Chris Navin

Posner’s post here. (Scroll to Becker’s)

Posner states:

“The defeat of the Republican Party in the November election is widely thought to signal the decline of conservatism in the United States.”

But don’t confuse the Republican party with conservatism, Posner reminds.

I won’t. Especially after what George Bush has done to fiscal responsibility (deep down I think he’s quite socially liberal…a sign of the times?). I’m also quite skeptical of what Barack Obama may plan to do to liberalism…but I’m willing to give him a chance. Posner goes on:

“For myself, I would be happy to see conservatism exit from the political scene–provided it takes liberalism with it. I would like to see us enter a post-ideological era in which policies are based on pragmatic considerations rather than on conformity to a set of preconceptions rooted in a rapidly vanishing past.”

Whoa…that’s interesting but pretty radical. Hail to the post-ideological era!

He finishes with:

“But the point I particularly want to stress is that the recent failures of conservatism are not a vindication of liberalism. Both can fail, and as long as the failures are recognized, the United States can do fine.”

Point taken. Are they actually failing? Are we failing them?

See Also:From George Will on Stephen Colbert: “What conservatives say is that we will protect you against idealism.”