historyishere historyishere

Are you a Neoconservative?

▼

Are you a Neoconservative?

from JoeUser Forums
I was on a political forum recently, and this quiz caught my eye. I know that quite a few little quizzes have been posted to the forums and in a lot of blogs, but given a lot of the discussions I've seen here, it seemed very appropriate.

Are you a Neoconservative?

My results said that I could be categorized as being one of many:

Liberals…

Are wary of American arrogance and hypocrisy
Trace much of today's anti-American hatred to previous US foreign policies.
Believe political solutions are inherently superior to military solutions
Believe the US is morally bound to intervene in humanitarian crises
Oppose American imperialism
Support international law, alliances, and agreements
Encourage US participation in the UN
Believe US economic policies must help lift up the world's poor

Historical liberal: President Woodrow Wilson
Modern liberal: President Jimmy Carter
Which shouldn't really come as a surprise to anyone... especially me.... although I don't agree with everything in the above list.... because the realist category also has a lot I agree with as well.

Realists....
Are guided more by practical considerations than ideological vision
Believe US power is crucial to successful diplomacy - and vice versa
Don't want US policy options unduly limited by world opinion or ethical considerations
Believe strong alliances are important to US interests
Weigh the political costs of foreign action
Believe foreign intervention must be dictated by compelling national interest

Historical realist: President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Modern realist: Secretary of State Colin Powell


But I guess I can't be both, can I? I mean, a liberal realist? Isn't that a contradiction in terms?
politics
14,852 views 41 replies
Reply #26 from JoeUser Forums Top
My one gripe about this quiz is that it doesn't have anything specifically about free trade versus protectionisism, which is a pretty major component of anyone's view of how nations should relate to each other.

I'm a realist, as I expected to be.
Reply #27 from JoeUser Forums Top
My one gripe about this quiz is that it doesn't have anything specifically about free trade versus protectionisism,


Interesting you should bring that up... Australia is on the verge of signing a free trade agreement with you guys, but out pharmaceutical benefits scheme will be under threat....

BAM!!!
SoundPackager - Customize the Windows sound scheme
Reply #28 from JoeUser Forums Top
but out pharmaceutical benefits scheme will be under threat....


God forbid the pharms not be allowed their 10,000% markups....
Reply #29 from PolMach Forums Top
My one gripe about this quiz is that it doesn't have anything specifically about free trade versus protectionisism, which is a pretty major component of anyone's view of how nations should relate to each other.
That was my first reaction, too, but a lot can be explained by:
Liberals… Are wary of American arrogance and hypocrisy

Realists....Are guided more by practical considerations than ideological vision

Neoconservatives…Want the US to be the world's unchallenged superpower


Free trade and protectionism are, in truth, decided industry by industry and detail by detail. Liberals are uneasy with hypocrisy in this area. Realists accept it as is, as a matter to work out politically. Neocons would happily throw our weight around to assure that these matters break in our favor.
Reply #30 from PolMach Forums Top
Well, I scored out as a liberal, but it seemed like a lot of my answers were isolationist, too.

Not an ounce of neocon in me. Every question, the neocon answer screamed out as the one totally unacceptable response.
Reply #31 from JoeUser Forums Top
Don, I am not surprised from what I've read from you....

Helix: Yes, you did the right thing and considered WHO wrote the article, and not just what was said. The reason I posted it was not just because it was in the Washington Post... but because it was featured on the Project for a New American Century web site... an American think-tank that was started during the Clinton era and had as its members 10 people who are currently in powerful positions within the current Bush Administration.
Reply #32 from PolMach Forums Top
Conservative: Believes in individual rights, bare bones government, fiscal frugality, right to life, gun rights, states rights, traditional family unit, and conservative social / cultural environment.

NeoCon: Believes in invasive government ( for our own protection, of course, ack! ), gun rights, federal government agenda, corporate protection, right to life, and social / cultural control by representatives, and traditional family unit.

Notice any key differences? Can you think of certain examples that might fit these two definitions? Pat Buchanen might well be a true conservative, but Cheney, Bush Jr. ?
Reply #33 from PolMach Forums Top
it said i was most likely liberal
Reply #34 from PolMach Forums Top
It said I was a dark and evil Republican with a heart made out of coal, and blood as cold as ice, and then the computer crashed
Reply #35 from JoeUser Forums Top
a dark and evil Republican with a heart made out of coal, and blood as cold as ice,


That may explain why the desert heat doesn't phase me.
Reply #36 from JoeUser Forums Top
Monster Kabasue: Does Boris Karloff do the narration for your life?
Reply #37 from PolMach Forums Top
No the dark sith Carl Rove!!!

What is scarier than a fiscally conservative liberal?
A Republican with a sense of humor!
Reply #38 from JoeUser Forums Top
No... not the dark puppetmaster... Evil... EEEEEEEEEEEE-VILLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!! :hiss:
Reply #39 from JoeUser Forums Top
Wow... looking at the referrals for my site, it turns out this article comes up second on the google list, right after the CS Monitor quiz that inspired it. I guess Google refering isn't broken like we thought it was.