Letters to the Editor
AnaHadWolves
Published Letters: 470 Editor's Choice: 25
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New American Century Fingerprints
[Read the article: Operation Iraq betrayal]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Sidney Blumenthal has diagnosed, correctly, the malady that infects the body politic that is the United States of America; now, we need to expose the vermin who CAUSE that malady: The Project For The New American Century.
These fifth-columnists have covertly usurped power by stealth, subterfuge and guile. Call it a putsch or a coup d'etat, this cabal of neo-conservatives will subvert the will of the majority in any way possible. And, just who are these co-conspirators and what is their ill-named "statement of principle"? From their own website, newamericancentury.org, this, in their own words, verbatim:
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Statement of Principle: June 3, 1997
American foreign and defense policy is adrift. Conservatives have criticized the incoherent policies of the Clinton Administration. They have also resisted isolationist impulses from within their own ranks. But conservatives have not confidently advanced a strategic vision of America's role in the world. They have not set forth guiding principles for American foreign policy. They have allowed differences over tactics to obscure potential agreement on strategic objectives. And they have not fought for a defense budget that would maintain American security and advance American interests in the new century.
We aim to change this. We aim to make the case and rally support for American global leadership.
As the 20th century draws to a close, the United States stands as the world's preeminent power. Having led the West to victory in the Cold War, America faces an opportunity and a challenge: Does the United States have the vision to build upon the achievements of past decades? Does the United States have the resolve to shape a new century favorable to American principles and interests?
We are in danger of squandering the opportunity and failing the challenge. We are living off the capital -- both the military investments and the foreign policy achievements -- built up by past administrations. Cuts in foreign affairs and defense spending, inattention to the tools of statecraft, and inconstant leadership are making it increasingly difficult to sustain American influence around the world. And the promise of short-term commercial benefits threatens to override strategic considerations. As a consequence, we are jeopardizing the nation's ability to meet present threats and to deal with potentially greater challenges that lie ahead.
We seem to have forgotten the essential elements of the Reagan Administration's success: a military that is strong and ready to meet both present and future challenges; a foreign policy that boldly and purposefully promotes American principles abroad; and national leadership that accepts the United States' global responsibilities.
Of course, the United States must be prudent in how it exercises its power. But we cannot safely avoid the responsibilities of global leadership or the costs that are associated with its exercise. America has a vital role in maintaining peace and security in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. If we shirk our responsibilities, we invite challenges to our fundamental interests. The history of the 20th century should have taught us that it is important to shape circumstances before crises emerge, and to meet threats before they become dire. The history of this century should have taught us to embrace the cause of American leadership.
Our aim is to remind Americans of these lessons and to draw their consequences for today. Here are four consequences:
• we need to increase defense spending significantly if we are to carry out our global
responsibilities today and modernize our armed forces for the future;
• we need to strengthen our ties to democratic allies and to challenge regimes hostile to our interests and values;
• we need to promote the cause of political and economic freedom abroad;
• we need to accept responsibility for America's unique role in preserving and extending an international order friendly to our security, our prosperity, and our principles.
Such a Reaganite policy of military strength and moral clarity may not be fashionable today. But it is necessary if the United States is to build on the successes of this past century and to ensure our security and our greatness in the next.
Signed:
Elliott Abrams, Gary Bauer, William J. Bennett, Jeb Bush, Dick
Cheney, Eliot A. Cohen, Midge Decter, Paula Dobriansky, Steve
Forbes, Aaron Friedberg, Francis Fukuyama, Frank Gaffney, Fred
C. Ikle, Donald Kagan, Zalmay Khalilzad, I. Lewis "Scooter"
Libby, Norman Podhoretz, Dan Quayle, Peter W. Rodman, Stephen
P. Rosen, Henry S. Rowen, Donald Rumsfeld, Vin Weber, George
Weigel and Paul Wolfowitz."
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Your Honor, the prosecution rests.
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Romney: Hoist By His Own Petard
[Read the article: Why the Republicans don't like their candidates]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Archgarth, in his/her letter above, exudes a modicum of sympathy for "poor, poor Mitt Romney"; I don't. Romney made the morass in which he now wallows. No sympathy for that self-inflicted injury is needed.
Mitt Romney...bloviator-extraordinaire, with a perfectly coifed 'do, in an empty $4,000 suit...is the poster-boy for vacuousity. His positions have changed so often that his position-papers should be written on an Etch-A-Sketch.
He was FOR a woman's right to choose before he was AGAINST it. He was FOR gay equality before he was AGAINST it. He was FOR oxygen before he was AGAINST it. (OK, the last one was humor, but, not really that far from Romney-realpolitik.)
The non-issue (to me) of Mitt's religion might cause him some loss of support by the hard-core Religious Right who may consider Mormonism to be a cult. My problem with Mormonism, as with Roman Catholicism, is the much-promoted unbridled breeding of five, six and even more children by the respective churches with no regard or concern for the ultimate over-population of the earth.
Romney, as a candidate, is a bloviator. He prates, preens and prattles right PAST the listener; he never talks WITH or TO the individual. Even his television commercials seem to be Saturday Night Live parodies. He is as warm, personally, as a frozen jock-strap! Yikes!
Of course, Republicans have never bothered to be concerned with Dubya's lack of substance; why should they start to be with Romney? Ho hum.