From: Kenneth Van Oost (kennethvanoost@belgacom.net)
Date: Sat 07 May 2005 - 09:59:36 GMT
----- Original Message -----
From: Lawrence deBivort <debivort@umd5.umd.edu>
> Neocons in Europe?
Can you say a bit more: where, ideology, influence, etc.
There are, in Holland for Christ sake ! For other European countries
I have no info avaible....
There is a think- tank called the E. Burke Foundation, anti-
revolutionary, but all for the conservative revolution anyway !
The foundation is a collection of all kinds of people, with different
idealistic backgrounds. That is no problem because they have no
political aspirations, although they stand close to the Prime Minister
Balkenende.
On the other hand, for most the foundation is the basic element for
a greater People's Party in the future.
They themselves want to give a conservative framework for people
of all political fractions !
The foundation published and arganises lectures and seminars.
The Conservative Manifest is their most talked about writing up
to date ( 2003)_ didn 't read it though !
Their aim is to bring together all receptive parties for the conservative
ideas; parties which idealistic stand close to the political- philosophical
contours of conservatism.
It is according to the chairman no denomination, and neither is it a
political party. They only want to establish a platform for exchanging
ideas about and starting from conservatism.
Where liberals like Mill and Burckhardt also stand for themes like
family, education, etc, the foundation wants to develop a morality
to re- engange social cohesion. The pure form of libaralism is almost
suicidal. We must admit it has weak and sharp ends which can be
repaired with conservatism. They never want to go back to the dark
ages of conservatism ( crown and altar), they see more in what the
traditional philosophy sees as solutions and remedies for the in the
democracy existing problems.
Their alternative for what Tocqueville saw as his worst nightmare is
according the conservatives a civil society, where public involment
and personal engagement are getting important.
The think- tank most ambitious plan is to influence the climate of opinions,
and so indirect the political decision- making.
Lawrence, I got more info, if you want it, give me a call....
Also interesting and in English avaible, is Michael Sandel, Balkenende
his own private philosopher and member of Bush his National Council
of ethics.
Regards,
Kenneth
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