Free Republic

The neo-conservative strategic paradigm has become the rhetorical punching bag of pundits across the political spectrum. Not only leftists, but isolationist-leaning conservatives and libertarians have consistently scoffed at what they view as the far-fetched arrogance of a paradigm that seeks to implement regime change and build democracy in the autocratic and religiously radical Middle East. With each setback in Iraq, they have professed their alleged vindication. With each mounting casualty toll, they have demanded an expedited withdrawal from the Bush administration. They are wrong. Criticism without advocacy of a sufficient alternative contributes nothing to US national security. Wars are not...

Criticizing a grand strategy as ambitious as the Bush administration's is easy. Providing an alternative grand strategy that does not undermine American security is hard. In fact, no one has done so. With the June 30th transfer of sovereignty in Iraq almost upon us, and the November Presidential Election just around the corner, Americans need to analyze the Bush administration's adopted strategic framework of neo-conservatism in an appropriate context — namely what are the alternatives? If not the neo-conservative prescription of regime change followed by democratic construction, then what? After all, building democracy in the Middle East has proven to...