At the American Conservative, Scott McConnell reports on Steve Walt's talk to the Palestine Center. Iraq was a war dreamed up by the neocons, he writes, and--
Washington is setting up the same path all over again. As if nothing has been learned. The neocon propaganda organs are very much in place. The war talk is similar, especially the depiction of Iran’s leaders as irrational zealots, impervious to reason. Many of the key players are the same: Bill Kristol, the Wall Street Journal editorial page, “mainstream” Jeffrey Goldberg, Elliott Abrams. AIPAC drafting congressional resolutions designed to tie the administration’s hands, which Congress rubber stamps with all the careful debate one would expect from an assembly in Pyongyang. To an extent which seems even greater than 2002, the bulk of the Republican Party seems to have fallen in line.
Some important differences remain, however. The entire Israel lobby is not on board for an Iran war, and there are major national security figures in Israel itself saying it would be a bad error. The U.S. military seems more vocally opposed. The Obama administration, despite rhetorical hedging, seems to recognize that war is neither necessary nor wise.
Yes? Surprise? Neocons conning the USA once again? But, dears, that’s how the system works: and despite 2008, Chase has once again lost — at least — $2B on crazy investments in (normal term, now) “investment vehicles” that were as unreal as a certificate of sale for the Brooklyn Bridge. Insurance policies where there was no insurable interest issued by an insurer without funds to back up those policies. Collateralized swaps without collateral. Oh, life is so nice for bankers — until it isn’t.
If you want to know how the USA decides to do things, follow the money. If you want to have a seat at the table of USA “democracy”, pony up $1B or so and buy yourself a seat (sort of like buying a seat on the stock exchange used to work).
The BIGs buy politicians more or less as you or I buy postage stamps. As we read in “Nize Baby”, “Is dees a system?” to answer “Nize Baby”, yes, it is the American way and, for the BIGs, it is the “American dream”.
PNAC 1998 Letter to Clinton.
Nothing has changed and with the US withdrawing from both Iraq and Afghanistan one can only wonder if it is preparation for the next step. The Military–industrial complex is a hungry beast
“Washington is setting up the same path all over again.” And anyone paying attention to the MSM and congress would know that this go get Iran stage has been being set since soon after the invasion of Iraq. Kristol, Lieberman, Cheney, Bolton, Reul Marc Gerecht, Rice , Hillary Clinton etc were all over the place repeating the unsubstantiated claims about Iran.
Phil this morning the Mayor of Jerusalem was on MSNBC’s Morning Joe. Mika and Joe were kissing his butt. No mention of the illegal housing being built in the Palestinians E Jerusalem. Not a whisper. But later on during the show they were all over the human rights issues in China. Huge and disastrous double standards prevail on MSNBC’s Morning Joe
“The Obama administration, despite rhetorical hedging, seems to recognize that war is neither necessary nor wise.”
I hope this holds.
When Walts say the ‘entire’ Israel lobby isn’t behind it I assume he is referring to that “loose collection of Pro Israel” not just AIPAC because AIPAC has been behind all the resolutions and bills congress has pushed on this. On the AIPAC site and in their alert mails they are always urging members to call their reps and tell them to vote for those bills and resolutions.
Let’s be clear about some of the “neocon propaganda organs” under discussion:
