I'm a Neocon . . .

according to the Christian Science Monitor. I didn't realize that Teddy Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan were neocons. I think of myself as a conservative because I believe in the view of America as a federation of states which need a common government only for limited purposes, not including the welfare state. I believe in liberty as a right only in the sense that being paid for one's labor is a right. It is the payment we receive for good citizenship and respect for the rest of society.

If that quiz is an indicator, Neocon is a term that only applies to foreign policy, but that doesn't fit with the way it's used. I thought to be a Neocon you had to be Jewish and a former liberal or the son of a former liberal. It fits better the definition "a liberal who's been mugged." I've always been conservative, but I've never been mugged. Maybe it's because I'm religious and believe that healthy societies are built on moral values and behaviors. I'm not a absolute fan of capitalism, but I am opposed to socialism and other centralized planning schemes. I think that a society based on voluntary sharing, hard work and equality is best because it would eliminate poverty and classes and wouldn't entail the inefficiencies of competition and private property. It cannot be imposed, however, but must come from individual choice and virtue. I never believed in prohibition before I practiced law, but having seen the damage it does to society as a whole, I'm not sure that I can justify having alcohol as freely available as it is. Obviously, I also oppose legalizing drugs, pornography and gambling.