sometimes brazenly, as the post-Reaganrnright embraced the civil rights movement,rnsupplv-side economics, the “imperialrnpresidency,” a “progressive conservative”rndefense of the welfare state,rncertain forms of judicial activism thatrnsuited the Reaganites’ immediate partisanrnand ideological agendas, and otherrnextensions of the American megastaternconstructed by the left in this century.rn”Cultural traditionalism,” of course, remainsrna catchword of the right today,rnthough conservatix’c airheads have increasinglyrndenuded it of any concreterncontent, hi their crsion of cultural traditionalism,rn”family values” mean whate’rner you say thev mean, Americans havern”religion” but no particular faith orrnchurch, and, if not vet Malcolm X, thenrnat least Martin Luther King, Jr., is takenrnas an exemplar of American ideals onrnthe same level as Washington and Jefferson.rnAny notion that America is thernproduct of a distinctive and particularrnpeople and their institutions and thatrnthe nation cannot exist or survie apartrnfrom them is alien and repugnant to thernmainstream leadership of those who regardrnthemselves as conservatives today,rnand even the description of America as arn”Christian nation,” as Mississippi’s GovernorrnKirk Fordice discovered shortly afterrnthe election, is greeted with derisionrnand fear by the national leaders of thernRepublican Party.rnWhat remains of American conservatismrntoday seems largely to be centeredrnaround economic and fiscal issuesrn—controlling or limiting taxation,rncutting the budget, and dealing with therndeficit (for those who think that therndeficit is even an issue). What no onernseems to have noticed, however, is that,rnabsent the “small government” ideals ofrnthe Old Right, those issues too becomernmeaningless. If conservatives are nowrncommitted to a kind of Tory welfarismrnand if, even after the end of the ColdrnWar, they continue to support the foreignrnpolicy and military apparatus of thernCold War state in the form of foreignrnaid, troops abroad, etc., how can theyrnpossibly expect to cut the taxes or limitrnthe spending necessary to maintainrnthese structures and functions? It is allrnver well to smirk about the costs of thernfranking privilege and various barrels ofrnpork, but these perennial and egregiousrnexamples of “waste” are not significantrnportions of the federal budget.rnMoreo’er, it has become a commonplacernof American politics that so manyrnAmericans of all kinds and constituenciesrnnow depend on “welfare” and similarrnbenefits dispensed by the federalrnleviathan that it is politically impossiblernfor any one party or movement to getrnitself elected and preside over a balancedrnand fair reduction of federal entitlements.rnThe budget crisis in thernUnited States will be solved when andrnonly when a coalition of constituenciesrngains power and proceeds to slice outrnthe entitlements of everyone who is notrnpart of the coalition. But no one imaginesrnthat entitlements will ever bernreduced in accordance with the smallgovernment,rnpolitical-neutralist principlesrnthat animated the Old Right fromrnthe days of the New Deal.rnThe word and concept of “conservatism,”rnthen, have been rendered allrnbut meaningless, though it is to be expectedrnthat those who make use of thernword and concept will prosper under thernClinton administration, and while itrnmight even come to pass that some ofrnthem will eventually be elected to onernoffice or another, it is doubtful that anyrnof them will ever be able to govern, unlessrnthey further delude themselves thatrnthe left is really the right and therebyrngain the applause and approval of thernnation’s dominant political and culturalrnforces. “Conservatism,” to be sure, isrnable to raise money, increase subscriptionsrnfor its journals, attract some followers,rnand perhaps even win elections,rnbut it is unable to govern because itrndoes not control or even have strong alliesrnwithin the dominant culture. It isrnuninterested in culture, except insofarrnas “culture” serves as a convenientrnbumper-sticker for electoral purposes,rnand in the last election conservativesrnproved that they cannot even make effectivernuse of their vaguelv and vapidlyrndefined cultural issues.rnWhat, then, is to be done? GaetanornMosca, the Italian political scientist ofrnthe late 19th century, wrote that thern”Social Darwinist” conception of humanrnsociety was somewhat misplaced,rnbecause the competition among andrnwithin human societies is usually not arn”struggle for existence” or survival, asrnSocial Darwinism taught, but ratherrna “struggle for preeminence, which isrnreally a constant phenomenon that arisesrnin all human societies, from the mostrnhighly civilized down to such as havernbarely issued from savagery.” The realrnissue in most social conflicts, from warrnto elections, is not about physical sur-rnNever ForgetrnGOLDrnIf your best friend were in thernrare coin business, you couldn’trnget this quality for less.rnU.S. 1866-1899 “Coronet Liberty”rn$5 Gold Half Eagle, Extra FinernOnly $179.’rnWhy are we selling guaranteed ExtrarnFine 19th century U.S. $5 gold piecesrnat this rock-bottom price? Simple: tornget you to try us. Because once you’rernacquainted with the way we do businessrn-our strict grading, prompt delivery,rnpersonalized service, moneysavingrndiscount catalogs (“the best inrnthe industry”) and free research reportsrn- we’re betting that you’ll wantrnto continue ordering from us.rnA terrific offer! Historic “Coronet Liberty”rngold half eagles are America’srnmost popularly collected classic goldrncoins. And, especially in uncertainrntimes, gold has been one of man’s bestrnfriends. Becauseof opportunetiming,rnwe now offer sharply detailed ExtrarnFine quality for far less. Even if yournhad a friend or relative in the coinrnbusiness, we doubt that you could getrna better deal – or get coins selectedrnwith greater care.rnHurry, while they last. While suppliesrnlast, we’ll sell guaranteed ExtrarnFine U.S. “Coronet Liberty” gold halfrneagles for just $179 each or 5 for $850.rnLimit 5. (Order #10133). No dealerrnorders accepted. Dates range fromrn1866 to 1899 (no 1900s). The coins arernconservatively graded by our ANAtrainedrnexperts and come with a certificaternof authenticity. 30-day homernexamination: money-back guarantee.rnTo order by credit card, call toll-freern1-800-451-4463 at any time. Or sendrnyour check or money order to: InternationalrnCoins & Currency, Inc., HE.rnState St., Box 218, Dept. 2618, Montpelier,rnVT 05601. Add just $2 for postage.rnDon’t miss this opportunity! Allrnorders subject to acceptance.rnServing collectors for 18 years.rnFEBRUARY 1993/9rnrnrn