The National Interest and 2008

There is something called the national interest. It is not an ideology. It is not the possession of a single cabal of self-appointed imperialists. It is not achieved by substituting consensus for principle. It is not "bipartisanship" for its own sake or in pursuit of bad policy. And it is not a euphemism for oil.

Our national interest is the product of more than two centuries of national history which constitutes an amalgam of colossal mistakes, most notably Iraq, and grand sacrifices and noble actions. It required a terrible civil war to establish that slavery was not in our national interest. It required a cold war to establish that alliance and collaboration was in our national interest.

Oil dependence, climate change, nuclear proliferation, concentrated wealth, fear of terrorism, theocracy, empire, corruption in government, an arrogant and ignorant executive, and violation of civil liberties are not in our national interest.

Equal rights for all, respect for our constitutional guarantees, including most notable habeas corpus, economic opportunity, regulation of market excess, our natural heritage and environment, fairness, justice, and checks and balanced government are all in our national interest.

The age of Roosevelt was replaced by the age of Reagan which itself is coming to an end. The age of Reagan was relieved only briefly by a rare period of peace and prosperity in the 1990s. The brief Clinton era pursued "centrism" at the cost of blurring the fundamental principles of the 20th century Democratic party -- a sense of national community (Roosevelt), citizen duty (Kennedy), and equality and justice for all (Johnson). Return to the age of Reagan, under the current administration, destroyed the security alliances established by Truman.

There will, presumably, always be a conservative party. But it must be retaken by pro-environment, anti-interventionist, fiscally responsible traditional Republicans. For its part, the Democratic Party must redefine itself for an American generation that does not know what it stands for or what its principles are.

The national interest cannot be achieved by settling old scores, vengeance for past wrongs, and demonization of those with whom we disagree. History operates its own court of justice and vengeance is the enemy of progress.

Together, the two new/old parties must recapture a sense of the national interest, above partisan victory and advantage, willing to achieve consensus for the good of the country as men and women of good will and leadership define it, operating in good faith and mutual respect, and most of all bound by constitutional guarantees and constraints.

I choose to be a Democrat. But I am able to do so because I am first an American.

Comments

[breakingthrough]

I believe I once had a psychic connection with Mr. Hart because back when he ran for president, I had a dream that he would be publicly vilified long before it actually happened. I am certainly no seer, but I can see clearly how wrong he is with his recent statement to let bygones be bygones:
"The national interest cannot be achieved by settling old scores..."
The Bush administration should be punished for their lies, their secrecy, their cronyism, their arrogance and the brutal "vengeance" they use against their "enemies."
I'm sorry, Mr. Hart, you are wrong. If we as a nation do not learn to hold our leaders accountable, then we are not truly a democracy. Instead, we will have drifted into a totalitarian state full of voiceless subjects afraid to speak out instead of the robust and dedicated "citizens" our forefathers envisioned.
You were held accountable for actions that in no way threatened our democracy. Don't you think the same rules should apply to this gang of thugs who are holding our country hostage from true democracy through fear of hostile and vicious recrimination?

[Transcendentobserver]

Is that why, Mr. Hart, according to news reports you have chosen to associate yourself with Mayor Bloomburg whose support for the Bush Administration has been consistent and unflagging, and Sen. Boren, whose vote to sustain Clarence Thomas Justice was a significant factor in purloining the presidency from the duly elected Pres. Gore, and together with conservative Democrats like Sen. Nunn whose residual political positions among like minded Congressional Democrats have negated attempts to remedy the contemptuous polices of the NeoCons? Is that what you mean when you say you choose to be a Democrat, but an "American" would find comfort with these people?

[Oneofthesane]

No! No! No!
These criminals must be punished! Don't tell us to be good citizens, obey our laws, pay our taxes, forgive and move on! Bullsh*t!
We are not a nation "founded on Christian principles" as these neofascists spew at us daily. We are a nation founded on the rule of law. NO ONE is above the law! They have been responsible for the mass murder of our military, untold numbers of Iraqi civilians murdered, shredded the Constitution they were sworn to protect, lied at every turn for their own profits and the profits of their corporate masters, openly pillaged the coffers of our national treasure. Bush and his gang members are nothing more than thieves....on a grand scale, true, but thieves just the same.
I remain a Democrat for the moment. You Dems in charge continue to talk about forgive and forget instead of truth and justice being served and I'll ditch you like a Republican ditches a gay prostitute after the lovin; quickly and without remorse!
I want my country back! I want it to stay on it's proper, enlightened, course from now on. You can't do that by sweeping these crimes under a " national interest " rug. Justice! Now! They can repent later....in their cells.

[mikey683]

It may have been a mistake not to impeach Nixon cause here we are again. Theres a reason why people are punished for crimes. When leaders who commit crimes aren't punished it just happens again and again.

[blackrome]

I'm sorry Gary but those scores need to be settled before we can reclaim the proud name our nation used to have.

Reagan should have been impeached and imprisoned for Iran/Contra.

Since he was not look what the GOP has done to our country now.

This is a country of laws.

If those at the highest level will not follow those laws why should I.

Bush and all those responsible should be charged and sentenced.

Then maybe the GOP will learn this is a country of laws for all and not just the middle and lower class of America.

Thiose scores have to be settled.

