Rational Nation USA

by: Les Carpenter Rational Nation USA Birthplace of Independent Conservatism Traveling the rut filled highway known as Progressive Blogistan one comes across the occasional progressive that displays at least a rational outlook on issues. They seem to closely mirror the "classical liberals" of an era apparently long forgotten. Sadly they are too few and far between. Like the Neo Con Right, the most rabid of Progressive Blogistan {and in the congress} seem only capable of viewing issues from a limited and mostly flawed ideological viewpoint. It's a shame really because there are a lot of good idea's floating around that get lost in the vitriol coming from the most vocal among the extremes. Watching the country vacillate between the Democrats and the Republicans, presumably to effect some sort of balancing act is fabulously interesting. And as we perpetually move from one election cycle to the next watching early polling data provides valuable insights for those...

It's hard to build a nation when the people you are building it for are shooting at you... Neocons:  Small government conservative at home, big government progressive overseas.  It's nuts... Steven Horwitz asks, "Can a Nation be Built?" Many people who are ordinarily skeptical about the benevolent power of the U.S. government at home have come to believe it can accomplish what they see as the noble task of nation-building in areas of the world that have been plunged into some degree of chaos by political upheaval and/or war.  ( Steven Horwitz - Can a Nation be Built?) He goes on to make an excellent libertarian case against nation building... Put in the language of F. A. Hayek, nations are spontaneous orders that emerge from the daily choices of people about the language they use and the other ways in which they participate in or withdraw from a variety of cultural forms.   Only the people themselves constitute a “nation” by their own individual...

Neocons are Progressive community organizers on a global scale. It’s time to pitch then overboard if we want to advance the conservative movement Operation New Dawn, its name suggesting a skin cream or dishwashing liquid, now begins. (What ever happened to the practice of using terms like Torch or Overlord or Dragon to describe military campaigns?) ( Andrew Bacevich - Obama Wants Us to Forget Iraq Lessons ) Professor Andrew Bacevich, who lost a son in the Iraq war, has consistently provided readers a clear-eyed view of American foreign policy. In his latest article, he shows how good intentions can reap unintended (and undesirable) outcomes. Every time we thought we had “solved” something in the Middle East, another problem cropped up. Taking out Mossadegh let the Shah of Iran back in, angering the Islamists, who then took power 20 years later. Taking out Saddam destroyed the firewall protecting the Middle East from the Iranians. Wouldn’t it have been better to le...

I have just completed reading (a day late) the article in The New York Times regarding the Texas Board of Education's approval to put a more conservative stamp on social studies (whatever happened to history) and economic text books. The new curriculum standards will put a more favorable light on capitalism,  pronouncing its superiority over other economic systems. At the same time the Founding Father's desires and commitment  to the establishment of a secular government will be questioned. In addition to this the Republican philosophy with respect to politics and government will be presented more positively. I suppose as an independent conservative it would seem only natural to be hopping up and down over these events. However, there are troubling aspects to what has taken place in Texas. As one who has always loved history I have a great disdain for  revisionist histo...