[FRA:] Marcuse question

[FREDWELFARE at aol.com]

In a message dated 2/21/2006 7:59:38 AM Eastern Standard Time,  
jamesrovira at gmail.com writes:

Postmodernism is a critique of the liberal tradition in the west, not  a
defense of it.  Political "liberalism" and "conservatism" in the US  are both
expressions of western liberalism, which manages to be oppressive  all on its
own even while engaging in the rhetoric of individual  rights


I agree that I have taken up a simplifying argument, but obviously, one  must 
start somewhere.  I absolutely disagree that liberals and  conservatives are 
both expressions of Western Liberalism.  Liberals defend  liberalism, 
conservatives defend conservatism which contradicts  liberalism. Conservatism is 
essentially a defense of their notion of a  republic which the notion that the 
nation is led by a leader, an executive, a  magistrate, a prime minister, a 
president; and this is the most meaningful  aspect of a republic.  Republicans do 
not support individuals or human  rights no matter how much they say they do.  
They push for capital  punishment; they push for incarceration for victimless 
crimes.   Recently, they are defending warrantless invasions of privacy, 
wiretapping,  internet shadowing, etc.  They are unable to acknowledge the 
illegitimacy  (immorality) of torture not too mention its inefficiency and uselessness. 
  Conservatism and particularly neo-conservatism is all about defense and 
security  and nothing about diplomacy.  The mere idea of engaging in dialogue 
with  the islamist fundamentalists is anathema.  As they have created an  
atmosphere where pressure and coercion are the norms, only pressure and coercion  are 
being practiced and has led to terrorist attacks, a war, and who knows what  
is to come.  So, I do not agree with your initial volley: conservatives are  
not protecting human rights or individual rights or reproductive rights, or any 
 rights whatsoever.  Why in the world do we think of them as on the  right?!  
FrdW