Is ‘Classical Liberalism’ Conservative? by Yoram Hazony

Is ‘Classical Liberalism’ Conservative? by Yoram Hazony

The differences between the classical-liberal and conservative traditions have immense consequences for policy. Establishing democracy in Egypt or Iraq looks doable to classical liberals because they assume that human reason is everywhere the same, and that a commitment to individual liberties and free markets will arise rapidly once the benefits have been demonstrated and the impediments removed. Conservatives, on the other hand, see foreign civilizations as powerfully motivated—for bad reasons as well as good ones—to fight the dissolution of their way of life and the imposition of American values.

Brilliant insight from someone outside America who can point out what we cannot often see.