THERS ON PACKER'S ARTICLE

I wrote about Packer's New Yorker article below and Thers had a post about it on FDL and has come in for some wingnut criticism. Michael Goldfarb of the Weekly Standard writes that this is CONSERVATISM:

American conservatism has a set of core principles that includes a belief in free markets, free people, and in the greatness of the American people and the American nation. Those principles are timeless. They are also pure and, in the eyes of conservatives, true.

One can have a belief in the free markets without calling for an end to regulation or the elimination of much needed regulation. One can also believe in the free markets and be aware of their limitations, as revealed by studies in behavioral finance and market design.

It's hard to reconcile a claim to believe in "free people" when the conservative President asserts the sole and unchecked power to declare anyone an enemy combatant, thus removing ALL of their Constitutional rights. It's hard to reconcile with the meddling these conservatives did in the Terri Schiavo case.

Goldfarb distinguishes between the people and the nation, so I will assume here that for the latter he is referring to our system of government and if that is true, I do agree with him. As for the American people, I think it is safe to say we are about average.