What a coincidence. On the same day my most recent article was published on conservatism (“Conservatism Laid Bare” on LRC), I received an e-mail from the Conservative Book Club (of which I have not been a member for years) advertising Bill Bennett’s new book on conservatism titled America the Strong: Conservative Ideas to Spark the Next Generation. According to the book’s description: “Bill Bennett and coauthor John Cribb explain what conservatism really means, using five fundamental principles summarized by the word FLINT: Free enterprise, Limited government, Individual liberty, National defense, and Traditional values.” But as my LRC article today shows, Bennett forgot one conservative principle: lock people in cages if they possess a substance the government doesn’t approve of. This is a book I could review without even reading. Conservatives don’t really believe in free enterprise, individual liberty, and limited government. They believe in national offense, not defense. And their conservative values are war, maiming, killing, torture, empire, foreign aid, and foreign intervention.

The Best of Laurence M. Vance