Blogcritics: Comments on You could be a neo-con and not even know it...

Comment by Jon Sobel

Tue, 28 Sep 2004 16:25:03 EDT

"Remember when Jimmy wanted to tie human rights records of countries to our relations with them? Remember how the conservatives howled with disdain?" Yes I do remember, but misguided or not, Jimmy Carter meant what he said. No one, not even his henchmen, think George W. Bush means what he says. I usually call myself a liberal just to "fit in," but the quiz thinks I'm a "Realist," and I actually think it's right.

Comment by Big Time Patriot

Tue, 28 Sep 2004 14:50:38 EDT

Interesting quiz, some of the questions should have been multiple choice. In a result that will be a real shock to those who read my posts, I am a Liberal. And yes, Jimmy Carter is my favorite president. Remember when Jimmy wanted to tie human rights records of countries to our relations with them? Remember how the conservatives howled with disdain? But when George Bush uses those same justifications to start a war (Saddam was a BAD MAN), now it's okay. Times sure have changed haven't they? I didn't have any trouble with Mr. Carter's idea and I don't have any trouble with what Mr. Bush SAYS about that, I just simply don't believe Mr. Bush when he says it. Probably somewhere after "no more nation building", "WMDs" and "being a unifier" I just quit believing the words that came out of his mouth.

Comment by Tim Hall

Tue, 28 Sep 2004 14:25:56 EDT

It thinks I'm a Liberal. I tried all the far-right answers (Invade Iraq, Nuke north Korea now, etc.) Then it answered NeoCon. If the Neocons were in charge throughout the cold war, most of the world would be glowing radioactive desert now.

Comment by Hal Pawluk

Tue, 28 Sep 2004 11:33:23 EDT

Hitchens: to be avoided at all costs :-)

Comment by RedTard

Tue, 28 Sep 2004 10:58:32 EDT

I'm a realist evidently. (like Ike and Colin Powell)

Comment by Hal Pawluk

Tue, 28 Sep 2004 10:51:08 EDT

The neo-neocon post was interesting in that it points up the Shape-Shifter character of neoconservatism. They started as Trotskyists wanting to export the revolution, slid over to socialism/liberals/Democrats, finding Scoop Jackson there, finally over to Republicans. I just got a new book on their history as written by neither liberals nor neocons. The authors are a conventional Conservative who worked for Nixon, Ford and Reagan, and a Brit who is now at the libertarian Cato Institute. This is probably going to be as an impartial source as I can expect, so I'll review it later. The book, by the way, is "America Alone: The Neoconservatives and the Global Order" by Stefan Halper and Jonathan Clarke. If any of you have read it, do you have any comments? Thanks.

Comment by Jeremy Chrysler

Tue, 28 Sep 2004 10:45:39 EDT

Thanks Hal, I thought it was interesting. I too, found the "false dilemma-esque" limitations of the questions a bit annoying. Then again, real-world decisions are often practically limited by situations outside of my control, so I tried to pick the answers which best represented my views would other better alternatives not available or not probable. Hal...what's your take on Hitchens?

Comment by Hal Pawluk

Tue, 28 Sep 2004 10:40:14 EDT

Nice find, Jeremy. I'm not sure what I am, as I didn't like any of the suggested answers for some of the questions as I thought about them. But I'm definitely not a neocon :-)

Comment by Mark Saleski

Tue, 28 Sep 2004 10:23:10 EDT

oooh, i'm a liberal. shocking!