[sicksubie]

Originally Posted by Electrophil

Actually, the original neo-conservatives were anti-communist democrats. Their belief system was liberal, but they wanted communism destroyed. Hence "neo" conservative.

Ronald Reagan was the very definition of a neo-conservative. A staunchly anti-communist moderate liberal turned republican. The republican party won over Reagan due to the democrats wanting to have a more conciliatory relationship with the Soviets. Reagan hated the Soviets and would much rather have attacked them, than try to be friends with them. The republican party convinced Reagan they better suited his belief system, Reagan changed parties, and voila! There started the slow migration of the neo-cons to "the dark side". By the end of his 8 years as President, the neo-conservatives were firmly republicans, and no longer a part of the democratic party.

As it should have been. The democratic party did not have their backs. They were soft on communism during the 70's, and 80's. I give Reagan boatloads of credit for the fall of the communist party. I commend him.

As the cold war lingered on, things stayed calm within the belief system. But once the cold war ended, the group lost its identity. They were no longer liberal, and there wasn't much communism left to deal with. So the belief system migrated toward a military doctrine that we must maintain a military strong enough to control the entire world.... Which we did, and we still do.

The group stayed small until Bush Sr decided against going into Iraq after Kuwait was liberated. This really ticked them off and remotivated them. Their membership grew rapidly, and they re-found a purpose. That purpose being to spread democracy via any means..to include military might. The group grew rapidly during the Clinton years, and brought Bush into power. And the rest can be logically filled in to bring it all up to date.

The irony of it all.... Today, a neo-conservative is automatically thought of as true ultra hard core conservatives with a religious base. We all think that when someone says neo-con.

But look up the word neo. Things have changed since the cold war, huh?

Thanks. You put it clearer than I did. I did not mean to say communist turned conservative.