LA Times

quote:

---

By Jacob Heilbrunn

May 28, 2006

DON'T LOOK now, but neoconservatism is making a comeback — and not among the Republicans who have made it famous but in the Democratic Party.

A host of pundits and young national security experts associated with the party are calling for a return to the Cold War precepts of President Truman to wage a war against terror that New Republic Editor Peter Beinart, in the title of his provocative new book, calls "The Good Fight."

The fledgling neocons of the left are based at places such as the Progressive Policy Institute, whose president, Will Marshall, has just released a volume of doctrine called "With All Our Might: A Progressive Strategy for Defeating Jihadism and Defending Liberty." Beinart's book is subtitled "Why Liberals — and Only Liberals — Can Win the War on Terror and Make America Great Again." Their political champions include Connecticut Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman and such likely presidential candidates as former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner and Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, who is chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council.

This new crop of liberal hawks calls for expanding the existing war against terrorism, beefing up the military and promoting democracy around the globe while avoiding the anti-civil liberties excesses of the Bush administration. They support a U.S. government that would seek multilateral consensus before acting abroad, but one that is not scared to use force when necessary.

---

My prediction is that if Hillary Clinton, or another Democrat, gets the White House, the USians who clamor loudest for war will pipe down. The result would probably be less US warmaking, no matter how hawkish the Democratic president is. There certainly wasn't a lot of enthusiasm for the military things Bill Clinton wanted to do.

I'd rather have a Democratic president in the US if/when there is another large terrorist attack mostly for the reason that I think it would keep people from totally flying off the handle the way they did after 9/11. Not wanting to let Hillary Clinton (or Howard Dean or Al Gore or whoever) achieve battlefield glory would keep the wardrums pitched down at an appropriate level, no matter how tough the Democratic president's rhetoric might get.

[ 03 June 2006: Message edited by: Farces ]

Peter Beinart's magazine, The New Republic, has seen a huge decline in circulation in the last number of years. I forget the exact number, but I know kos at dailykos has it at his fingertips.

Mr Beinart's book is hardly a bestseller either. It is #1,187 in Books on Amazon today.

All that said, for what it's worth, I actually personally agree with most of what was said above, and if I were an American, I would back Mark Warner for President (though I'm not sure he's actually signed onto anything Beinart or any of the others are saying).

Notwithstanding that we have laws about just how much an individual can donate to a political candidate (and that nothing can be forthcoming from a corporation), I smell a rat--and the stench is getting stronger by the day. Ignatieff is being bankrolled heavily. Of that I have no doubt. (And how about that Volpe--now ain't he a piece of work too? Ah yes, a whole bevy of altruistic candidates from which to choose.)

And can the plebes not see that Harper is a Bushby? Like Boy George, he don't take kindly to the press. He's got his only personal "in" with God and even has Him blessin' Canada now. He wants to build him some more prisons. He wants to get tough on crime. And damned if he ain't leaving no pre-school child behind--that is, if'n the parents can find good child care for 100 dollars a month. And he done love the military just so long as he don't have to serve in it. And just as Bushb'y wants to give Iraq democracy by killling civilians, Harper wants to bring stabalization to Afghanistan using similar methods. Yep, it's a wrap, folks. But if all else fails in the next election, Ignatieff will do Bush proud too.

Why dem two boys have even developed a swagger and attitude that defines the cowardly, snivelly, hateful Bush.

Everything we Canadians have held so dear over the past many decades is slipping away from us quickly. By the way, say good-bye to health care as we've known it (long wait lists and all). The Neocons are coming. No, I'm sorry, they're here. Get used to ponying up one helluva lot more for health care while paying more taxes. If you ain't a corporation or a multi-multi millionaire, you'se is in for the squeeze. It's going to be a long bumpy ride.

quote:

---

Originally posted by ceti:
I would say Ignatieff is our very own Neo-Con Sleeper Agent.

LA Times

---

Agreed.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Montovan:
[QB]Ignatieff a neo-con? Big time. And do you know what? I have a sneaking suspicion that he will win the Liberal leadership. He's been living and working in the U.S. for years and now all of a sudden he shows up as a Liberal candidate? Oh, really![qb]

---

If he wins the Liberals are going to be in for a rude awakening with many small l liberals just turning away for good.