ConservaWonk: Conservatism, Foreign Policy and Philosophy: Confirmation for a New Middle East Policy?

ConservaWonk

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Greg R. Lawson
I was born in Hays, Kansas. I guess you could say I was destined to be involved in politics. My first house was on Eisenhower Dr. and I went to school at Roosevelt Elementary. Also, Hays is a mere 20 miles from the hometown of Sens. Bob Dole and Arlen Specter. While Kansas will always be near and dear to my heart, 25 years of living in the Columbus area (and graduating from THE Ohio State University has made me bleed Scarlett and Grey! So why do I blog? I am a conservative that is deeply concerned about the direction America has taken. As a believer that, while not perfect, America has been largely responsible for the greatest amount of good in a millenium or more, I think retaining our strength and prosperity is essential not just for us and our children, but for the world at large. I do not believe that "Progressive" solutions that assume the infinite malleability of man can work. These are efforts that ignore the fundamentals of human nature, which may be tweaked, but not fundamentally reordered. We must embrace our traditions, not jettison them in the hopes of discovering elusive utopias in the here and now. Tradition is the cumulative knowledge of a culture and once it is gone, that culture loses its moorings and is cast adrift in an ocean of relativism which then prohibits man from acknowledging the transcendental importance of virtue. As this is the foundation of freedom, this loss of knowledge will inevitably lead to tyranny of the most insatiable kind. Even as we struggle to retain our traditions and our virtue, we must also remain strong in the international arena. A failure to do so invites a breakdown of the very order the US has largely erected, with its allies, since the end of World War II. Such a breakdown could portend the types of catastrophes we thought we had left behind in a more barbaric age. As an American, it is our responsibility to oppose this possibility and hope that we have imbibed enough illuminating, if inexact, historical analogies to not fall into the same disarray of Hellenistic Greece, Rome, ancient China, Western Europe and so many others. We have a chance to still be a beacon to the world, but we must renew ourselves at home and retain our strength abroad. This is my hope and, in some small way, I believe my mission.

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ConservaWonk: Conservatism, Foreign Policy and Philosophy: Confirmation for a New Middle East Policy?

Confirmation for a New Middle East Policy?

An interesting article that seems to validate my view that we need a dramatic new Middle East policy. From the Christian Scienc monitor, a piece arguing Middle East power is shifting to Turkey and Iran. This would seems to at least make consideration of my thoughts posted below worthwhile.