What is a neoconservitive?

Question

This word seems to have come to life this election season, and I have never heard it before. So I ask, who coined the word? And do the people that use it actually know what they're saying, or are they jumping on the bandwagon to use the cool new word?

Please, no copy and pastes. I could do that myself.

Answer 1

its a word to describe many ppl in the current republican party (usually) that have "conservative" values. BUT, if you look at the conservative values of Nixon, or even as recent as Reagan, their views on a lot of major issues are no longer the same as their party has historically been.

just to give you an idea, Bush has brought up the "tax and spend" democrats in many of his interviews and addresses, but HIS cabinet has spent more money than anyone in history. i think he's only vetoed 1 or 2 bills to date.

thats typically not considered to be a conservative way of behaving.

Answer 2

Neoconservatism is a political movement, mainly in the United States, which is generally held to have emerged in the 1960s, coalesced in the 1970s, and has had a significant presence in the administrations of Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush.

The prefix neo- refers to two ways in which neoconservatism was new. First, many of the movement's founders, originally liberals, Democrats or from socialist backgrounds, were new to conservatism. Also, neoconservatism was a comparatively recent strain of conservative socio-political thought. It derived from a variety of intellectual roots in the decades following World War II, including literary criticism and the social sciences.

Answer 3

I think it is a far far right wing fundementalist with no opening for rational debate or discussing the issues. They just follow their party line. They are supporting putting more money in the rich's hands. Most conservatives have a heart about social issues. Neo conservatives don't give a rats ***.

Answer 4

a neoconservative would be someone who is 100% conservative like Rush Limbaugh. Not someone who just supports some of the conservative values.

Answer 5

They operate the spice mines of Kessel, I think.

Answer 6

Neoconservative: Definition and views



The meaning of the term has evolved over time. James Bryce offered it as a neologism in his Modern Democracies (1921). In "The Future of Democratic Values" in Partisan Review, July-August 1943, Dwight MacDonald complained of "the neo-conservatives of our time [who] reject the propositions on materialism, Human Nature, and Progress." He cited as an example Jacques Barzun, who was "attempting to combine progressive values and conservative concepts."

In the early 1970s, Socialist Michael Harrington prominently used the term in a manner similar to the modern meaning. He characterized neoconservatives as former leftists -- whom he derided as "socialists for Nixon" -- who had moved significantly to the right. These people tended to remain supporters of social democracy, but distinguished themselves by allying with the Nixon administration over foreign policy, especially by their support for the Vietnam War and opposition to the Soviet Union. They still supported the "welfare state," but not necessarily in its contemporary form.

Critics take issue with neoconservatives' support for aggressive foreign policy [citation needed], especially what they characterize as unilateralism and lack of concern with international consensus through organizations such as the United Nations. However, neoconservatives describe their shared view as a belief that national security is best attained by promoting freedom and democracy abroad through the support of pro-democracy movements, foreign aid and in certain cases military intervention. This is a departure from the traditional conservative tendency to support friendly regimes in matters of trade and anti-communism even at the expense of undermining existing democratic systems. Author Paul Berman in his book Terror and Liberalism describes it as, "Freedom for others means safety for ourselves. Let us be for freedom for others."

Irving Kristol remarked that a neoconservative is a "liberal mugged by reality," one who became more conservative after seeing the results of liberal policies. The term "neoconservative" also refers more often to institutions like the Project for the New American Century (PNAC),Commentary and The Weekly Standard than to the Heritage Foundation, Policy Review or National Review.

Some observers name political philosopher Leo Strauss as a major intellectual antecedent of neoconservativism. For example, some of his ideas entered the political mainstream through his pupil Allan Bloom's bestseller, The Closing of the American Mind. Although Strauss rarely stated positions on foreign policy issues, some argue that he influenced neoconservative strategy, including attitudes some U.S. officials demonstrate towards international law in situations where terrorism is alleged.[citation needed]

Answer 7

yes

Answer 8

pooplets

Answer 9

NEW!