchy which has thrown out the book of common prayer, the King James bible, and aspires, it often appears, to become like more than Greenpeace at prayer.
Comments
usernamealredytaken ::: Favorites Well, you can only slap down what's put in front of you. Worrying certain confused souls in the audience agreed with McCall's' bizarre views 07-07-11 14:41:07 _____________________________________________________
joachim1987 ::: Favorites Yeh the US and UK have really improved things in Iraq 100 dead every day, power cut,s food shortages no runing water. open your eyes they have ruined the Iraki peoples lives. I was refering to his previous non student question time apperence when he was bood. He even said he would ban voting if people voted for leftist/green partys thats democracy neocon style. 07-07-13 10:47:54 _____________________________________________________
Reactionary20 ::: Favorites He was joking, beside which that statement was made in reference to a question about lowering the voting age. Is wishing that everyone in the world experienced democracy as you know it such a bad thing? If we listen to the peace movement then we would all be speakin german. 07-07-16 09:43:02 _____________________________________________________
joachim1987 ::: Favorites It is just the typical might is right arrogance you realy think western democracy which is not very democratic at all is the only way so we have the right and the duty to force it on everybody ells in the world. 07-07-17 08:51:26 _____________________________________________________
Reactionary20 ::: Favorites I take it you would like to impose a system similar to that of the ussr? 07-07-18 05:47:37 _____________________________________________________
joachim1987 ::: Favorites If you mean a system of free education and healthcare with nationlization of industry then yes. 07-07-18 07:20:49 _____________________________________________________
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nocturnelover ::: Favorites there was no peace movement against the DEFENCE of GB against hitler, most people supported that war. GB did not invade Germany, whereas the situation today is very different indeed. also to your point about wanting everyone in the world to experience democracy, are you telling me that iraq is just the start? you want to invade all the countries in the world (most of the world then) that don't have democracy as we know it? how lovely! 07-07-18 07:49:06 _____________________________________________________
Reactionary20 ::: Favorites Free healthcare i support fully, it's immoral to profiteer off the sick. Free education, again i support it. Nationalisation, NO!!! It encourages business to be lazy. What incentive would business have to be efficient if government will be there to bail it out?. 07-07-18 08:10:06 _____________________________________________________
Winston2004 ::: Favorites Awesome! 07-07-29 09:20:21 _____________________________________________________
clguyy847 ::: Favorites Not bad. There are a ton of cute webcam girls at <B> _CAMAHOLIC.NET_ </B> 07-08-04 10:36:54 _____________________________________________________