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Unrepentant Neocon
Wall Street Journal ^ | Aug. 12, 2006 | Joseph Rago

Posted on 08/16/2006 8:36:15 PM PDT by n-tres-ted

Neoconservatism is hard to pin down as discrete political theory; Mr. Podhoretz [prefers] "tendency." In any case, as a practical matter, it denotes the mentality of those who moved from somewhere on the political left to somewhere on the right, primarily during the late '70s. It had "two ruling passions," according to Mr. Podhoretz. On the one hand, the neocons were repulsed by the countercultural '60s radicalism that came to dominate the American liberal establishment. On the other, they argued for a more assertive, muscular foreign policy (at the time in response to Soviet expansionism). ...

The "war on terror," he argues, ought to be rightly understood as "World War IV," demanding a new set of policies and ideas that will allow the U.S. to cope under drastically altered conditions.

The point of his voluminous WWIV essays ... is to limn the ways in which George Bush has done precisely that. "The military face of the strategy is pre-emption and the political face is democratization," he says. "The stakes are nothing less than the survival of Western civilization, to the extent that Western civilization still exists, because half of it seems to be committing suicide." ...

Does the president understand? ... Hasn't the administration, on the more intractable questions of Syria and Iran, shown by and large the same weakening of resolve? Mr. Podhoretz winces. The question seems to set his teeth on edge. "There are people who ask George Bush to do everything at once," he declares, "instead of picking his shots and moving at a politically viable pace. It's nice as an intellectual exercise, but what is the point of demanding things that no democratic political leader, not even George Bush, could conceivably do at this time? To my mind it's a kind of right-wing utopianism."

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Government; Philosophy; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: intellectual; iraq; neocon; podhoretz; terror; unrepentant; war; wsj; wwiv
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To: lonestar67

Beautiful!

Excellent list and there's more...

Any failures? I think a few.


41 posted on 08/16/2006 9:37:16 PM PDT by eleni121 (General Draza Mihailovich: We will never forget you - the hero of World War Two)
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To: Hound of the Baskervilles

Yup, I know what you mean. And there are those on the right, who ought to be with us, who are the "conservative utopians" who think the president must do everything precisely when they would like, regardless of the organizational problems that have to be overcome.


42 posted on 08/16/2006 9:38:02 PM PDT by n-tres-ted (Remember November!)
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To: Marius3188

You again? Once again, the real number is closer to 80%, not 10.


43 posted on 08/16/2006 9:38:19 PM PDT by pcottraux (It's pronounced "P. Coe-troe.")
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To: pcottraux

If you have the numbers, please post a link.


44 posted on 08/16/2006 9:41:23 PM PDT by Marius3188 (Happy Resurrection Weekend)
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To: sinkspur
Why didn't you list all the other Jews in the "neo-con" movement? Or, maybe you were about to do that.

The only one jew-baiting here is you, stinky.

But then you have never been a stickler for observing the prohibition against bearing false witness- is that a special dispensation you get from being a "deacon"?

45 posted on 08/16/2006 9:41:48 PM PDT by Pelham (McGuestWorkerProgram- Soon to serve over 1 billion Americans)
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To: Popocatapetl

Anything in particular that makes you think that is the case? I'm interested in your thinking.


46 posted on 08/16/2006 9:42:00 PM PDT by n-tres-ted (Remember November!)
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To: tortoise

I've been inclined to think they tend towards supply-side economic principles, which is far removed from socialism. Any specifics you can think of?


