There are a couple of pieces in the latest edition of the Weekly Standard that are of interest.
After reading Fred Kagan’s piece, ‘Paying for the War’ in the latest edition of the neocons comic, one wonders if the only people that the neocons are trying to convince that the war in Iraq is going swimmingly for the US are themselves. Kagan writes: “Previous talking points of the antiwar party--the surge has failed, Iraqis will never reconcile, Iraqi troops won't fight, violence won't fall or, if it does, it won't stay down--have fallen by the wayside as they have been visibly disproven one by one.”
Over the last few weeks over 800 Iraqis, most of them civilians, have been killed by American bombings and shootings yet Kagan infers that violence has fallen and the ‘surge’ has worked. Just a few weeks ago the New York Times was telling us how a thousand or so Iraqi soldiers and police quit the fight against the insurgents, with some even joining with the insurgents, yet Kagan seems to think that the Iraqi army and police are enthusiastic about fighting their fellow Iraqis as they struggle against the invaders and occupiers.
Apart from the garbage he spouts about what is happening in Iraq, Kagan ignores entirely the plight of Americans at home who are having to foot the bill for Kagan’s war. Nor does he mention the Americans at home who are required to tolerate the loss of their loved ones as they are killed and maimed in order to support the fantasies of people like Kagan and his warmongering neocon cohorts who don’t seem to be too keen to join up themselves for a bit of fighting in the war that they lied their countrymen into.
There is, however, a certain sense of defeatism seeping into neoconservative commentary of late particularly as the Presidential race gathers momentum. Naturally, the neocons are supporting their man McCain for the Presidency in the hope that he will do Israel’s bidding and bomb Iran into regime change. I think, though, they are beginning to realise that their man McCain is, when the time comes, not likely to be the next President. As a result, the neocons are now expending a great deal of their writing energies on, not so much as backing Hillary Clinton, (even the neocons don’t think Clinton will get up as the Democrat candidate), but trying to convince their reader that Obama is the worst of the three current runners and that they should back McCain at the Big Election that counts if they can’t back Clinton.
As the war in Iraq gets bloodier and the Presidential race gets down to just two runners it’s going to be interesting to see just how desperate the neocon lies get as they realise that all of their aspirations are likely to tun pear-shaped over the next seven or eight months or so. Just as importantly, it will be interesting to see how the Israeli extreme right-wing and Likudnik hardliners adjust to the new reality.
AUSTRALIANS AT WAR
THE NEW AMERICAN CENTURY is a compelling factual history of neoconservatism and its influence on US Foreign Policy in the Middle East during the first decade of the twenty-first century. Click on image above for details.
23 comments:
G'day Damian, on Fred Kagan, unfortunately there are people who still cite him. Now how dumb is that?
On the matter of the loss of power, don't forget that it does not follow that a majority wishing to vote for a particular candidate means that that candidate wins the election. More on that here.
Too true Bob; I hope voters remember what happened in the last two elections and keep their eyes on the exit polls on this one.
And, Damian, if there appears to be a discrepancy, what can they do? Congress refused to do anything after the 2000 Florida tricks. Nothing after 2004. If the Dems had majorities after November, would they do anything? Or not want to cause disruption?
So, if the fix was in - and worked, unlike perhaps 2006 - would the only remedy be in the hands of the people?
Would they be bothered?
The thought of McInsane ...
"trying to convince their reader that Obama is the worst of the three current runners..."
There are FOUR "current runners" - Congressman Ron Paul is still in the race and amassing delegates in each state.
InsaneMcCain could well be forced out for either psychological or physical reasons. Then - and only then - will there be "three current runners."
And we now have,"The Spying Issue."
"The Pollard affair revealed that the Defense Ministry operated a secret unit, the Scientific Liaison Bureau, which for years conducted intelligence and equipment-gathering for the Dimona nuclear reactor as well as serving as a "theft contractor" for Israel's security industry. The organization appointed scientific attaches in Israeli embassies in the U.S. and Europe, who handled its operations. It was responsible for Pollard and, so it seems, Ben-Amikadish."
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/977085.html
When asked if anyone else was involved in the Pollard affair, Israel lied.
JFK was adamant against Israel possessing nukes in the powder keg of the Middle East. Stern letters to Ben Gurion have just recently been revealed showing the seriousness of the matter. Inspections were coming to Dimona and when Israeli's lies were discovered, heavy sanctions were to be levied. Ben Gurion claimed Kennedy was threatening Israel's right to exist. Now it is established, the motive for Israeli involvement in the assassination of an American President is not debateable.
Connect the dots to The Warren Commission and we find the commission composed of 50% zionist leaning American Jews. The result is the ridiculous "Magic Bullet Theory."
The zionist control of the press collaborated to suppress the truth of the assassination and to divert the attention of the American public away from the truth. A "false flag" was run in the Gulf of Tonkin to do this. Newly declassified documents show the Gulf of Tonkin affair was a lie. It leads to America entering an undeclared and illegal war. As American boys came back in body bags companies like Brown and Root won huge no bid contracts. We see the same war profiteering today. Fact is, Brown and Root was acquired by Halliburton.
It is apparent today Israel has conquered America. Zionists are over represented in government, key positions in banking, finance, law, press, media and education. Fifty percent of the top hundred richest Americans are zionists. Trillions of dollars of free money continue to flow to Israel.
