Conservatives Who Criticize the War

Columnist Paul Craig Roberts was Asst.
Secretary of the Treasury under Reagan, a member of several prominent
conservative groups, the Hoover Institution, Cato Institute, a former editor
of the Wall Street Journal, and a staunch Republican.

He recently wrote:

"America has blundered into a needless and dangerous war, and fully half of the country's population is enthusiastic. Many Christians think that war in the Middle East signals "end times" and that they are about to be wafted up to heaven. Many patriots think that, finally, America is standing up for itself and demonstrating its righteous might. Conservatives are taking out their Vietnam frustrations on Iraqis. Karl Rove is wrapping Bush in the protective cloak of war leader. The military-industrial complex is drooling over the profits of war. And neoconservatives are laying the groundwork for Israeli territorial expansion"

"Conservatives have been won around to the old liberal view that as long as government power is in their hands, there is no
reason to fear it or to limit it. Thus, the PATRIOT Act, which permits government to suspend a person's civil liberties by calling him a terrorist with or without proof. Thus, preemptive war, which permits the president to invade other countries based on unverified assertions."

"There is nothing conservative about these positions."

Whoa! Is the tide turning?

Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) delivered a speech entitled "What If It Was All a Big Mistake? to the House of Representatives. Some quotes:

"Policing the world, spreading democracy by force, nation building, and frequent bombing of countries that pose no threat to us - while leaving the homeland and our borders unprotected - result from a foreign policy that is contradictory and not in our self interest."

"The arrogance of some politicians, regulators, and diplomats actually causes them to become even more aggressive and more determined to prove themselves right, to prove their power is not to be messed with by never admitting a mistake. Truly, power corrupts! "

Add these guys to the incredible list of prominent Republicans who supported Kerry, and we just might see Bush&Co's "mandate" disappear from beneath them before we know it.