A Thing I Don't Get

[forsyth]

Republicans in specific and conservatives as a whole seem to believe two things that sure seem to me like they contradict.

First, that government is inherently inefficient and corrupt and unable to handle even the distribution of well, anything, well. And is always attempting to expand its power for nefarious ends, at the expense of you and me.

And secondly, that we should all shut up and trust the government to know best in anything relating to war, crime, security, foreign affairs, or anything related to the above.

I really just don't see how those two mesh.

Comments

[megpie71.livejournal.com]

It all makes perfect sense when you realise that the first is when they're *not* in power, and the second is when they *are*.

Or in other words, "when we do it, it's okay".

[jokermage.livejournal.com]

Conservatives, like liberals, are not a homogeneous group. There are libertarian conservatives (government is evil) and there are statist/authoritarian conservatives ("pappy state" neocons). Even then you have divisions based on whether social conservatism or economic conservatism is more important. You also can have social liberals who are economic conservatives (typical examples would be Arnold or Rudy) or social conservatives who are economic liberals (sorry don't have an example).