The Conscience of a Conservative
I’m currently reading Barry Goldwater’s The Conscience of a Conservative (which I received from a reader who appreciated my blogging. To that reader: thank you very much, it’s a great gift). When I finish it, I intend to write a long post on it, probably a review with some thoughts of my own on conservatism added (to it). For now, I will keep it short: it’s, thus far, an incredibly inspiring book. Goldwater seems to capture the soul of conservative liberalism perfectly.
Just to make you look forward to my upcoming post, here’s a quote from The Conscience of a Conservative. Barry Goldwater on the duty of the government: “Thus, for the American Conservative, there is no difficulty in identifying the day’s overriding political challenge: it is to preserve and extend freedom.“
Well, I’m already convinced I need to pick up a copy. Thanks for sharing.
I disagree w much of Goldwaterism, but his was an honest philosophy. What Prez since has been so honest?
Pete, yes you definitely need to pick up a copy. It’s a great, great read. If Republicans want to refocus… rethink what they’re doing, what their party stands for, they should read The Conscience of a Conservative first. Let yourself be inspired by your roots.
Dan - I think that Goldwater was a remarkable exception.
One could argue, of course, that this is the exact reason that he didn’t become president….
He actually meant what he said.
Yes, and in Vietnam, that could have led to nuclear Armageddon.
Nonsense. That’s what Johnson tried to make the American people believe, but it’s not based on facts.
He even stated he would have just nuked the Viets. LBJ was a bastard, and many other things, but he did not force Goldwater to say anything he did not mean.
http://www.focusweb.org/philippines/content/view/58/3/
No, Goldwater said that one should never forget that the goal should be freedom, not, peace as such. Peace, yes, but peace through victory, not defeat. He said ‘give me freedom of give me death’. As President, he would not have used nukes, I’m quite sure, but he said that if you’ve got them, you got to be willing to use them if absolutely necessary. If you’re not… they’re useless.
Well, he said it. If he was kidding, or not seriouis, who knows? But he said it. I’ve seenm the video interviews, and the Internet confirms it, unless this is a hoax on the Roswell scale.