America's Messianic War Cult

The Ethical Spectacle ^ | October 2002 | Matthew Hogan

[Greybird]

I cannot leave unhighlighted that graceful and accurate double-sided allusion -- architectural and otherwise -- in the midst of this piece:

[...] And so, after the Twin Towers have fallen, the neocons turn to empire state building.

The comment by John Quincy Adams, in one place, from a speech on 4 July 1821, for those who want it:

Wherever the standard of freedom and independence has been unfurled, there will [America's] heart, her benedictions, and her prayers be. But she goes not abroad in search of monsters to destroy. She is the well-wisher to the freedom and independence of all. She is the champion and vindicator only of her own. ... She well knows that, by once enlisting under other banners than her own ... she would involve herself, beyond the power of extrication, in all the wars of interest and intrigue. ... She might become the dictatress of the world; she would no longer be the ruler of her own spirit.

This last fear, the loss of our distinct spirit -- that of respecting liberty and questioning authorities -- is what I fear most in this rush to war.

[gr8eman]

What? Who's rushing? If the war was "rushed" it would be over! Like a great philosopher once said "...Delusion begets delusion..."!

[Moby Grape]

What you fear most are the MONSTERS under your bed. If dipsticks like the moron that wrote this pathetic piece of mindless drivel, cannot see the CLEAR and PRESENT danger posed by Saddam, then they would have made WONDERFUL bedfellows for England's Chamberlain, and for the French "partiots" of the 1930's who declared in THEIR writtings of the day that the ONLY THREAT to world peace were those right-wing war mongers suggesting that the only way to avoid a world war was to stop Hitler NOW....Patriotism is NOT definded by blindess and sticking ones' head in a hole.

[TomB]

that of respecting liberty

Like the "liberty" in Iraq?

[BlueLancer]

"If the war was "rushed" it would be over!"

I wholeheartedly agree. It's been over a year and, other than attacking Afghanistan for harboring the Bin Laden and his terrorist thugs .. and, even then, the Afghani government could have avoided that by turning them over .. we haven't yet hit the true centers of the infection.

Let's see: two weeks for Iraq ... be generous and say one month for Iran ... one week for Saudi Arabia ... four days for Syria ... three days for Lebanon ...

Okay, that makes a grand total of two months to knock over the center of the terrorist network. If we had had been in a rush, the clean up could have started with the New Year, 1 January 2002, and we'd all be sitting back now wondering what the fuss was about.

Rush ... don't make me laugh.

[Stirner]

"Hegemon" does not imply 'messiah', but effectively unoppsoable force. When I was young and liberal (1950's) I felt even then that proliferation of weapons of mass destruction was the most pressing problem facing the world. I dreamed of a transfer of all nuclear weapons to the UN, who would then function as hegemon, preventing anyone else from possessing WMD's. I have long since lost hope that the UN can (or should) perform that function, but I still think it's a job that needs doing. John Quincy Adams' remarks are compelling, except for that job that needs doing. Despite my small-government yearnings, I do not see any way to supress WMD's than a heavily intrusive, world-wide security regieme, watching everybody, and nipping things in the bud. I hate that image, but I hate even worse nuclear weapons in the hands of small groups of disaffected individuals who will use those weapons if they think they have nothing to lose (think Jim Jones with nukes).
Given that premise, that we're going to be there anyway, then why not be freedom's champion, an ally to those who want it, everywhere? I don't know how long a US hegemony could keep a massive increase in destruction at bay. Rome did pretty well for a few centuries.

[gr8eman]

JQA was correct in principle but had he knew the English were about to nuke Philly or New York he would have thought differently. Not really a realistic comparison for the times, but a tribute to the kind of vision which this country is again in desparate need!

[NMC EXP]

...cannot see the CLEAR and PRESENT danger posed by Saddam...

You cannot see anything. You regurgitate the lies told to you by the administration.

“The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth becomes the greatest enemy of the State.”
– Dr. Joseph M. Goebbels

“What luck for rulers, that men do not think.”
-- Adolph Hitler

As long as you continue to swallow the lies, the state will provide them.

Regards

J.R.

[gr8eman]

You regurgitate the lies told to you by the administration

Yeah...Jim McDermott knows all about it!

[dighton]

... don't make me laugh.

It ain't funny!

Matthew Hogan is kept awake by neocons under his bed, MESSIANIC neocons, THOUSANDS of 'em. Just *you* try staying sane when you haven't slept in months.

;-)

[BlueLancer]

"(This essay is condensed from a longer version, available from the author on request.)"

Oh ... right ... like I'm going to ask to be beaten on the head with the hammer for a little while longer. "Please, sir, may I have another?" ...

Oh, by the way, is this guy any relation to Hulk Hogan?

[Poohbah]

I'd rate this a 5

[A Vast RightWing Conspirator]

I disagree with the author. What the Neocons are REALLY after is making the world safe for Israel. At any price.

Now, what the Neocons may REALLY achieve in the end, could be the final answer to all the environmental problems we are facing these days. All the environment-realted problems would go away if and when the world population came down to 1-2% of what it is today. They should be able to achieve this goal by, maybe, 2500.

[BlueLancer]

Do you mean like ...

[Seeking the truth]

Well, I am defintitely not a NeoCon but put me down for War Party.......

Saddam Countdown 0cents Stamp

[meenie]

It would be good to have an intelligence capability that could pin-point the location of possible WMD production. With the intelligence capabilities and problems we now have, it would seem that an arms inspection program should be encouraged rather than discouraged. Any commander that wants to commit troops without as much intelligence of the enemy as possible is irresponsible in the welfare of his forces.

I see no reason for rushing in blind with the satellites, overflights, and communication intercepts we have spent billions for. The explanation that we think Saddam is working on weapons of mass destruction does not inspire much confidence in the thought given to proceeding in a deliberate mannner. We should KNOW if and when Saddam is ready to launch WMD's.

[DB]

Get a clue, this isn't the 18th century. Believe it or not things change. John Quincy Adams had no idea what the future would hold. That despots from anywhere in the world could destroy entire cities in seconds without warning.

Only a fool would trust the lives of millions to these people possessing these types of weapons.

It's a little late to say you were wrong after the fact.

[DB]

And if we don't know we just wait eh?

Our CIA has been made PC over the years. Our ability to penetrate these closed countries has been made ever more difficult.

Which is all the more reason not to disclose what we do know. It only gives away what few resources we do have. By giving away those resources now it could well cost thousands of our service men and women's lives.

At some point you have to trust your leaders to do the right thing. If you can't you're doomed anyway.

[Moby Grape]

Does it EVER bother you that you sound JUST like the Hollywood moron left? Does it ever bother you that you sound like Jim McDermot?

[STD]

This was a rant by a disordered pathetically uneducated mind. History is the true teacher. When we fail through fear to crush evil, we will become impotent and fall from our high place. This is America's last opportunity to do God's Will.

The usual suspects socialists/criminals/satan's minions are out in strength to discredit this once proud nation. That we are so divided is very telling. We may never have another chance to right such an evil as the defeat of radical Islamists.