Bushites Favor a New Sort of Big Government

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David Brooks' article in the NYT Magazine makes the case for a new form of Republicanism. Some of it is presented in the language of governance, but It brings out an underlying philosophy according to which the new Republicans are essentially just as socialist as they claim Democrats to be - they favor big government intervention in matters of culture and individual civil behavior rather than leaving such issues up to the cultural marketplace.

― g@bbneb (gabbneb), Sunday, 29 August 2004 21:09 (twenty-one years ago)

The theme of such cultural socialism is 'National Greatness', but I would argue that the nation's global prospects are better advanced by the Democrats' focus on education and scientific research than by what appears to be an effort to create a nation of corporate drones.

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Sunday, 29 August 2004 21:17 (twenty-one years ago)

So what you're saying is that some US Republicans are National Socialists. No surprises here.

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Sunday, 29 August 2004 21:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Remarkably stupid use of 'socialist' there, just to get in a slur against the GOP.

― miloauckerman (miloauckerman), Sunday, 29 August 2004 21:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Well, I'm using 'socialist' only because the other side does. I don't think it's national socialism any or much more than I think Democrats are Communists.

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Sunday, 29 August 2004 21:28 (twenty-one years ago)

(xpost)

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Sunday, 29 August 2004 21:30 (twenty-one years ago)

You might not think that, but I think that's where Brooks is heading in a ham-fisted way.

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Sunday, 29 August 2004 21:34 (twenty-one years ago)

I think that's the end sought by some people Brooks shills for, but not of what he says explicitly.

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Sunday, 29 August 2004 21:37 (twenty-one years ago)

government intervention in civil liberties and morality? we could just call them "fascist."

― CeCe Peniston (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 29 August 2004 22:07 (twenty-one years ago)

That's a good general term, but to the extent it's used specifically to refer to Italy and maybe Spain, perhaps we need a new term for the American form, particularly as fascism is a popular but little-understood epithet.

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Sunday, 29 August 2004 22:42 (twenty-one years ago)

dubya-ism

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Sunday, 29 August 2004 23:05 (twenty-one years ago)

wow do quotes like this make me nervous:

In another speech, Bush noted, ''Too often, my party has confused the need for limited government with a disdain for government itself.'' He continued: ''Our founders rejected cynicism and cultivated a noble love of country. That love is undermined by sprawling, arrogant, aimless government. It is restored by focused and effective and energetic government.''

― g--ff (gcannon), Monday, 30 August 2004 00:56 (twenty-one years ago)

didn't we know this already?

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Monday, 30 August 2004 00:59 (twenty-one years ago)

well, it's not the only strain in the Republican party, but it seems to have been officially adopted (recently?)

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Monday, 30 August 2004 01:14 (twenty-one years ago)

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