THE RESPECTABLE CONSERVATIVES' FAVORITE WAR | 2002-07-27
It is hard to say which war is most the popular with today's conservatives. They keep bragging on the Civil War, in which more Americans were killed than any other. Conservatives try to get liberals to like them by bragging about their love for Lincoln.
But the favorite conservative conflict is still The Big One, The Last Good War, WW2. For today's conservatives it was perfect.
First of all, during World War II practically everybody was in uniform, which is the dream society for today's right.
On its first cover after September 11, National Review showed a scene from World War II. It showed thousands of Americans parachuting, many to their deaths. Happy days were here again!
What thrills conservatives most about WW2 is the fact that the left was all for it. Especially after Hitler attacked the Peace-Loving Democratic Republic of Joseph Stalin in 1941, liberals united in favor of American entry into the fight.
So from 1941 America was waving flags, keeping its young men in uniforms, and liberals were all for it. It was a total war, the kind conservatives live for, and nobody protested against it and liberals told conservatives how smart they were for being such wonderful patriots. For that short period, liberals praised patriotism and conservatives were in Paradise.
After World War II, when America was fighting the Democratic Peace-Loving Peoples' Republics, i.e., Communists, the left has been for Peace, Non-Violence and Brotherhood. The conservative obsession for getting guys in uniforms no longer drew leftist praise.
No wonder World War II is still remembered as the conservatives' Dream Time.