THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
An Online Journal of Political Commentary & Analysis
Volume V, Issue # 66, March 17, 2003
Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor
Government Committed to & Acting in Accord with Conservative Principles
Ensures a Nation's Strength, Progress, & Prosperity
EXTREME RIGHTWING ISOLATIONISTS & THE
LEFTWING ANTIWAR, HATE-AMERICA CROWD:
OPPOSITES WHICH ATTRACT EACH OTHER
By Paul Walfield
We all have seen and heard the antiwar crowd marching and chanting that "War is evil, Inspections work," "Saddam's no threat, Bush is."
Most everyone, whether in the media or folks just watching the world go by, assume the protesters are Lefties, or Commies, and/or members of the hate-America crowd. After all, America is at war, and is threatened by a madman with weapons of mass destruction.
How could anyone who loves his country, give the benefit of the doubt to a tyrant, while at the same time deem America's
President and his administration as liars? Additionally, the protesters have to discount the weapons inspectors'
reports that clearly say, for all who care to see, that Iraq is not cooperating and is therefore in material breach of UN
Resolution 1441.
Obviously, when it comes to the security of the United States of America and the safety of its citizens, clear thinking Americans would naturally prefer being safe to being sorry. On the other hand, if you do not want your country to remain intact, or simply don't care one way or the other, or if you prefer the safety and security of Iraqi citizens to your own, you express that sentiment obviously or cryptically, depending on your agenda.
It's easy to dismiss the Far Left and Communists as hate-America advocates. What is not so easy dismissing are some who profess to be on the political Right, but who also advocate America remaining out of any military adventure or intervention in Iraq. Yet, the Far-Right and Far-Left opponents of the coming war with Iraq have too much in common to view them simply as coming from opposite ends of the political spectrum and therefore being adherents of diametrically opposing political philosophies.
Those who claim they are "Conservative," "Republican," or "Rightist," and who, at the same time, advocate the notion that we must wait for a nuclear bomb to go off in Wash- ington, D.C., before we can legitimately go to war, are using the same arguments and logic as those on the political Left. These socalled "Rightists" also give the benefit of the doubt to Saddam Hussein; ignoring the reality and spirit behind UN Resolution 1441, which calls for complete and full cooperation by Iraq in its own disarmament or faces military action. These self-styled "Rightists," like the Leftwing antiwar protesters, judge the Republican leadership and administration, including President Bush, as lying about the danger Iraq poses to the United States of America and its people.
If they, the socalled Rightists who oppose war with Iraq and slander the Bush adminis- tration, said they were on the Left, the Right would pin them as just part of the hate- America crowd and thought of as ingrates who should be living in some other country.
Then why aren't people who profess the same sentiments as the Leftwing antiwar dem- onstrators designated with the same loathing and contempt? Apparently it's because they say they are not the same as the Left, rather they are "isolationists," or "America First" people. Therefore, true Conservatives see them differently, but are they?
No, they are not. These isolationists, or "America Firsters," call themselves "Conserva- tives" and "Rightists," many of them referring to themselves as Far-Right Republi- cans. But, in fact, they are about as close to being the loyal and reasonable American citizens they claim to be as Janeane Garofalo is to being taken seriously.
While there are many definitions of Conservative or Right of Center or even Republi- can, the one thing they all have in common is American nationalism, or national patriot- ism--loyalty to America and all that entails. In time of war, all differences, all petty dis- agreements, go out the window. This cannot be said about the Leftists, including highly partisan and ideological Liberals. They have a different view of the world, especially about nationalism.
America finds itself in a very dangerous time and place in the 21st. century. Despots and tyrants from countries that, up to now, a Boy Scout troop could have kept in line, now have biological and chemical weapons and may or will have nuclear weapons, which could and would wreak havoc and devastation upon our land.
