Posted on 08/28/2003 7:35:28 AM PDT by u-89
Neocon 101
Some basic questions answered.
What do neoconservatives believe?
- "Neocons" believe that the United States should not be ashamed to use its unrivaled power – forcefully if necessary – to promote its values around the world. Some even speak of the need to cultivate a US empire. Neoconservatives believe modern threats facing the US can no longer be reliably contained and therefore must be prevented, sometimes through preemptive military action.
- Today, both conservatives and neocons favor a robust US military. But most conservatives express greater reservations about military intervention and so-called nation building. Neocons share no such reluctance.
- neocons are not afraid to force regime change and reshape hostile states in the American image
- many other conservatives, particularly in the isolationist wing, view this as an overzealous dream with nightmarish consequences.
- Neocons envision a world in which the United States is the unchallenged superpower, immune to threats. They believe that the US has a responsibility to act as a "benevolent global hegemon." In this capacity, the US would maintain an empire of sorts
- Any regime that is outwardly hostile to the US and could pose a threat would be confronted aggressively, not "appeased" or merely contained. The US military would be reconfigured around the world to allow for greater flexibility and quicker deployment to hot spots in the Middle East, as well as Central and Southeast Asia. The US would spend more on defense, particularly for high-tech, precision weaponry that could be used in preemptive strikes.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In their own words. A collection of quotes by neoconservatives.
- "Change - above all violent change - is the essence of human history." - Michael Ledeen
- "American power should be used not just in the defense of American interests but for the promotion of American principles." - William Kristol
- "Republicans are good at wielding power, but they're not so wonderful when it comes to the more idealistic motives of liberal internationalism. The Democrats are better at liberal internationalism, but they're not so good at wielding power. I would say that if there were a Joe Lieberman/John McCain party, I'm in the Joe Lieberman/John McCain party." - Robert Kagan
-----------------------------------------------------------
The Monitor asked a leading US foreign policy expert, Walter Russell Mead, to place neoconservative beliefs in historical context.
- "..in the early part of the 20th century when it was clear that the British empire was not going to be as strong and the Unisted States was growing. And you had people like Teddy Roosevelt and others beginning to think ... "What if America is going to become an imperial nation? What does that look like?"
-If you went back a hundred years or so, Wilsonianism was carried out by people like missionaries who thought that the way to make America safe was to make the rest of the world believe the way we do ........The neocons of today have sort of revived this older Wilsonian tradition
Q: What do you see as the neocons' biggest obstacles in the future?
A: They have the problem that all Wilsonians have. Wilsonians always want more foreign policy, in a way. If you think about democratizing the Middle East ... that's an incredibly tall order. That could take us a very long time. And it's not completely sure that everybody in the US is going to want to make those sacrifices ... especially if it involves troops, maybe not just in Iraq, but in other places ... some of whom will be getting shot at from time to time.
• Walter Russell Mead is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Monitor asked award-winning author, US military historian, and self-described neocon Max Boot to discuss the extent of neocon power.
Max Boot: "I think neocons combine the best of the two dominant strains of US foreign policy thinking: Wilsonian idealism and Kissingerian realpolitik. They have Wilson's devotion to promoting democracy while at the same time recognizing ” as Wilson did not – that this often requires force"
(Excerpt) Read more at csmonitor.com ...
And what does winning do for you if all you pass are liberal policies. Nationalized healthcare, more bureaucracy, free trade with nations that don't reciprocate, the list goes on. No, the GOP forgot the term conservative and decided to go for the votes. That's how they got elected. Of course a movement, if you can call the neocons a movement, that idolizes FDR and Wilson as good Presidents isn't anything that I would want to be a part of
Tax cuts, conservative judges, economic freedom, national defense...
You offer me Hillary Clinton. No thanks.
I 'offer' no such thing. If the Republican Party continues its move to the left and in the process loses the conservative part of the party through its indifference to them, it's not our fault if Hillary wins.
The problem with the Republican Party is when they see someone like Hillary get into office, they feel the successful Democrat's stance must be parroted but with an R besides the name of the next candidate. Instead of standing for conservatism they continue to move to the left to gain votes. Healthcare? 'Homeland' Security? 15 billion for AIDS? How long do you think these faux tax cuts are going to last when the bills for these 'conservative' actions start to come in?
As for conservative judges give me a break. The few Bush has presented and the ones many on here are whining about the Senate not confirming are moderate at best
At least "Neo-Cons" despise Saudi Arabia and would topple their government, make the House of Saud camel-jockeys once again, and give us $1.25 gas again. Right now an "American Empire" sounds like a good idea if we can start by re=subjugating the Muslim world first.
Sure you do. You would rather the Democrat win in 2004 than Bush. It's that simple.
Bush won't lose conservatives. He might lose you and your friends, but no serious person is under the impression that you and your crew are conservatives. National socialist Buchananites maybe, but definitely not conservatives.
LOL!! Please tell me my beliefs. Seriously, I would like you to post what you 'think' I believe. I find it humorous that you feel anyone that doesn't hold to President Bush's 'plan' is a 'national socialist Buchananite'
Are you bleeping nuts and cowardly? Think back to 9-11-2001. This is when the story begins. The Islamic world did us and now we're doing them. And before 9-11 Bin Laden was demolishing our embassies in Africa with huge death tolls and the cowardly Bill Clinton did NOTHING. Did you vote for AlGore so you would get more of the same?
If there is a "war party" there is a "cowardice party" and you and Justin Raimondo belong to it. Payback is a b***h and not responding is not an option. In fact we are taking the initiative and seeing their (the Muslim world) responses. We are pro active instead of waiting to be attacked.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.