The New Neocon Alliance with Obama
This morning leading neoconservatives such as William Kristol and Robert Kagan held a meeting at the Mayflower Hotel -- in support of President Obama's Afghanistan policy. Kristol and Kagan, as Foreign Policy's Laura Rozen has reported, have formed a successor organization to the Project for the New American Century, which came into disrepute for its advocacy of the Iraq War. The new one is called the Foreign Policy Initiative. Its contention is that America remains, in the words of Madeleine Albright, the "indispensable nation"and, furthermore, that neocons can play a valuable role in coming years in ensuring that it remains one.
At the Mayflower, the neocon pilgrims huddled around John McCain and other conservative stalwarts who spoke at the conference. But California congressman Jane Harman was also a speaker. It's clear that that neoconservatives are staking out a new course and want to retain an influential voice in foreign policy. Their latest strategy is to move closer to Obama. Kagan has already expressed his admiration for what he sees as Obama's determination to ensure that America remains No. 1 around the globe.
The idea that the intellectual champions of the Iraq War are now trying to reach an alliance with Obama is certainly a tribute to neocon audacity. But it's also an inevitable development. The neocons have always been interventionists first, then conservatives. In fact, many traditional conservatives argue that there isn't much that's conservative about neoconservatism. In any case, the neocons aren't going away.
For now, the founding of the Foreign Policy Initiative suggests that there will be a fierce battle for the soul of the Obama administration between liberal hawks and neocons, on the one side, and between anti-interventionist progressives, on the other, over policy towards Afghanistan, Russia, China, and Iran.
Who's going to win it?
Loading comments…
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to
Neo-conservatism has been discredited, and neo-liberalism is next.
The wolves changing sheep's clothing.
They got busted trying to control Wall Street, the Big Banks, Oil rich Mid East, Black and Caspian Sea oil pipeline region with American lives and money.
They used GW Bush as a Hood Ornament.
Now the 'Israeli Diaspora' moves on to the new guy and like you say, become neo liberals.
They move slowly like an octopus with tentacles Metastasizing throughout the power centers in the Westen nations to control what we read, think and what we see, censuring any other sources of information in the guise of protecting us from "Hate Speech", "Pornograp
Infiltrating our government and our police, military do their bidding
Silly rabbits! Obama sold out to the neocons long before he became President.
That's why they allowed him to run for President.
It's NeoCOM!! NeoCOM!!
Jacob, your post seems to suggest that soon the tail will be wagging the dog. You might have written this blog as something like -- how the neocons are scrambling to regain any measure of credibility by moving themselves toward Obama.
Let's not lose sight of the facts re: Afghanistan and Pakistan -- Obama is both trying to pick up a foreign policy in disarray and to accomplish America's original goal of 2001 to shut down Al Qaida. You may opt to give the Neocons some points for realizing their abject failure and to grant them some legitimacy by mentioning them with Obama's policy. To give the Neocons either is to give them too much credit.
Make no mistake -- the Neocons will not be in any position to influence Obama's policy. However, it's clear that Obama's policy and future successes will influence the Neocons positioning and refabrication of history.
They will. To many on here and around the left think Obama can do no wrong and will support any kind of intervention he wants. They also love Geithners wall street bailout plan.
When will you stop adoring Obama and realize he is nothing but G W Bush but with better rhetoric.
When people have used deliberate lies to mislead nations to war and caused the death of a hundred thousand or more, I don't understand why this group, no matter what phony name they use, is listened to in any way?
What type of kool-air, really, has the American press drank that they repeat such stories?
Jacob
NO one really ' wins ' And the only 'strategy neocons have is this- Get back power & CONTRO BACK-
so their deregulation policies to allow bankers & WAll st to conduct unethical greedy ( illegaL ) business practices ) and to sell ' junk ' securities as TRIPLE AAA. LIKE Wall ST tycoon Bernie Madoff & his cohorts. ALL belong in jail .Cause folks that's exactly what happened-from Reagan forward.
They left a legacy of no ethics- incredible greed & business dealings that should have been ILLEGAL but isn't - because of deregulation.
That Kristol is a leading light for these jokers tells you all you need to know about their intellectual capabilities, judgment, and ethics--and that of the citizenry that supports them. Not only has Kristol been wrong about everything he's ever passed judgment on, he can't seem to reflect upon it and think maybe his raison d'etre is wrong. Add to that the fact that part of the reason he was let go by the Times was his remarkable error-proneness. His facts were so often wrong that mere laziness and incompetence could not have been the cause. And if they were the cause, it's almost as pathetic.
If the neo-cons can stop viewing everything through the prism of "whats best for Israel" we can give them a shot. Their record lately has been devastating for the USA. and sadly Israel itself. The mental gymnastics practiced by Bill Crystal to defend the Iraq invaision were pathetic.
