where are the real republicans

What do we mean when we say "Real Republicans"? If the argument is that they should be conservatives (economically), follow the Constitution, and be non-interventionist, then I think there is no question that the current GOP no longer fits this description. However, why is that the definition of a "Real Republican"? Yes, this was the definition of a Republican during World War One, the interwar period, World War Two, and perhaps for a bit after that. But the GOP has existed since the antebellum period. Why should we decide that the "Real Republicans" were the Robert Taft types and not the Abraham Lincoln types? If we are to accept the latter as our measure of a "Real Republican" then I think the current batch of Republicans (save Ron Paul) are very much "Real Republicans." A few criteria modern Republicans should fit if they are to be "Lincoln Republicans": Pro-centralization of government, protectionist, nationalistic, racist, little regard for individual rights, militarist, interventionist/corporatist in economic policy, and, in general, fascist. Let's see how they fit. Centralization of Government: The Republicans have long claimed to be "federalist" when it came to state's rights, that is, they are in favor of them. But how true is that? Republicans currently support national bans on abortion, homosexual marriage, medical marijuana (and illicit drugs in general), flag burning, stem cell research, and other things (depending on your Republican-of-choice, Mike Huckabee supports a national smoking ban, for instance). Also, we can look to immigration, where the Republicans all agree this is an issue for the federal government - despite this not being prescribed for the federal government in the Constitution and thus in the realm of the states. And what Republican (save perhaps Ron Paul) believes in the right to secession? Protectionist: Despite their claims to the contrary, almost every single Republican is a protectionist to one degree or another. Only Ron Paul supports real free trade - which is the simple, unilateral elimination of all trade barriers and tariffs. Republicans support sanctions/embargoes on Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Iraq (after Gulf War 1), and various other nations, in spite of the fact that it impinges on the freedom of US citizens regarding trade. Republicans support fake free trade agreements like NAFTA (which is really just a tariff union), the WTO (which "manages" trade - sort of how socialism "manages" the economy), and all sorts of tariffs and barriers. Many Republicans are taking a "hard-line" on China - which means they want to put up all sorts of barriers to trade until the Chinese do what we want. Is all this really what free traders would do? The answer is no, and the Republicans who support this stuff are protectionists. Nationalistic: From their support of a Constitutional amendment to ban flag burning to their worship of all things patriotism to their support of the President no matter what, the Republicans are moving into hypernationalist territory frequently seen in countries like Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia. I don't think there is any controversy over whether or not the Republican Party is infected with nationalism to the extreme. Racist: The whole immigration debate seems to make my point on this one. "They're taking our jobs!" is the call. As if the jobs belong to you. But what complaints are raised when jobs go to other Americans (and by this, I mean white Americans)? The fear of the Chinese and Japanese making our things is out of control as well, but what of companies in Europe? Are there protests against them? And all the hype about foreign oil? It is always the evil people in the Middle East. But what they don't tell you is the number one exporter of crude oil to the United States is Canada. And the number one exporter of petroleum to the United States is also Canada. But the issue here isn't that the oil is foreign. And the issues with China are not that their products are foreign and their labor is cheaper. The issue is that they look different and they are making things. And Republicans don't like it. Individual Rights: Mr. Lincoln suspended habeas corpus for the first time in the history of the United States of America. And so, in following with tradition, the Republicans suspended it once again in the 2006 Military Commissions Act. The Republicans of the modern age also launched the War on Drugs - perhaps the most invasive and rights-destroying policy in the history of the USA. As stated earlier, the Republicans are also looking to ban various things that individuals have a right to do on a national scale. Republicans also support the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which completely decimated property rights and freedom of association. Militarist: John McCain is a front-runner. Need I say more? The Republicans have gotten absolutely out of control with their "support the troops" and military spending. So-called "fiscal conservatives" also tend to be the ones to call for massive military expenditures. Republicans are war-hawks and try to compete in hawkish statements (leading to McCain saying things like it would be okay for us to stay in Iraq for 10,000 years). If you saw the last debate, there was a segment of probably ten minutes discussing if Romney is sufficiently dedicated to stay in Iraq, despite his constant rhetoric about staying "until the job is done." McCain got on him about not supporting the surge fervently enough. Non-interventionists like Ron Paul are laughed at, mocked, and generally considered to be RINO. Socialist/Fascist Economics: George W. Bush massively increase federal spending and the size of government. Even the Republicans admit it. They all claim to be for smaller government and "changing Washington." They then will go on to brag about how much they plan to spend on the military, police, border security, and the Drug War. The Republicans have claimed since Reagan that they wanted to get rid of the Department of Education, and it doubled in size under Reagan, it was increased dramatically under both Bushes (especially the latest with NCLB). They subsidize farmers, oil companies, and other "vital industries." They build and repair "infrastructure." They "privatize" Social Security not by letting you keep your money, but by putting it somewhere different than the Democrats want to put it. They support "tax reform" - which means tinkering with where the tax burden falls and, overall, raising taxes. They bail out companies that are "too big to fail" and support anti-trust to crush their more efficient competitors. They have supported price controls. They inflate and artificially lower interest rates. They spend, and spend, and spend, and spend. They regulate and keep big corporations untouchable. There are some, like John McCain, who hardly even try to hide their socialistic ideas. But do not be fooled by the others. They, too, are in support of bigger government, more spending, and higher taxes. The Republicans are not in favor of the free market - they are in favor of Big Government with Big Business. They are corporatists and/or socialists. Fascism: Above, I have described the general outline of what a fascist is. And what the modern Republicans are. This fits very well with what the early, Lincoln Republicans were and I think we should consider them the real "Real Republicans."