Death of Conservatism by Sam Tanenhaus

[Solomon]

http://www.amazon.com/Death-Conservatism-Sam-Tanenhaus/dp/1400068843/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1256665340&sr=1-1

Very good book. A lot of relevance for what is happening right now. "Conservatism" is not necessarily what you think it is, and it is definitely NOT what today's so-called "conservatives" think it is.

After reading this you will understand the disconnect between traditional conservatives, and the crap spouted by FOX, Limbaugh, Palin, etc.

According to the author, the history of the battle between liberalism and conservatism has been waged in the same general manner since the beginning of America.

There has never been a time when the forces were somewhat equal fighting it out. Rather, the two operate like the Sun and the Moon. That is to say, the minority party cooperates and reflects off of the majority party like the Moon does with the Sun. Only now, the republican moon is refusing to cooperate and play the traditional role of the party out of power.

The best part of the book? Whenever liberalism or conservatism becomes the "Sun", it generally stays in power for a good thirty to forty years. It takes that long for the platform to work it's way out, succeeding, and then falling because it's prononents become rigid and stop adapting to changing conditions. They stick to what brought the success, even when it's past time to do so.

It's why the republicans went down - even now you still hear the "Reagan-taxcut-trickledown"-crap. They think if you just stick to what got you there...

The good thing is, it will take a good thirty to forty years for liberalism to make the same mistake - that is, not adapt, thus allowing the other way of thinking to emerge.

It's funny to me to watch republicans get excited about 2010 and 2012. Their philosophy is going to be out of power for quite sometime. And if they don't learn how to be the "moon" to liberalism's "sun", they'll go the way of the dinosaur and need a whole new party to re-emerge.

Thanks for listening. Read the book. It's a good short read.

[Captain Hilts]

1. In the Wash Post this morning, Bill Kristol said it's thriving. Really. nt

[Solomon]

2. I saw that and was quite amused. All of them make me laugh.

They are ignorant of history and they really think they're in the middle of some kind of "surge" when all they are doing is marginalizing themselves.

The conditions have changed. And I still remember Obama saying in his inauguration speech that the ground underneath them has shifted. He was right on. Then again, he is a student of history.

[Captain Hilts]

3. I read it for free in a coffee shop. I won't buy the WP these days. Didn't want to give a link!

[Solomon]

4. A fascinating aspect of the book is how the opposition party always

campaigns on the promise to undo what the party in power is doing. But by the time they succeed to power, they can't undo the things that worked that the other party has done so they become "sell-outs" to the hard-core. They wind up becoming the very thing that they campaigned against. LOL

Conservatism wants to preserve the status quo it is true. But true conservatives know that in order to preserve the status quo sometimes they have to adapt to changing conditions which includes cooperating with liberalism. Today's "conservatives" don't understand that. And that's why you see, for example, Palin campaigning on behalf of an independent against a republican that they consider "too liberal". Just think about that. The republican party needs to open it's doors so badly to a broader constituency. Yet everytime one of them does, such as that candidate who is pro-choice and not opposed to gay rights, etc., the idiots shut them down. That candidate is just what the republican party needs, but....