Friday, November 23, 2007
Neocons at the New York Times?
In its full flower, the Bush administration's decision to promote democracy in the Arab Middle East, even at the expense of "stability" (so clearly articulated by Condoleezza Rice in Cairo in June 2005), is widely regarded by critics of the left and right as the most compelling evidence of the administration's adherence to "neoconservative" ideology. It is curious, therefore, that some of the administration's most strident critics, the editors of the New York Times, seem to be attacking Bush for failing to do exactly that in Pakistan:
President Bush must work a lot harder to restore democracy — the best hope for holding off the chaos that would make Pakistan an even more hospitable host for extremists. That means that he must make clear once and for all that Washington is firmly on the side of democracy, not more deal-making designed to keep the general in power.
Hey, that's right out of the neocon playbook!
Now, Pakistan is not Arab and is not in the Middle East, so perhaps that is a basis to support democratic regime change there and not in Egypt, Syria, Jordan, or Saudi Arabia. If the editors believe those differences are significant they should say so and explain themselves. Otherwise, their position looks more like another opportunistic bashing of the Bush administration instead of a principled and sincerely-held opinion.
12 Comments:
By 
tm, at
Fri Nov 23, 12:33:00 PM:
The neocon playbook is historical dialectics: it tells us we can take the worst, most messed up scenario, add democracy, and something magical happens such that peace breaks out and everyone loves America. The point was to radically destabilize everything so that democracy could arise from the ashes.
Bush was rightfully ripped for that idealist and borderline crazy stance.
By contrast, you'll note that the NYTimes argues that we should for a Bhutto-Sharif alliance because it would bring stability. This is a pragmatic and realist course of action, rather than the zany shit proposed by the neocons.
By 
, at
Fri Nov 23, 01:31:00 PM:
I think you have charicatured, rather than described, the neocon view of the impact of democracy.
By , at
Fri Nov 23, 03:17:00 PM:
Introduce "democracy" in Gazoo and you got Hamas.
Introduce democracy in Pakistan and you'll get the Taliban, or something akin.
My opinion?
It's a swipe at dubya from an asshole press.
By Christopher Chambers, at
Fri Nov 23, 06:24:00 PM:
As I think that's an utter crock when you use bizarre prose like "full flower" in reference to the retard-in-chief's administration ;-) and explain away this hypocrisy with respect to Pakistan, I'm showing my rear end by sharing a story from soccer mom/NASCAR Dad land on this Thanksgiving holiday:
Police: 5 Dead in Murder-Suicide in Md.
A gunman shot and killed his ex-wife, their three children and himself in a small-town park as the woman prepared to hand over custody, police said Friday.
Their bodies were found Thursday evening in the tiny community of Unity when Maryland-National Capital Park Police officers stopped in the deserted park after noticing two cars with their engines running, said Wayne Jerman, Montgomery County assistant police chief.
The bodies of Gail Louise Pumphrey, 43, of Woodbine, and the three children _ ages 6 to 12 _ were found in the cars, Jerman said. David Peter Brockdorff, 40, of Frederick, was found nearby with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police said they recovered a .22-caliber rifle near his body.
The children included two boys, ages 6 and 12, and a 10-year-old girl, police said. Authorities did not release their names, saying they first wanted to contact the children's schools.
Pumphrey had met with Brockdorff to hand over custody of the children, according to investigators. Police did not know how long the children were to stay with their father.
Investigators did not know when the shots were fired, and no neighbors reported hearing gunshots, Jermain said.
The couple had a history of domestic violence, police said. They divorced in 2005.
Authorities blocked off roads Thursday in Unity, near the town of Laytonsville and about 25 miles northwest of Washington. The 1.5-acre park is in a sparsely populated area of mostly woods and farmland.
Residents gathered Friday at a general store down the road from the park and talked about the tragedy over pancakes and burgers.
"It's really shocking," said Sunshine Store cashier Christine Flaim, 24, who heard the sirens and helicopter from her home nearby. "This is a place where everyone knows everyone."
"I don't recall ever hearing of a murder here," she said. "Everyone is concerned and worried."
There have been several domestic killings involving children in Maryland this year.
In April, a father hanged his two young children before committing suicide in rural Boyds, in Montgomery County. In March, the remains of four young children were found in a town house in neighboring Frederick. The father's body was found hanging from a bannister, and the mother remains missing.
By Christopher Chambers, at
Fri Nov 23, 06:28:00 PM:
P.S. I checked out "Beowulf." I'm sure your wingnut audience will like it a LOT less than "300." Decidedly anti-Christian (indeed, there are several lines where heroes and kings and commoners diss this silly new religion from Rome and its god, the Christ Jesus. Indeed, my boy himself refers to Christianity as only purveying "weeping martyrs and fear." Oh well, maybe it's Hollywood...
By , at
Fri Nov 23, 07:13:00 PM:
Yes, Chambers, you are indeed showing your rear end and it's your face. Adducing this murder-suicide story to make some cheap political point about "soccer Mom/NASCAR dad America" is a truly reptilian gesture, unworthy of a man who has the liberal credentials you tout for yourself. You are a pathetic phony from the get go, Chambers. Despite your blog, your law degree, your resume, your novels, your thin veneer of sophistication, you have the heart of a dog. You are a dog.
By , at
Fri Nov 23, 07:38:00 PM:
Zhombre,
Dogs are nice don't insult them like that.
By Steve M. Galbraith, at
Fri Nov 23, 07:41:00 PM:
I feel somewhat silly responding to the nonsense above, but Montgomery County, Maryland is a suburb of Washington, D.C. and is - and has been for a century - overwhelmingly Democratic. Hardly NASCAR country.
In the 2006 elections, the Democratic candidate won every post.
Again, every post: County executive, council board, school board, circuit court clerk, sheriff, register of wills and on and on and on.
It's been that way, as I note above, for over a century.
Apparently, some people have no limits on how big of an ass they are willing to make of themselves.
SMG
By antithaca, at
Fri Nov 23, 07:56:00 PM:
Yeah, I was 'a gonna say. Maryland is hardly "NASCAR country".
Not that my Ivy League College town surrounds enable me to readily identify it when I see it...anyway...
Chamber: Get a blog or at least stay on topic fer christ's sake.
TH: DBS
By antithaca, at
Fri Nov 23, 07:57:00 PM:
err, meant to say "TH: BDS" above.
By Steve M. Galbraith, at
Fri Nov 23, 08:07:00 PM:
Yeah, I was 'a gonna say. Maryland is hardly "NASCAR country".
Yep, it's a heavily Democratic state as anyone who knows anything at all about its politics. Even the few Republicans of note are liberal - the Connie Morellas for example (she was defeated when her district was re-drawn).
I used to work in Bethesda, Maryland, a suburb of D.C. Montgomery Country is hardly a liberal region; but it's certainly not, by any standard, Bush or Republican country (as one can tell by clicking on the link I added on the recent elections).
Which completely vitiates the attempted linkage above.
SMG
By Purple Avenger, at
Fri Nov 23, 09:39:00 PM:
Get a blog or at least stay on topic fer christ's sake.
He has one. Its similarly incoherent.
