Intellectual Conservative Politics and Philosophy » Dan Phillips

David Lindsay is “The Reason”

Dan Phillips — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:28:37 +0000

David Lindsay does not get American conservatism, and until he does he will remain "The Reason."

When I was an undergraduate in college, a fellow student of my acquaintance had the nickname "The Reason." (I am being as vague as possible to protect the innocent.) This young man was a really nice guy, but was not, shall [...]

A Memo to the Conservative Action Project

Dan Phillips — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:31:11 +0000

It is not the responsibility of America to police the world or provide for the security of any nation other than our own.

Recently, a group known as the Conservative Action Project has been issuing "Memos to the Movement," meaning the conservative movement. All the Memos are signed by several significant conservative movement activists. The Memos [...]

Putting the Right in the RightOnline Conference

Dan Phillips — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:23:36 +0000

If any convention of rightists should incorporate Ron Paulites, libertarians, paleolibertarians, Constitutionalists, anti-war conservatives, and paleoconservatives, it should be a convention of bloggers and internet activists.

Recently I received an e-mail from Erik Telford of Americans for Prosperity (AFP) informing me that Michelle Malkin had agreed to speak at the upcoming RightOnline Conference. Of course, he was [...]

War Hawks Need to Define "Victory"

Dan Phillips — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 12:00:08 +0000

It is incumbent upon the hawks to very specifically define the war aims as they see them.

I have been a paleoconservative non-interventionist since well before the start of the Iraq War, and I have been trying to support and spread that view among my interventionist conservative brethren for many years. The non-interventionist side seems to [...]

Why Rightists Should be Chanting “Run Ralph Run!”

Dan Phillips — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 14:03:53 +0000

American politics, despite frequent allegations of extremism on both sides, is actually totally dominated and paralyzed by the center.

According to NewsMax, consumer activist Ralph Nader is leaving open the possibility of running for President again in 2008. He will decide whether to run later this year. He is reportedly unhappy with Senator Hillary Clinton, [...]

Anti-war Conservatives vs. Foreign Policy Realists

Dan Phillips — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 13:05:18 +0000

Clearly, the left-wing media does not understand distinctions on the Right. Unfortunately, many conservatives don’t understand distinctions on the Right either.

Reports indicate that George W. Bush will advocate an increase in troop strength in Iraq when he publicly announces his new policy for Iraq. This policy has been dubbed “surging” and is also supported by [...]

Senator Obama and the Social Gospel

Dan Phillips — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 12:58:13 +0000

Is Christianity primarily about the Gospel of the Bible and saving souls, or is it about liberal social transformation?

All the fuss over Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) and his possible presidential candidacy is hard to explain. He is a recently elected junior Senator. Under normal circumstances his candidacy would be considered premature at best and hubristic [...]

What the Heck is a Paleoconservative and Why You Should Care

Dan Phillips — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 13:40:33 +0000

Paleoconservatism is informed by certain philosophical presumptions that differ markedly from the presumptions of neocons and most modern conservatives.

Have you ever noticed how enthusiasts of all sorts frequently speak a language that is completely unintelligible to the rest of us? For example, computer geeks . . . err . . . enthusiasts have their own [...]

Understanding the Paleoconservative Perspective on Life

Dan Phillips — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 12:05:06 +0000

By adopting the liberal rhetoric of rights and the individual, the pro-life movement has made a pact with the Devil.

During my years of reading paleoconservative books and magazines and visiting paleoconservative websites, it became obvious to me that paleocons are very critical of the modern pro-life movement. Since paleocons are almost universally pro-life, this criticism [...]