President Sharon said it best: "Don't worry about American pressure, we the Jewish people control America."
Enough is enough!
I ask all patriots to defend the Constitution from all enemies foreign and domestic. Repeal of the dual citizenship laws. There is need for new investigations into the Israeli involvement in the JFK, RFK assassinations, 911, and the end to Chertoff and Homeland Security!
There is no statute of limitations on murder. It's long overdue we arrest and prosecute the criminals involved.
Don't forget the Diebold factor
These "NeoCons" must be brought to justice, given a fair trial, and then executed by lethal injection, publicly. Then, their entire assets, along with all the corporations who looted us, should be repaid to the US government to cover the war debt.
These men and women are getting away with genocide. They are war criminals. They are still free to spend money, and order people to die, as they wish.
Aren't you tired of this level of criminality? Are you all so jaded that Caligula's Rome looks more civilized? When Bush rides in, and deifies his horse, are you all going to worship it, but declare that it's turds are not good in the house?
That is what you are doing here, by mildly thinking they are only dirty liars....they are far more than just dirty liars...and nobody seems to notice.
vote for Ron Paul and end the nitemare!
Damian... sorry... but I'd say that the ability to affect change via voting ended a long time ago. Accept the FACT that the usa (as an entity/system) is corrupt and FAILED.
learn to separate America (community) from the government
G'day Damian, I have a McInsane before and after situation. Before.
When it comes to getting U.S. troops out of Iraq, Sen. John McCain was for the idea before he was against it.
Three years before the Arizona Republican argued on the campaign trail that U.S. forces could be in Iraq for 100 years in the absence of violence, he decried the very concept of a long-term troop presence.
In fact, when asked specifically if he thought the U.S. military should set up shop in Iraq along the lines of what has been established in post-WWII Germany or Japan -- something McCain has repeatedly advocated during the campaign -- the senator offered nothing short of a categorical "no."
"I would hope that we could bring them all home," he said on MSNBC. "I would hope that we would probably leave some military advisers, as we have in other countries, to help them with their training and equipment and that kind of stuff."
We know about the after, but here's more.
Speaking Monday at a fascinating on-the-record session on U.S.-Russia relations at the Nixon Center, former Reagan administration official Robert McFarlane declared that McCain's first year as president would be "neocon redux." McFarlane, who was Reagan's national security advisor and who supports McCain's candidacy, emphasized that he wasn't speaking as a member of McCain's team, but as a practical realist and private citizen. His remarks were uttered in a calm tone, and all the more blistering for it. McFarlane pointed out that Ronald Reagan was dealing with a declining Soviet Union and from a position of strength, while McCain would be dealing with a resurgent Russia, one that it would be foolish to heedlessly antagonize. According to McFarlane, "the youngsters" would run foreign policy the first year and then likely be "fired" by the second after they mess up.
Much would depend on what "messed up" entailed. Could be extremely messy.
Back to voting games ... a bit of video, Richard Belzer interviews Greg Palast. Video.
They have ways and means. And the criminality.
Interesting isn't it Bob, how a person can drift from conservatism into neoconservatism. MaCain isn't alone nor the first. Our own John Howard is a classic example, and, to a certain extent, even Tony Blair. They've somehow all been sucked in.
G'day Damian, sucked in indeed. Why is a good question and I will give it some thought and hope others will express their views.
On the matter of McInsane and the election, the more the Dems squabble the more ammunition the GOP will have and make it easier to get the result they want. But how much does it matter if the system determines the policies?
A change is required before any more mess is made.
G'day Damian, all they need is right (indeed) VP in case McInsane doesn't make it through a term or is less than fully functioning. Someone like Dick. Really like Dick?
Just needs a bit of arranging.
Bob, we've still got the Dick America's stuck with now as VP. He's the sort of meglomaniac the world needs to worry about - right up to the last minute. And especially if it looks like Obama's going to get up. Those neocons have still got a lot of unfinished business.
Indeed, Damian, but the neocons want to keep the ball rolling. As you said, they have a lot of unfinished business. Now why does that worry me?
Bob, I've got a new email system up and running which has got the better of me for the moment. I received your last comment but managed to press the wrong button causing it somehow to disappear. My apologies. If you'd like to repost it please do.
Damian, from memory, I agreed that the neocons had a lot of unfinished business, and they wanted to keep the ball rolling.
Now why does that worry me?
Indeed Bob. And news that the US has sent another carrier to the Gulf wouldn't at all be allaying any of your worries.
While Cheney's still VP the world has cause to worry. If anything happens to Bush between now and November the world will be in very serious trouble. Just one 'lone crazed gunman' and the American people can kiss their elections goddbye and what's left of Iran can say hello to regime change.
And Palestine? Forget it.
G'day Damian, "Just one 'lone crazed gunman'" - oh, is Dick going hunting again?
Good one bob! Very apt. I'd forgotten about that.
"Be vewy, vewy, quiet, I'm hunting advocates."
Seriously, and if I can put as plug in, Phil and I posted on Iran today. The surge in accusations signify something. Looming attack? Pre-election games? Pressure on Iran? Some interesting material there - and Grandma Jefferson's comment is well worth reading.
As I've said at Phil's blog; it's not 'if' but 'when'.
And commonsense and sanity don't necessarily come into the equation.
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