Even after the horrors of 9-11, the extreme Rightwing isolationists still want America to stand down and wait for a hit. In other words, they need America to be weakened and possibly suffer a blow from which we will not be able to recover, before they say they will believe America has justification for defending herself. That is not only foolish thinking, it is totally unpatriotic. It is not the mindset of an American Conservative or Republi- can. It is not the thinking of an American adhering to a rational Right-of-Center political philosophy. It may very well be that, as many political observers and analysts have argued, such unpatriotic thinking is characteristic of extremists who are so far to the Right, at the very edge of the Right end of the political spectrum, that the two ends of the spectrum, extreme Right and extreme Left, join together to form a circle, with the extremists on both ends having far more in common with each other than they have with less extreme positions at the Right and Left of the political Center.
It is obvious what the advantages are to someone who claims to be on your side when, in fact, he or she is trying to undermine your position. What is not obvious is how people who are so blatant about their clear divergence with anything remotely aligned to Ameri- ca's best interest are given a free pass.
America is well past the point of debate or discussion when it comes to war against Iraq and terrorism. U.S. soldiers, sailors, and marines are deployed in the Middle East and are just awaiting the order to move forward. It is about time that the phony "Conserva- tives" and phony "patriots" whose calls, if followed, will lead to disaster for America be given a place, the same place that is reserved for the Communists and other Leftists who hate America, but at least do it openly and honestly.
The people who want to be seen as "Republican" or "Conservative," but who are con- versely persuaded, have an agenda that, when push comes to shove, shows its ugly face in spite of their meager declarations of solidarity with Republican and/or Conservative ideals.
It is just as important, if not more important, to marginalize these people and expose them for what they really are, as they can be far more detrimental to American security and American values than the openly hostile Lefties.
LINKS TO RELATED TOPICS:
The Middle East & the Problem of Iraq
Page Two
Page One
The Problem of Rogue States:
Iraq as a Case History
The Middle East & the Arabs
Islamism & Jihadism -- The Threat of Radical Islam
Page Three
Page Two
Page One
War & Peace in the Real World
Page Two
Page One
Islamist Terrorist Attacks on the U.S.A.
Osama bin Laden & the Islamist Declaration of War
Against the U.S.A. & Western Civilization
Islamist International Terrorism &
U.S. Intelligence Agencies
U.S. National Security Strategy
Paul Walfield is a freelance writer and member of the State Bar of California, with an undergraduate degree in Psychology and post-graduate study in behavioral and analyt- ical psychology. He resided for a number of years in the small town of Houlton, Maine, and is now a California attorney. His articles appear in numerous periodicals and on numerous websites. CONTACT INFORMATION: Email: paul.walfield@cox.net
Return to Top of Page
Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE,
Public Issues & Political Controversies
Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE,
Volume V, 2003
Return to Beginning of
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE,
Subject Matter Highlights
Return to POLITICAL EDUCATION Homepage
This is not a commercial website. The sole purpose of the website is to share with interested persons information regarding civics,
civic and social education, political science, government, politics, law, constitutional law and history, public policy, and political
philosophy and history, as well as current and recent political developments, public issues, and political controversies.
POLITICAL EDUCATION, CONSERVATIVE ANALYSIS
POLITICS, SOCIETY, & THE SOVEREIGN STATE
Website of Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr.
Government, Politics, Public Policy, Legal Issues, Constitutional Law, Government & the Economy, Cultural Values, Foreign Affairs,
International Relations, Military Defense & National Security, Geopolitics, Terrorism & Homeland Security, American National Interests,
Political Systems & Processes, Political Institutions, Political Ideologies, & Political Philosophy
INDEX FOR THE ENTIRE WEBSITE
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
THE PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE, USA
An Online Journal of Political Commentary & Analysis
Dr. Almon Leroy Way, Jr., Editor
Conservative & Free-Market Analysis of Government, Politics & Public Policy, Covering Political, Legal, Constitutional, Economic,
Cultural, Military, International, Strategic, & Geopolitical Issues
Conservative Government Ensures a Nation's Strength, Progress, & Prosperity