47 posted on 08/16/2006 9:44:45 PM PDT by n-tres-ted (Remember November!)
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To: n-tres-ted
No, the "true" neocon is someone like myself, at least in the sense that the perspective is more co-extensive with mine, than most other specific labels withing "conservatism." It is a philosophy, an attitude, albeit a pluralistic one, which desires to grapple seriously, and with perseverance and patience, with evil and dysfunctionality, both at home and abroad, and takes American security seriously, all empirically driven based on the facts, and experience, rather than some over-arching grand unified theory. I am a secular WASP moderate conservative, who was move conservative in my youth.
48 posted on 08/16/2006 9:44:46 PM PDT by Torie
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To: Marius3188

This article is mostly on the different types of guns and weaponry used in combat, but it ends with an analysis on the overall situation. A very long read, but worth it:

http://mypetjawa.mu.nu/archives/133585.php

It's a little dated, but the numbers have been verified for me by everyone I know who's actually in Iraq right now.


49 posted on 08/16/2006 9:45:19 PM PDT by pcottraux (It's pronounced "P. Coe-troe.")
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To: Pelham
You're an old Buchananite from way back.

We've been through this before.

No false witness here. Just stopped you from embarrassing yourself.

50 posted on 08/16/2006 9:45:41 PM PDT by sinkspur (Today, we settled all family business.)
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To: lonestar67

Yes, we are not done, and what has been done is not enough. There are still forces and entities in the world that would like to see us destroyed, and as soon as the liberals gain power (and I truly hope they never do) those entities will attack.


51 posted on 08/16/2006 9:47:02 PM PDT by phoenix0468 (http://www.mylocalforum.com -- Go Speak Your Mind.)
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To: hosepipe

To the contrary. David Horowitz is no one's definition of RINO.


52 posted on 08/16/2006 9:47:14 PM PDT by n-tres-ted (Remember November!)
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To: Richard-SIA

Yep, still much to be done.


53 posted on 08/16/2006 9:49:27 PM PDT by phoenix0468 (http://www.mylocalforum.com -- Go Speak Your Mind.)
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To: pcottraux
Most people tell me I'm wise beyond my years.

Lol. Seeing your indifference to broadening your knowledge, I'd say you would be wiser if you didn't listen to such flattery.

Kristol is the 'godfather' of the movement and Paul Gottfried one of neoconservatism's more perceptive critics- contra sinkspur who obviously believes neocon = Jew, which would be news to the good Mr Gottfried.

54 posted on 08/16/2006 9:49:52 PM PDT by Pelham (McGuestWorkerProgram- Soon to serve over 1 billion Americans)
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To: Marius3188

I have heard the opposite is true. That most of the insurgents are foreigners and less than half are Iraqis. Even if it isn't, the fact remains that of the foreigners many either are Saudi or come from there. And the fact about Pakistani support of the Taliban remains.


55 posted on 08/16/2006 9:50:57 PM PDT by phoenix0468 (http://www.mylocalforum.com -- Go Speak Your Mind.)
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To: Pelham

Crtics of neoconservatism come in many flavors, and from many different backgrounds, as do its supporters. The Jew thing is a red herring, as to faciliatating any productive discussion. It is a distraction.


56 posted on 08/16/2006 9:51:59 PM PDT by Torie
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To: Torie

Interesting. Sounds much like conservatism to me, although not the moderate type (at least in regard to national security).


57 posted on 08/16/2006 9:52:15 PM PDT by n-tres-ted (Remember November!)
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To: hosepipe
Was Ronald Reagan a RINO? B y some people's definition, here, Reagan most certainly was a NEOCON.
58 posted on 08/16/2006 9:52:34 PM PDT by nopardons
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To: Pelham
Seeing your indifference to broadening your knowledge, I'd say you would be wiser if you didn't listen to such flattery.

That's not a very nice thing to say.

I love to broaden my knowledge. I enjoy reading different things people have to say. I'm just careful WHO that comes from, because there are too many jerks like you out there who just want to insult people and talk about how great they are.

59 posted on 08/16/2006 9:54:57 PM PDT by pcottraux (It's pronounced "P. Coe-troe.")
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To: pcottraux

Well, I haven't been there since last October, I could be wrong.

Anyway, this breaks it down.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/16/AR2005111602519.html


60 posted on 08/16/2006 9:55:50 PM PDT by Marius3188 (Happy Resurrection Weekend)
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