Sunday, May 24, 2009

Neocons And War

I found the following piece while reading through a Jeremy Scahill article on the neocons and the media.

Its important to follow the neocons. Simply recall the Bush administration and its foreign policy to understand why.

Now, the neocons will reconvene in different think tanks and newly named institutes along with the usual A.E.I. and such.

Here neocon Ralph Peters writes an article for JINSA.
The Journal of International Security Affairs is the flagship publication of the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA). JINSA is a non-profit, non-partisan educational organization based in Washington, D.C. It is dedicated to explaining the need for a prudent national security policy for the United States, addressing the security requirements of both the United States and the State of Israel, and strengthening the strategic cooperation relationship between these two great democracies.
The writing speaks for itself. Please read the full article.

A few of the themes revolve around the suppression of the full media in a time of war, overwhelming force to annihilate the enemy, a sideways mention of allowing for torture as it is winning by any means, pumping up the military, all themes fully expanded on during the Bush term with neocon support. There is even a sideways reference to the Rove quote on how liberals wanted to give bin Laden therapy. The writer uses a similar analogy and similar contempt for the left.

The Journal Of International Security Affairs: Wishful Thinking and Indecisive Wars
Had we been ruthless in the use of our overwhelming power in the early days of conflict in both Afghanistan and Iraq, the ultimate human toll—on all sides—would have been far lower.

...we need to bring every possible resource to bear from the outset—an approach that saves blood and treasure in the long run. And we must stop obsessing about our minor sins. Warfare will never be clean, soldiers will always make mistakes, and rounds will always go astray, despite our conscientious safeguards and best intentions.

Our potential enemies believe that anything that might lead to victory is permissible. We are afraid that we might get sued.

Pretending to be impartial, the self-segregating personalities drawn to media careers overwhelmingly take a side, and that side is rarely ours.

...the nonsense that, if we win by fighting as fiercely as our enemies, we will “become just like them.”

3 comments:

Glynn Kalara said...

Isn't interesting how when it comes to WAR these people 's sense of morality is restricted to only one concept...WINNING. Nothing else matters. To them the Nazis/ Japanese only mistake was losing, not how or why they started the War and executed it ( not a pun). This is what happens when people give into unreasoning fear and allow it and ambition to drive policy. Scary stuff.

Jim Sande said...

I do find this to be scary stuff. The language in this article is actually stronger than the PNAC document and I thought that was the limit. I think you have an excellent question to pose to this guy "To them the Nazis/ Japanese only mistake was losing, not how or why they started the War and executed it." What would he say? He would talk about our superior morality and American exceptionalism. The neocons call it a new American century. As we know they mean for the world.

Glynn Kalara said...

In the 19th century it was called "Manifest Destiny". AKA Imperialism. Isn't funny how the crime of STEALING other people shit gets a fancier and fancier name the more you steal. They used to say that in England if the crime was big enough the King made you a noble. Today we call it "To Big to Fail."