padraig (u.s.)

a monkey that will go ape
neconservatism, like any form of idealism becomes largely redundant upon contact with reality
I don't think this is a useful way of looking at idealism in politics at all, especially when politics is understood as encompassing virtually all human social activity

ideals matter in a metanarrative sense beyond their "contact with reality"

in the sense that believing in a thing is some portion of willing that that thing into existence; ideals are competing political metarguments

in an applied sense: politicians never truly fulfill their promises, but in the act of voicing them, they have to try to fulfill some portion of them

what you're saying is the inverse of saying that any compromise to achieve part of an ideal is equivalent to total compromise rendering that achievement meaningless
 

padraig (u.s.)

a monkey that will go ape
neoconservatism's intellectual (such as it is) forefather famously - as you may know - described it as the outlook of a liberal "mugged by reality"
 

padraig (u.s.)

a monkey that will go ape
but to the general point: major kudos for being willing to come out and clearly, openly state where you stand on things
 

padraig (u.s.)

a monkey that will go ape
it's something many people - here and in general - would be unwilling or unable to do

I'm more in the unable than unwilling category. I definitely couldn't lay out my views that comprehensively and concisely.
 

thirdform

pass the sick bucket
barty's politics are Kate Bush essentially. charmingly innocent.

I'm the one that chava and patty fear. i cracked the code in a warehouse in sheffield stomping along to hard acid with a head full of sulphuric fury at the mere existence of Goa Trance. as soon as I hear the slightest hint of a terence mckenna sample I reach for my revolver.
 
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