Richard Cohen in Today's Wash. Post: "Bush the Neoliberal"

[Bleacher Creature]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/28/AR2007052801053.html

Bush the Neoliberal

By Richard Cohen
Tuesday, May 29, 2007; Page A13

Years ago, someone coined the term "neoliberal." I was never sure what it meant, and it has since fallen into disuse, but whatever the case, I'd like to revive (and mangle) the term and apply it -- brace yourself -- to George W. Bush. He's more liberal than you might think.

You recoil, I know. After all, the conventional wisdom is that Bush is the most conservative of all presidents, an advocate of limited government, minimal taxes and, when it comes to the quintessentially liberal concern with civil liberties, the man who gave us the twin black eyes of Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo. It's an appalling record.

But consider this: An overriding principle of conservatism is to limit the role and influence of the federal government. Nowhere is this truer than in education. For instance, there was a time when no group of Republicans could convene without passing a resolution calling for the abolition of the Education Department and turning the building -- I am extrapolating here -- into a museum of creationism.

<SNIP>

Of all the stupid crap to come out of the Washington Post the past few years, this may be the stupidest. It's almost as if Cohen is trying to raise the bar on making ridiculous statements in an effort to take the heat off David Broder. Seriously, this has got to be a joke -- right?

[blondeatlast]

1. Bush isn't a conservative, a liberal, or anything recognizable besides power hungry.

And Cohen's been grasping at straws for a very long time now.

[Benhurst]

2. Wrong, Richard. He's a neofascist.

[IChing]

3. This is a way to swiftboat liberals by calling * a liberal

He also tries to confuse his readers by using neo-liberalism which has nothing to do with liberalism.

Neoliberalism refers to an intellectual and political movement
that espouses economic liberalism as a means of promoting
economic development and securing political liberty.

Neoliberalism
is the implementation of global capitalism through government/military
interventionism to protect the interests of multinational corporations.
Opponents also argue against neoliberalism's effects on wages and social structures.


Notable opponents to neoliberalism in theory or practice include
economists Joseph Stiglitz and Amartya Sen, linguist Noam Chomsky, and the anti-globalization movement.

[BlooInBloo]

4. LOL! What a wanker! Trying to saddle *US* with gw! LOLOLOL!

[Mist]

5. So, really, NOTHING is Repubs/Conservatives' faults. It's the liberals! Yeah, that'll fly. nt

[roamer65]

6. The neocons are trying to throw him overboard now.

Just like they did with his daddy in 1992. * presently is not siding with the Cheney/Podhoretz neocon cabal on bombing Iran. I hope * stays on the side of Condie Rice and lets negotiations happen.

[CTD]

7. Cohen is an idiot.

His cheerleading for the war and Lieberman-esque blind allegiance to Israel pretty much renders his opinions meaningless.

[karynnj]

8. Bush is NOT a liberal - we do not want him

The stupidest thing is that in some places, Cohen lists conservative values, then says that Bush is not this, therefore he is liberal. Sort of like the whole idea space is made up of conservative and liberal, where conservative is well defined and the rest of the space is liberal.

[applegrove]

9. All democracies in the world are Liberal democracies. The liberals

basically won. Mixed markets are also common (and american). Neoliberals (neocons) are liberals because of their belief in trade and government interventions (of the type they believe in which have to do with war and forced social change). But no, they are not liberals. They are still just neocons.