The Neocon Con

[psychopomp]

The Neocon Con :: Intervention Magazine :: War, Politics, Culture


“Patriotism,” Mark Twain said, “means supporting your country always, and your government when it deserves it.”

The Bush administration has proven rather adept at exploiting patriotism, and it is hard to think of an administration that less deserves the support it demands as a litmus test of patriotism. For it is the Bush administration itself that has proven disloyal to the values that have made America a representative government dedicated to the rule of law, individual rights, and the common good. The breaches of trust have been legion: an “election” that traduced the will of the electorate through mass minority disenfranchisement, the opaque and unaccountable exercise of power, and the evisceration of civil rights and due process.

But by far the most egregious offense against the ideals of American democracy involves the shamelessly brazen manner in which the United States was misled into an unnecessary war with Iraq that has greatly weakened America’s national security and immeasurably tarnished her image in world opinion. Americans were not told the truth about Iraq because the Neoconservative cabal surrounding the president doesn’t trust the American people; to enlist support for their anti-democratic agenda, they realized they would have to con the American people.

What is the Neoconservative agenda? It is world domination, full spectrum dominance, unrivaled economic and military hegemony--in short, the establishment of a new world order subservient to American interests. Iraq, with the second largest proven oil reserves in the world, was a crucial square on the global chessboard, and capturing it would confer enormous strategic, economic, and military advantages. Iraq's alleged WMD, unproven ties to Al Qaeda, or importance to the war on terror, while not entirely irrelevant, were largely convenient pretexts. The determination to invade and occupy Iraq was made even before September 11th and reflects a momentous shift in both America's national character and her role in the world.

For the Bush Neoconservatives, oil is a strategic resource that holds the key to military, economic, and political dominance. As any historian will tell you, oil was the critical factor that determined the outcome of both WWI and WWII. And cheap abundant oil is essential to fueling America's vast military apparatus, which is spread out over nearly 150 military bases in more than 120 countries. America has become a global empire, far exceeding the Roman Empire in control, reach and influence, and sustaining and extending America's military dominance entails securing oil reserves that are vital to America's hegemony.
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< http://www.interventionmag.com/cms/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=809 >

[TA]

1. Know thy enemy - Here

www.csmonitor.com/specials/neocon/index.html

Go here to see and read about some of the major neocons. Just click on the heads for info and history.

[psychopomp]

2. Thanks for the CS link

I have seen it. Absolutely, know exactly who we are up against. Check the links in my sig line, too. :toast:

edit: the CS info is pretty spare. For much more detail, check the links in my sig.

[LiberalUprising]

4. Great links psycopomp

Thanks!

[Martin Eden]

3. Pretty good summary of the neocon agenda

the final two paragraphs summarize the failure:

So far, the Neoconservative dream has succeeded only in tarnishing America's image and undermining her security. Invading Iraq as part of the “war on terror” never made a great deal of sense, and so the transformation of Iraq into a magnet for terrorism, a recruitment device for Al Qaeda, and a rallying cry for anti-Americanism simply reflects the bankruptcy of the Neoconservative strategy for making America safer and more secure. There is no longer any doubt that we invaded Iraq based on fabrications, deceptions, and wishful thinking. Now the administration would have us believe that they too were victims of “faulty intelligence,” in hope that the public will avoid questioning the administration’s own intelligence for pursuing such an ill-conceived imperial scheme.

The Neoconservatives themselves were likely blinded to the truth by the abstract elegance of their grand imperial stratagem. Multilateralism, international cooperation, and a humble foreign policy were sacrificed on the altar of imperial hubris. It may be generations before America can repair the moral authority she has squandered in the pursuit of raw power. But there is a lesson here. A truly moral enterprise--like a campaign against terrorism--cannot be waged by weaving a web of lies. And a web of lies cannot sustain an ill-conceived imperial enterprise.