A Voice in the Wilderness In Defense of "Mere Conservatism"

A Reagan Reminder on Iran, Terrorism

I'm back from the Great North Woods of Minnesota having caught my fill (for now) of Walleye.  While sitting on a boat out on the clear waters of Lake Mille Lacs, I was privileged to chat with a veteran of the Vietnam war who had some thoughts on our current conflict with Iran and the irreconcilable wing of Islam.  As this brave man (and cagey angler) relayed his concern for the appeasement-obsessed policies of the United Nations, European Union, and increasingly, the current administration in Washington D.C., the words of Ronald Reagan rang in my ears.  It was during the Barry Goldwater presidential campaign of 1964 that Reagan made his first big splash in national politics.  He gave a rousing speech that was nationally televised and put him on the political map for the next 30 years.

Here is a clip from that speech that I think speaks directly to our modern timidity when it comes to evil in the form of nation-states and radical ideologies around the globe.

If you have time, watch the entire speech here, and tell me where can one hear such clear, bold, unapologetic rhetoric these days?  Where is this generation's "Reagan"?  I agree with those who say we can't rely on invoking the name of The Gipper every election from now until kingdom-come...but where are the new voices of sanity in a political world gone mad?

We can't sit back and think that the Iranian problem (in particular) will take care of itself.  Inaction now will force military action later (or, more likely, in the near future).