Current Observations: Conservatism vs. Libertarianism

As a follow-up post to The Americanism of Barry Goldwater, I thought the following comparison would be fitting. This piece, by Jacob G. Hornberger, puts the period on the end of the sentence about how far the beliefs of the conservative party have drifted away from where they once were. After reading this comparison, it becomes evident why I hear more and more people exclaim that they find it increasingly difficult to tell conservative and liberal platforms apart. That is to say, the two parties are becoming more and more alike as time passes. I couldn't agree more with this assessment.

Conservatism vs. Libertarianism
by Jacob G. Hornberger, April 12, 2006

The Conservative:

I'm a conservative. I believe in individual liberty, free markets, private property, and limited government, except for:

1. Social Security;
2. Medicare;
3. Medicaid;
4. Welfare;
5. Drug laws;
6. Public schooling;
7. Federal grants;
8. Economic regulations;
9. Minimum-wage laws and price controls;
10. Federal Reserve System;
11. Paper money;
12. Income taxation and the IRS;
13. Trade restrictions;
14. Immigration controls;
15. The postal monopoly;
16. Foreign aid;
17. Foreign wars of aggression;
18. Foreign occupations;
19. An overseas military empire;
20. A standing army and a military-industrial complex;
21. Infringements on civil liberties;
22. Military detentions and denial of due process and jury trials for citizens and non-citizens accused of crimes;
23. Torture and sex abuse of prisoners;
24. Secret kidnappings and "renditions" to brutal foreign regimes for purposes of torture;
25. Secret torture centers around the world;
26. Secret courts and secret judicial proceedings;
27. Warrantless wiretapping of citizens and non-citizens;
28. Violations of the Constitution and Bill of Rights for purposes of "national security"; and
29. Out-of-control federal spending to pay for all this.