I get to be a centrist again
One of the reasons why I left American Conservatives, and then America, is because conservatives were getting hijacked by insanity. I can't say it any better than Fareed Zakaria did. Conservatism used to be a hard-headed set of ideas rooted in reality, starting with the world as it actually exists, rather than those liberal Marxists with their political theories. These days Liberals are the pragmatists and Conservatives are the fundamentalists committed to their pet theories regardless whether they predict reality.
One thing I'm enjoying about Europe is that I actually get to be conservative every now and then. For example I know a few people who are into The Venus Project, partly because it promises free maglev trains and flying cars for everyone, but partly because it's going to achieve this by eliminating the concept of money. Which is a surprising claim on a number of levels. I don't like living in a world where the crazy people are polarized, and I find it oddly reassuring when I can still find sincere liberals just as crazy as sincere conservatives.
One thing I'm enjoying about Europe is that I actually get to be conservative every now and then. For example I know a few people who are into The Venus Project, partly because it promises free maglev trains and flying cars for everyone, but partly because it's going to achieve this by eliminating the concept of money. Which is a surprising claim on a number of levels. I don't like living in a world where the crazy people are polarized, and I find it oddly reassuring when I can still find sincere liberals just as crazy as sincere conservatives.