Comments on: Neo-cons as inheritors of the progresive tradition? http://www.eridu.org.uk/blog/2007/05/21/neo-cons-as-inheritors-of-the-progresive-tradition/ Liberalism and general burblings Fri, 29 Aug 2008 22:25:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: agentmancuso http://www.eridu.org.uk/blog/2007/05/21/neo-cons-as-inheritors-of-the-progresive-tradition/#comment-5575 agentmancuso Mon, 21 May 2007 16:23:25 +0000 http://www.eridu.org.uk/blog/2007/05/21/neo-cons-as-inheritors-of-the-progresive-tradition/#comment-5575 I think this is a reworking of a now well-established argument i.e. that the familiar left-to-right political spectrum is insufficient, or even entirely redundant. The left-wing 'progressive' who wants to boss you around for your own good is no different from the right-wing 'traditionalist' who wants to boss you about because God told him to; the moral equivalence is absolute. This applies to foreign policy too. The whole concept of 'liberal interventionism' is problematic, not to say deeply flawed. I think this is a reworking of a now well-established argument i.e. that the familiar left-to-right political spectrum is insufficient, or even entirely redundant. The left-wing ‘progressive’ who wants to boss you around for your own good is no different from the right-wing ‘traditionalist’ who wants to boss you about because God told him to; the moral equivalence is absolute.

This applies to foreign policy too. The whole concept of ‘liberal interventionism’ is problematic, not to say deeply flawed.

]]> By: Tom Papworth http://www.eridu.org.uk/blog/2007/05/21/neo-cons-as-inheritors-of-the-progresive-tradition/#comment-5571 Tom Papworth Mon, 21 May 2007 11:33:07 +0000 http://www.eridu.org.uk/blog/2007/05/21/neo-cons-as-inheritors-of-the-progresive-tradition/#comment-5571 Liberals, "progressives" and neo-cons are all focussed to some degree on emancipation. The most difficult question that emancipation throws up is the degree to which one may use force to free oneself, or others. Most of us sympathise with the use of force to throw off a colonial aggressor or to oust a dictatorship. My plans to liberate myself from oppressive taxation by bombing HMRC would be frowned upon (especially by Mark Valladeres!). When it comes to freeing other nations from their own, home-grown dictators, however, the angst <i>really</i> sets in. Do we invade Afghanistan to rid it of the Taliban? Or Iraq to rid it of Saddam? Even if it means going along with George Bush and Tony Blair? Will lead to civil war? Will destroy our reputations internationally? Or do we leave the Sudanese to emancipate themselves over the corpses of a third of a million Darfur innocents? This is the stuff of which nightmares and protest marches are made. Liberals, “progressives” and neo-cons are all focussed to some degree on emancipation.

The most difficult question that emancipation throws up is the degree to which one may use force to free oneself, or others.

Most of us sympathise with the use of force to throw off a colonial aggressor or to oust a dictatorship. My plans to liberate myself from oppressive taxation by bombing HMRC would be frowned upon (especially by Mark Valladeres!).

When it comes to freeing other nations from their own, home-grown dictators, however, the angst really sets in. Do we invade Afghanistan to rid it of the Taliban? Or Iraq to rid it of Saddam? Even if it means going along with George Bush and Tony Blair? Will lead to civil war? Will destroy our reputations internationally?

Or do we leave the Sudanese to emancipate themselves over the corpses of a third of a million Darfur innocents?

This is the stuff of which nightmares and protest marches are made.

]]>