Maybe Obama should smoke some legalized homgrown grass, he has snapped from reality already anyhow.
The one crop than bring enough revenue to cover cost of 1 war and Obama dissed the idea at town hall.
Obama rather take a loan, with taxpayer's children cosign.
ANd Bush lied, misinformed and got us into trillions of dollars of debt. that also likely will go to the children. Yes- trying to get us out of this disaster will take lots of money and lots of time.
You keep your rivals close, you keep your enemy's closer don't be mislead!
True Obama has to meet and associate with all types- part of the job. But if you follow Wm Kristal - he makes so many misstatements over the years-that I'm amazed he's still around. Its a shame that Obama inherited such a huge mess + 2 wars. As Colin POwell has said- once we go to war with Iraq ( Or Afghanistan ) - WE OWN IT. Bush owned it for years- now Obama must also own it. He cannot UNDO A WAR once we got into it . I hope it does not turn into another Vietnam.
Its my belief that Afghanistan is more than we can handle. That society has age old problems.
A lot of progressives are becoming very concerned over Obama's apparent plan to kill the Neocons with kindness. Today’s All-is-Forgiven move by the Obama Administration toward Alaska Senator Ted Stevens drew a double take by political pundits on both sides of the isle, his actions over the years deserve some level of retribution at some point in time. After all, they finally had to settle on tax evasion to put Al Capone away.
The Neocons aggressively decimated our economy over the past fifteen years and this is no time to start capitulating with them when we have the presidency and a majority in Congress. Ralph Nader’s assumption that both party’s are essentially a Duopoly, answerable only to the same global corporate power base, are starting to ring true !
Ditto, another reason to regret voting for a Dem, Hillary or Biden is no better option. He is best Dems have.
So far that is not good enough for Progressives that demand real change or threaten tax revolt.
SO Do you want continued deregulation that favors bankers & Wall st crooks ?
. Madoff's not the only criminal with a scheme on Wall st / banks. Go ahead vote for the far right- we'll get more of the same/ 20 of the last 28 years-they have had the power / control. Just made themselves 100 times richer- while just stepping over us.
Google enron loophole - thats a real eye opener-and it went on all the time.
All charges were dropped against Ted Stevens SO what else can OBama do-its out of his hands- and he has a full plate to deal with. .
Both parties have problems. But look back-20 of the last 28 years have been under GOP leadership- many / most with .a GOP congress. Obama has only been around a few yearas. While McCain- Sen Phil Gramm- Tom Delay etc- have been in POWER 30-35 years- what did they do in all that time on the public dole ? Reagan began a policy of deregulation that led us to this disaster. -Repubs gave massive tax breaks to powerful money interests that runs this country..i
Ted Stevens charges were dropped because in was the JUST thing to do. When evidence , showing a letter from Ted Stevens saying 'Please, Promptly Send me an Invoice for all Work Done' is omitted from evidence and not given to the Defense for consideration, it reveals of Travesty of Justice regardless of who's side who is on.
All-Is-Forgiven is not necessary.
Now, I don't like the crusty old Ted Stevens at all... but I'll be damned if I approve of him NOT TO BE prosecuted and judged fairly. This prosecution was not Just Nor Fair !
Prohibit military privateers, then neo-conservatives (the PR lackeys of the corporate disaster capitalism complex) will lose all their funding.
Note
1. Cheneys Halliburton made billions in Iraq- some for work NEVER DONE.
2. McCain buddy- Sen Phil Gramm passed the Enron Loophole- which allowed his wife to make 900 K off that deal- GOP deregulation policy made that perfectly legal.
3. Enron employees' lost everything in that ' dirty deal '
I could go on and on. so much dirt and greed and unethical dealings on Wall st & by banks.
Bravo! The idiotic squandering of trillions of US taxpayer dollars on unnecessary wars and weapons systems is not the way to "keep the US No. 1" as so naively stated by Madeleine Albright. When she was the US ambassador to the UN, and Bibi Netanyahu was there for Israel, an observer would have been hard pressed to know which person represented which country. The Israeli tail wags the American dog, and sticks it to the American taxpayer, thanks to the neocons (and other aiders of Israeli oppression of the Palestinians).
At last the stunned silence following Obama's taking ownership of the Afghanistan war--ignoring Vice President Biden's advice against "quagmire"--is ending.
The neocons are of course supporting this step into failure for Obama, thinking they can just cut loose from any democrat when his failure becomes apparent. But by the end of Obama's term it would outweigh his whole domestic program. It's easy to forget that Lyndon Johnson was once too a progressive.
But unlike the Vietnam era, unlike even the Bush era, this time this country can't withstand the waste of another trillion dollars and of untold lives, American and others, before again accepting stalemate. We will be facing something like societal collapse and I hope America wakes up to it in time.
You must be logged in to comment. Log in or connect with
