The point is simple: controlling the world is not a rational national defense strategy.  It is not helpful to freedom.  It does not even maintain, let alone promote, conservative values.  The warfare state is the ultimate example of “big government.”  Here is someone who used to know that:

MODERATOR: New question. How would you go about as president deciding when it was in the national interest to use U.S. force, generally?

BUSH: Well, if it’s in our vital national interest, and that means whether our territory is threatened or people could be harmed, whether or not the alliances are — our defense alliances are threatened, whether or not our friends in the Middle East are threatened. That would be a time to seriously consider the use of force. Secondly, whether or not the mission was clear. Whether or not it was a clear understanding as to what the mission would be. Thirdly, whether or not we were prepared and trained to win. Whether or not our forces were of high morale and high standing and well-equipped. And finally, whether or not there was an exit strategy. I would take the use of force very seriously. I would be guarded in my approach. I don’t think we can be all things to all people in the world. I think we’ve got to be very careful when we commit our troops. The vice president and I have a disagreement about the use of troops. He believes in nation building. I would be very careful about using our troops as nation builders. I believe the role of the military is to fight and win war and therefore prevent war from happening in the first place. So I would take my responsibility seriously.

via CPD: 2000 Debate Transcript.

This report from Doug Bandow has me rather disappointed.  Why can’t CPAC figure out that we have taken a massive wrong turn?  Everyone acknowledges that Bush has damaged the GOP, so why can’t conservatives actually learn from the central weapon that inflicted that damage?

Oddly, the answer is in Rush’s psychological diagnoses of liberalism: feelings.  Conservatives operate on feelings when if comes to getting involved in useless and self-destructive (to leave civilian casualties out of the picture) military adventures.  There is nothing remotely rational about this “principle,” so called.