Why do conservatives say domestic and trade policy are determined by markets, but wars are about idealism?

Question

The same people who organize domestic and trade policy around maximizing profits for corporations suddenly claim to be idealists when it comes to starting wars and choosing allies.

For example, they say we are spreading democracy in Iraq and supporting it in Georgia (no such luck for the people of Saudi Arabia or Uzbekistan).

Isn't it more likely that they are continuing to pursue business interests like the tens of trillions of dollars worth of oil in Iraq and the oil pipeline from the Caspian sea that runs through Georgia?

These same politicians and thinkers say government action to help out folks at home will make them dependent and lazy (and cut into profits), so why would they be more altruistic abroad?

Answer 1

that is one h**l of a great answer jesswzm~!!!

Answer 2

Forget about the oil, who do you think is making the weapons? War is a pretty big business.

Answer 3

I've never considered bombing towns flat and massacring half a million non-combatants any sort of "altruism" or "Idealism".

Answer 4

conservatives are essentially believers in might makes right..the law of the jungle.  I got mine, why dont you have yours. They see govt only as a tool of the rich to make sure markets are free and they can bleed the poor.  They want low taxes for obvious reasons. They love wars because they dont fight in them but love sending the children of the poor to fight them.  And now under Bush they have turned the american military into a profit making boon for big conservative donors who own security organizations who are making billions of money from war in Iraq and Afghnistan. Of course as everyone knows, if you are making billions of dollars from something that is going on...would you want it to stop.  OF course not....  this is why McCain and Bush and their ilk want it to go on as long as possible, and of course as long as there is war, it means tax payer money is diverted to the pockets of the rich and not used on actual things the citizenry needs like roads, bridges highways, job creation, education etc....

It all makes sense if you think about it clearly.

Answer 5

There may be an element of belief to it at the same time exploitation goes on. However action does more than words alone and no action would speak more than to demolish all major commercial airports in The U.S.A. and arrange a talk to see what other nations might have to say  on doing it to stop Global Warming. As to Saudi Arabia the women will get democracy for it one of these days if it was not already there. Of course if a female revolution was in the works and Russia were to supply weapons to it The Conservatives would to the other side. Another point to stop terrorism   demolition of major Saudi oil using airports and others in world an idea.  

Answer 6

u can't compare apples w oranges