Conservatives You Like

He looks like Frankenberries even in that old pic.

1970s and 1980s: Financial crisis

Financial crisis hit the city in the mid-1970s, when it briefly appeared that the city might have to declare bankruptcy (see John Lindsay). The fiscal crisis resulted largely from the combination of generous welfare spending by the city government in the 1960s and the stock market and economic stagnation of the 1970s. President Gerald R. Ford earned the enmity of many New Yorkers when he refused to use federal money to "bail out" the city. The New York Daily News famously summarized Ford's decision in a headline: "Ford to City: Drop Dead".

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0465013996
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0393038912

William Hague strikes me as an able politician and a decent and honest fellow.

http://www.rferl.org/specials/50years/images/kissinger-large.jpg

http://www.leary.com/archives/photo/gems/GGordonLiddyLAdebate.gif

Can someone point me to this article?

John McCain is a raving lunatic. I know he speaks his mind and stuff, but it is the mind of a mentalist. Let's not forget this.

Most of the conservative ideals - keeping marijuana illegal, opposing a woman's right to choose, expanding the military (I'd add tax breaks to the rich, but I don't think a conservative would admit that) seem pretty fucking far from libertarianism to me.

In fact, the only republican who actually truely believe the stated conservative goal of "less government" is John McCain who gets shit for being too liberal.

And, unrelated, but why would you ever proudly assert the label "conservative" on yourself; it seems like such an insult -- it implies a fear of change and longing for the past that doesn't seem positive at all to me.

a : tending or disposed to maintain existing views, conditions, or institutions : TRADITIONAL b : marked by moderation or caution < a conservative estimate > c : marked by or relating to traditional norms of taste, elegance, style, or manners

The idea that you would be proud that you want to "maintain existing views, conditions, or institutions" or "traditional norms" especially considering that "norms" at one point included slavery and segregation, seems pretty irrational to me.

I admit to liking Tucker Carlson more than I should. I hate myself for finding Liddy amusing, and appreciating his being less nuts than many of these guys. I wouldn't say I like John McCain, but I (mostly, and comparatively) respect and appreciate him. I feel similarly about Lugar, and also Hagel, though (a lot?) less so. I don't agree with Dole on most things, but I would find him inoffensive if he were less of a sellout (and the war wound and he's funny). I didn't mind the Hatfield/Packwood types much, but I wonder if they would have lost my respect if they had been around when the Gingrich revolution came. Colin Powell has completely lost whatever respect I had for him. I dislike PJ O'Rourke and loathe David Brooks the hack (I have some gruding respect for David Brooks the occasional journalist). I find Stanley Crouch occasionally interesting, but typically pompous and in other ways annoying. I like Trent Lott at least twice as much as Bill Frickin Frist.

I think there was an ILM thread about it. If you want to know my feelings about it, I could link you to my long and incoherent blog post about it.

He seems like a good bloke despite being what he would call a "natural conservative" and his autobiography is very entertaining.

lol

I now like David Brooks and dislike everyone else I big-upped

Jay, http://www.city-journal.org/html/13_3_how_hip_hop.html

I think there was an ILM thread about it. If you want to know my feelings about it, I could link you to my long and incoherent blog post about it.

-- Symplistic (shmuel), Friday, June 18, 2004 12:19 AM (3 years ago) Bookmark Link

Ha, I never saw this response.

i like ross douthat, most of the 'american scene' crew (tho they're all a bit indie-nerdy, esp. reihan salam)

but yeah i like 'em batshit too: mark steyn, ledeen (i'd read the corner but their rss feed doesn't include author info, so fuck it, life is too short to weed thru tons of kathryn jean teasdale lopez or whoever the fuck). it's amazing to read dudes like that and know that every single assertion is flat out wrong

SPENGLER, fuck it i love spengler 4lyfe. he's just bizarre. and openly genocidal, it's...refreshing?

i had a minor crush on nicole gelinas of city journal for a little bit.