After Iraq, The Left Has A New Agenda: Contain America

National Journal ^ | 5/23/03 | Jonathan Rauch

[My2Cents]

In 1999, Republicans bitterly opposed U.S. action against a rogue state in Central Europe

It wasn't the policy; it was the "Commander-in-Chief." Bill Clinton never prosecuted a war that wasn't, first and foremost, as means of either distracting from his numerous scandals, or a way to make himself look "Presidential." It was all about him, not about international alliances or confronting tyrants.

Besides, to say that Republicans "bitterly opposed" the air war against Serbia isn't true. If memory serves me correctly, Bob Dole supported the war on Serbia, as did George W. Bush.

[HELLRAISER II]

Forget the Political Wilderness that their going to hide in, I'd be happy to donate towards a boat trip to another country for these Leftist, Liberal bootlicking scumbags.

[narby]

At last the globalized economy faces a globalized Left, one that can come together at the speed of e-mail to oppose corporate power -- and American power.

So - its the economy vs. the Left. Their enemey is that which provides everyone a job.

Finally they admit the truth. The left is made up of self hating individuals who's goal it is to commit suicide.

I never understood one important scene in the book "Atlas Shrugged", where Dagny (I think) is confronting her looter brother. Her brother basically has a nervous breakdown, and then Francisco or someone says something like, "yes, yes, now you understand, its your own death you're working for". I never understood it, but that's what they really want. Like the Greens, the left hates humanity so much they want humanity to go away, even if they have to die as well.

[wayoverontheright]

Good article, for the most part I'm in agreement.

Their beef is with American power, not American culture.

How to explain, then, the attack on SUVs, the traditional family, white males, the justice system, and the existence of class warfare, revisionist history and rampant political correctness, all serving in effect to annihilate our culture?

Does this mean the left will only attack our military in the future and leave our culture alone? I doubt it very much.

[Nonstatist]

If its new rallying cry is going to be "Contain America first!" the Left had better pack its bags for a long, long stay in the political wilderness, at least in America; and if it is going to make excuses for Saddam as it once made excuses for Stalin, it can kiss its moral relevance goodbye

In a dangerous world, who in their right mind would want these guys in power? I believe in the future they will view the Clinton years to be their heyday. Pretty sad, I must say.

[p. henry]

An interesting article.

Another intersting question for those who would restrain America through "multilateralism" is: why? Why should America restrain its pursuit of what it perceives to be in its own best interest unless it is able to gain the approval of an unspecified number of other nations who, in deciding whether to grant that approval, will be pursuing what they perceive to be in their own interest?

In the case of Iraq, America was opposed by France, Germany, and Russia because, among other things, those countries believed correctly that the removal of Saddam would result in the concurrent removal of the commercial advantages enjoyed by them under the sanctions regime. One of the great ironies of the whole affair was to see leftists cheering the French Foreign Minister who was essentially advocating the retention of a brutal, corrupt totalitarian regime for the crassest of capitilist motives.

The great myth of "multilateralism" is that there exists a set of common international values and that only the "international community" can be trusted to pursue those values. The truth, as demonstrated vividly by the Iraqi situation, is that there are no common values, only common interests and that those interests are constantly changing.

[driftless]

The conservatives I heard criticizing the Serbian action opposed the idea of an air war without boots on the ground. When the bombing worked, Tony Snow for one admitted he was wrong. But most major conservatives I've read didn't state that they were against a military action. They just didn't like the methods. By the way, where were all the anti-war lefties when the Serbian bombing started? Gee, it wasn't because a fellow traveler was in office was it?

[The Toll]

Boy you hit that one on the head. I couldn't agree more.

[cake_crumb]

"The short formulation is that so-called neoconservatism has triumphed. In 1999, Republicans bitterly opposed U.S. action against a rogue state in Central Europe"

It wasn't a rogue state. It was a Clinton's way of making America forget about the impeachment. Our troops didn't even know who the enemy was, because Not-So-Bright apparently didn't either. As a result, the Muslims are busily building their Greater Albania in the Balkans and the killing continues.

