If I liked Sarah Palin, am I a neo-con? If I favored the surge and winning in Iraq, am I a neo-con? If I favor America and American sovereignty, am I a neo-con? If I dislike everything Michael Steele has done/said so far, am I a neo-con?
Would someone please explain this gobbledy-gook to me?!"
Dear Confused:
Boy! You really ARE confused!
Aside from the fact that the definition of Neo-Con has been posted here many times before, I see that there are still plenty of people who were absent that day. So here goes: (again)
The neocons were (and still are) liberals who left the democrat party when the democrat party "went soft" on war by nominating George McGovern.
The neocons migrated to the Republican party in order to make sure their version of foreign policy continued to have legs. They originated the term, not us. We are not attempting to disparage someone based upon religious or ethnic background. The term is purely political, not "racist". It has nothing whatsoever with anyone who recently converted to conservativsm. I know of absolutely no example of anyone who is actually conservative being a neocon, unless they are just too ignorant to know anything about it, and they end up empowering the neocons out of their own ignorance.
As I get very tired of trying to educate folks who just don't give a rat's behind about facts, I suggest that you don't take my word for it, but do some reading on your own.
Think of it as "homework" and your grade in freedom hinges on whether you can understand who is our enemy, and who is our friend.
The problem is that the term is not always (rarely?) used properly. It has become much the same as the term "RINO" in that it's now a rather generic epithet, thrown around for precisely the reasons I and others have pointed out: The two parts evoke negative associations.
"Neo-" hearkens back to "Neo-Nazi", easily the most common political use of the "Neo" prefix prior to "Neo-con".
"Con" conjures up "Con-man" and "Ex-con". Nobody uses "con" to mean "conservative".
That the term was coined by the original "Neo-cons" themselves is, unfortunately, beside the point. It now has a very diluted meaning, is used by different people and for entirely different reasons than when its life began.
Maybe you're the only one here who doesn't realize that the meaning of words change over time. You know, whomever controls the language controls politics.
A learned man such as yourself should certainly be aware of this. Instead of reading what others have written here that explains how the term "neoconservative" has been bastardized by the left, you're busy ranting about your own superiority regarding a term that was coined more than thirty five years ago. The popular understanding/meaning of that term has changed dramatically over time and it's unfortunate you're still clinging to a definition no one uses any longer. Instead of admonishing others to learn from you perhaps it is you who should be doing the learning. Looks like you have a little homework of your own.
I was a liberal at one point in my life, but left after Carter. It didn't take long after believing all the media lies and spin (it wasn't called that back then) for me to realize that Carter and I had ABSOLUTELY nothing in common. I'm with the Gipper, through and through, and have been since voting for him in 1980.
Thanks again to both of you, and others, for clarifying the term, "neocon."
What I meant in my original statement is that “neocon” seems to be one of those terms that all the 9/11 troofers and “Bush’s fake war” types like to throw at people like it’s supposed to be the worst insult that could ever be laid on someone.
I’m not so sure if these people even know what it means. They are kind of like little kids who repeat swear words when they don’t even know what those words mean.
Everyone I ever heard use that term was always a rabid 9/11 troofer who blamed everything on “Bush and the neocons who lied to get us into that war and make contractor buddies rich”, yadda, yadda, yadda.
So when someone uses that word, I have a tendency to roll my eyes, ignore them and get on with life.