[Sile]

Perhaps Mr. Hart should start discussing our "National Interest" with the Democrats. Unchecked illegal immigration is not in our national interest. Allowing these Corpro-tician theives to rob us blind is not in our national interest. The housing market just like the stock market is a Ponzi scheme running out of chumps. The previous ups and downs were never coupled with the World facing greater oil demand than there is supply. Many middle class Americans are about to loose their retirement shirts when Wall Street falls into its sinkhole. Pensions, 401ks, and the like were thrown into the pit to keep the dying patient alive. The housing bubble just delayed reality. Bush tried in vain to get his hands on our Social Security money in hopes of keeping the sinking ship afloat another day. Put the pieces together: The Patriot Act written by Dems during the Clinton Administration as was the blueprint for homeland security. Cheney's secret energy task force dealt with the looming energy crisis and then 19 hijackers with box cutters out smarted the most powerful military in history. Right. The Democrats stink as bad as the Republicans. Tell Pelosi and Reed we're waiting at the table for them to put impeachment back where it belongs. It's VITAL to our National Interest Mr. Hart.

[blackrome]

The Republican party needs to be destroyed.

This is your Republican party.

In the years since 9/11, we have seen American soldiers abuse, sexually humiliate, torment and murder prisoners in Afghanistan and Iraq. A few have been punished, but their leaders have never been called to account. We have seen mercenaries gun down Iraqi civilians with no fear of prosecution. We have seen the president, sworn to defend the Constitution, turn his powers on his own citizens, authorizing the intelligence agencies to spy on Americans, wiretapping phones and intercepting international e-mail messages without a warrant.

This is UnAmerican.

[MarkJohnHunter]

Gary: I take it you still are a Democrat, so if the need is to redefine the Democratic Party, then please do that. What you wrote is a collection of truisms, mixed in logically confusing ways, but not an answer to much, and not anything we do not know.

By redefine, I do not take it that you mean to change the fundamentals of the party, but to define again, restate the definition, make it clear, for the persons who were confused during the economically successful Clinton years; and to initiate young persons.

Please do it.

Mark John Hunter
Alpena, Michigan

[Waitaminute]

It appears to me, people are trying to introduce the word VENGEANCE into the debate.

I didn't or have i heard anybody talking about VENGEANCE. Why is it being used. I don't call it vengeance, when we want justice for what these TRAITORS have done and continue to do to this country and the world.

[tullyccro]

I'm not anything like George Bush. I don't consider him an American or a republican in the traditional or modern senses of the word. I consider him a figurehead who takes orders from Praetorian corporate handlers. Clinton and Obama and most of the "candidates" buy into that same system.

Income disparity, poverty and privatization of government, along with massive deregulation and lack of education funding, have turned this country into a playground for ruthless Capitalist­-Darwinian establishment brats like Bush, Cheney, and every other corporate puppet we've seen in office for the past 30 years, to reign over hyper-emotional, media addicted idiots. (idiots in the classical sense. naive of the public interest, of public business and government.)

I grew up in relative poverty with Social Security and Medicare assistance. Ronald Reagan would have denied this to me and smiled at my starving little corpse while sincerely delivering a speech about a "return to greatness". Democrats have forgotten their role as the "Party of the People". That is: the Socialist, the believer in government, and above all, the Humanitarian who realizes that justice and social action that benefit the greatest number of neighbors makes our own life better as well. This also applies to our foreign policy as well.

John Edwards is right. There are two Americas. I realize that Ivy League educated intellectuals (like Obama and HC) and Huffington Post contributors who like to toe a few steps outside the media line (but not too far) while senationalizing Hilary and "BaRockstar" may not realize this, after all, we're living in a Gilded Age, but our government's subservience to amoral, anti-American corporations, who seek only profit for investors, who buy the will of the executive and determine our social policies, who gut our education and social welfare system under the guise that private business is better equipped to carry out public functions, is what's wrong with our society.

[Waitaminute]

Whats wrong? Are the people gaining too much knowledge and the Well to do criminals, think JUSTICE will catch up to them, before they complete their plans for their NEW WORLD ORDER, world domination.

I told you long ago, people have too much knowledge now, and people have believed they were free too long, for organizations like pnac to pull a hitler like take over of this country.You can only go so far. Then you have to make that final move.

Whats wrong, you're not sure you want to make that final move, to take over this country. Are you scared of what may happen if you try and fail?

Nope, we ain't waiting for history's court. These old guys rushed it. They even set Bill Clinton up because they didn't want to wait two more years. They wanted to see their life long dream come true before they left this earth. Well you know what happens sometimes when you are in to big of a hurry.

Too bad, a new world order could have been accomplished without terror. Honey draws more flies then vinagar. Less people suffer.

[Citizen54]

The former senator says: "Together, the two new/old parties must recapture a sense of the national interest, above partisan victory and advantage, willing to achieve consensus for the good of the country..."

Sounds great, but tell us something we don't know, Mr Hart, like HOW to make this happy scenario happen.

Here's how we make it happen: impeach Bush and Cheney now, and vote out every incumbent who's up for reelection in 08. That's not vengeance; that's justice and democracy.

Replace the government!

[Waitaminute]

Why is it, when people of great means do evil things, we want history to judge them. Most times after they are dead. But when a regular job commits a crime, some of these same (tough on crime), well to do people of great means, past laws and support locking them up, on long term mandatory sentences? And this justice is done while they are still alive.

If we really want to get rid of many problems. I'd hope the present justice system would get rid of the federal reserve and the IRS. History's court of justice has failed.

These crooked organizations haven't stopped taking our money since 1913.

[Qbear]

Attempting to stick a UNITY Bloomberg bandaid on top of a festering angry gash which runs from coast to coast....isn't the answer.
The deep distrust, and betrayal many Americans have felt for 8 years, needs to be treated not slap a happy face on it.

[clifwest]

Mr. Hart,

Thank you for an excellent article. At last, a common sense approach to the direction our nation should be taking for it's own good and survival. Absolutely nothing is gained by constantly attacking our current Administration and our sitting President without offering a better direction for both to be taking. Our Party needs to terminate the "spoiler" policy it has adopted for over six years and re-establish our basic Democratic principles which have led to a positive approach to government.