The Difference Between Conservatism and The Right

In response to the last post by the Caretaker, I think we need to carefully distinguish between conservatisim and the political Right, because they are not the same thing. There is much that I agree with in conservative thinking, but there is little I agree with the Right about.

One can hardly call Bush a true conservative; in many ways, he is a radical, as is much of the Right. His invasion of Iraq, along with his rhetoric defending it, was a truly radical act, planned as it was primarily by the Jacobin neo-cons. His ignorance of basic economic principles, leading to the housing bubble, trade and federal deficits, and the present crisis, is certainly not conservative in any way. His defying of the scientific consensus on global warming is not conservative, but radically fundamentalist.

Obama, on the other hand, exhibits many conservative characteristics, as many have pointed out (including George Will): prudence, caution, balanced, intelligent, historically grounded, etc. Both his foreign policy positions and economic positions are very centrist, pragmatic, and establishment, which in many ways defines conservatism (at least Burkean). Actually, I think it can be argued that 20th American liberalism has a profoundly conservative side to it.

Libertarianism is the true odd-man out here. I think they have some important things to say to us, (as does paleo-conservatism, which tends to be more economically protectionist and internationally non-interventionist). Murry Rothbard is the father figure here for many, as well as Hayek and Von Mises. Lew Rockwell.Com is interesting along these lines, particularly in their anti-war views and anti-statist views in general. Hence the popularity of Ron Paul, who is the reigning political leader of Libertarianism.