But it was Clinton, so tht makes it ok.

[ModelBreaker]

The author claims to discover something new--neo-leftism. But containing America has long been one of the principal goals of the Left. The Lilliputians of the left have been weaving a web of treaties, agreements, and multilateralism around America for decades (with the frequent connivance of democrats and the rest of the American left) to this precise end.

But that is not, in my opinion, an end in itself for the left, as the article suggests. America is powerful and represents the four things the left hates most: freedom of speech, the rule of law, the notion that men are equal as a god-given gift (or for the athiests, by natural law), and a market based economy. We export these virtues unconsciously. They export so easily because of the strength and attractiveness of our culture. The left knows that America must be destroyed or subverted. Unless the left succeeds in destroying or subverting America, our culture is likely to become, eventually, the universal norm on earth--simply as a matter of Hayeckian economic cultural darwinian pressure.

Thus, containment is a necessary step toward the destruction of America, as a beacon of liberty. Contained, America would be unable to defend itself against conventional or assymetric attack. We would eventually face destruction or subversion because our success and culture is based on openness and trust--neither of which would survive repeated 911's.

By way of contrast, were the US to become the nasty, totalitarian state for which the left so yearns, the leftist agenda would no longer be to contain America. America's military would be promptly used to squash all remaining liberty in the rest of the world. Imagine Hugo Chavez with the world's most powerful armed forces.

Reason number 5,866 to prevent Hillary from becoming president.

[VaBthang4]

I didnt get past the second paragraph...sounded like someone trying to spin a complete and total defeat for the left.

[pragmatic_asian]

"The passage in 1993 of the North American Free Trade Agreement was a tactical defeat for the Left, but it brought into being a far-flung and effective leftist anti-trade constituency. With the Iraq war, something analogous may be happening."

But the idiot leftists who opposed global trade are already completely discredited and are now being taught David Ricardo's lessons on comparative advantage. Consider what happened in Bangladesh; those anti-capitalist/anti-globalists succeeded in driving away those 'imperialist capitalist corporations.' What happened afterwards? Without employment opportunities, crime rose, children resorted to prostitution, etc... Nice going. Of course, there are plenty of people here opposed to globalization when it's their job that's shipped overseas. I wonder how long it will be before the new anti-american power left is completely discredited. My question to them is why oppose American power so reflexively? Are these the kids who were bullied as youngsters and now view anyone with power angrily? Ahh screw-em.

[edsheppa]

When the bombing worked, Tony Snow for one admitted he was wrong.

There is a sense in which the bombing worked in that Serbia eventually capitulated, but prosecuting the war from 30,000 feet dramatically increased the suffering of both Kosovars and Serbs. As usual Clinton wasn't thinking of anyone but himself.

[RobbyS]

To see realized their vision of America, just look at Canada!

[cake_crumb]

I've read many times that between 50 and 60% of the buildings were damaged or destroyed. The left never mentions that.

The left never said much about the civilian casualties either.

[WaterDragon]

The Left brought us Communism, Nazism and fascism in the last century. It attacked America in the '60s, trying to violently overthrow our government. When that failed, they moved into academia, the media, our public schools, launched a massive welfare state, introduced racist politics with a vengence, and dehumanized women by making them sex objects agreeable to killing their own babies.

So, now the international Left is determined to isolate America in the 'world community?'

But Americans are finally waking to this French Leftist "vision" of the world -- capitalism and representative government destroyed, America destroyed. We aren't about to let them succeed.

[billbears]

It is hard to find a conservative who does not believe, as the neocons do, in robust and pre-emptive American action against tyrants and terrorists.

Oh, really....

[WaterDragon]

The Left will never relent on attacking our capitalist economy, but they have this other line of attack -- on our culture.

Look at Britain for what they have in store for us. Blair has been dismantling the British cultural heritage steadily and relentlessly.

[WaterDragon]

The prosecution of the war in Bosnia and Serbia was relentlessly undermined by the treason of France.

After that war was won, the EU and the UN moved in to take over, and they are NOT going to allow American-type freedoms and economy thrive there.