In America’s Way Back, Devine makes “the case for 21st century ‘fusionism’ ” — a reinvigoration of the Cold War–era conservative-libertarian alliance that employed “libertarian means for traditionalist ends.“
But the politics of the new century have strained that alliance significantly. In the gay marriage and immigration debates, conservatives decry libertarians’ rejection of “traditionalist ends,” while libertarians point to the Bush years as depressing evidence of conservatives’ lack of commitment to “libertarian means.“
Have the differences become too vast to bridge, or can libertarian-leaning Republicans like Sen. Rand Paul and Rep. Justin Amash breathe new life into post–Cold War fusionism? Join us for what promises to be a lively discussion of these issues.