# Neocon propaganda organs
1. 700 Club
2. ACT! for America
3. AEI (American Enterprise Institute)
4. AFDI (American Freedom Defense Initiative)
5. AFSI (Americans for a Safe Israel)
6. AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee)
7. AJC (American Jewish Committee)
8. American Thinker
9. Atlas Shrugs
10. CAMERA (Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America)
11. CBN (Christian Broadcasting Network)
12. Chabad-Lubavitch
13. Christian Coalition
14. CNN
15. CNP (Council for National Policy)
16. Commentary
17. Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations
18. CSP (Center for Security Policy)
19. CUFI (Christians United for Israel)
20. David Horowitz Freedom Center
21. David Project
22. ECI (Emergency Committee for Israel)
23. FDD (Foundation for the Defense of Democracies)
24. FIDF (Friends of the IDF)
25. Fox News
26. FPI (Foreign Policy Initiative)
27. Free Republic
28. Frontpage Magazine
29. Henry Jackson Society
30. Heritage Foundation
31. Hoover Institution
32. House Republican Israel Caucus
33. Hudson Institute
34. Israel Allies Caucus
35. Israel National News
36. Israel Project
37. ISW (Institute for the Study of War)
38. Jeffrey Goldberg
39. Jersusalem Post
40. Jewish Press
41. Jewish World Review
42. JIDF (Jewish Internet Defense Force)
43. Jihad Watch
44. JINSA (Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs)
45. Keep America Safe
46. Manhattan Institute
47. MEMRI (Middle East Media Research Institute)
48. Middle East Forum
49. National Post
50. National Review
51. New Republic
52. New York Daily News
53. New York Post
54. New York Times
55. News Corp.
56. Newsmax
57. One Jerusalem
58. Pajamas Media
59. RJC (Republican Jewish Coalition)
60. Saban Center for Middle East Policy
61. SANE (Society of Americans for National Existence)
62. Shalem Center
63. SIOA (Stop Islamization of America)
64. SITE Intelligence Group
65. Stand With Us
66. Tablet Magazine
67. The Fellowship
68. Townhall.com
69. U.S. News & World Report
70. UANI (United Against Nuclear Iran)
71. Wall Street Journal
72. Washington Post
73. Washington Times
74. Weekly Standard
75. WINEP (Washington Institute for Near East Policy)
76. Worldnetdaily
77. ZOA (Zionist Organization of America)
In combination, they constitute a formidable pro-war propaganda organ on behalf of Likud Zionism indeed.
(Informed and thoughtful challenges to this list, including additions and deletions, are welcome.)
There is no distinguishable difference between Obama and Romney. Anyone who think Obama will do anything different in his second term is guilty of wishful thinking.
Help elect Ron Paul. Stop the wars. Stop aid to Israel and everyone else.
Anyone remember the Symington Amendment to the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961?
Fits Israel.
The only thing I take umbrage with here is the line:
The Obama administration, despite rhetorical hedging, seems to recognize that war is neither necessary nor wise.
I’m getting pretty tired of the mind reading. “seems” is a word Walt would do well to forget. Ronald Reagan “seemed” like a nice guy. Obama “seems” like a nice guy. The former killed nuns and priests, the latter kills US citizens with no due process. I cant take anymore of this “the obama adminstration doesnt want war” nonsense. Its utter nonsense.
Enough with the mind reading – lets look at the facts. (1) Iran is completely surrounded by the US military, thanks in part to Obama (2) Obama has sent additional troops, aircraft carrier groups to the Gulf in the last year (3) Obama has increased all sorts of clandestine operations in and around Iran (we know this, because drones and people have been caught) (4) The US has been building hospitals and other facilities in Georgia, in Azerbaijian and sent hundreds of bunker busters to Diego Garcia (5) Obama has sold the same bunker busters to Israel, sold new missile defense technology to Israel and sold them long range fighter jets, as well as re-fueling tanker aircraft, while the Israeli government shouts from the mountaintops that it wants Iran destroyed, and may attack on its own. (6) Obama has greatly expanded W’s wars – Libya, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia – now onto Syria and perhaps Lebanon or maybe Nigeria? (7) Obama has propped up the (sunni) Gulf Monarchies, and made them full members of the Anti-Iran, Anti-Syria coalition, while selling them new fighter jets and tanks (8) Egypt. the obama administrations actions toward post Mubarak Egypt speak for themselves (9) Obama has already succeeded in selling the harsh, brutal sanctions on Iran to the Europeans and has moved China and Russia in the same direction (10) maybe most importantly, barry has been able to almost completely castrate any domestic opposition by making himself out to be the “reluctant warrior” through leaks, sympathetic journalists and a general – though totally undeserved- perception that democrats favor peace.
Barry was sold as “The Competent Manager” – the anti-W. Well, this is what competent management of empire looks like, Obama is getting his ducks in a row, so he can tell the world and the kool-aid drinkers at home that “he tried his best for a peacful resolution” He isnt trying to stop war, hes preparing the noose. and if we paid attention to his ACTIONS rather than the mind reading of the steve walts and gareth porters of the world, all this would be self evident
Dan Crowther,
You nailed it. Barack Obama has been a more effective and sinister neocon tool than George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. Most Democrats don’t have a clue.
But despite all that, I will be forced to vote for him in November over Mitt Romney. Damn. We’ve been completely backed into a no-win corner by Likud Zionists in American politics.
Fortunately for me, I happen to live in Maryland, which Obama is going to carry whatever I do or do not do. So I am quite free to register a protest vote, either for a third-party or write-in candidate.
DAN CROWTHER- You are a welcome voice of sanity on this. I don’t know why so many folks put so much stock in what these liars say. When the statements conflict with the facts on the ground, go with the facts on the ground.
@DC: sold them long range fighter jets, as well as re-fueling tanker aircraft
Could you source this, please.
My understanding is that Israel doesn’t have in-flight refueling capability, which is why a shot at Iran is so difficult tactically. Recall all that rubbish recently about Israel buying an airbase in Azerbaijan? Recall all that rubbish about Obama promising to sell the refueling aircraft if Bibi waited until after the elections? I think you’ve got some wires crossed here.
Obama has withheld re-fueling aircraft to keep Bibi on a leash . . . or to keep him from striking the US, neither of which constitutes being a neocon.
@DC:Obama has sold the same bunker busters to Israel. Uh. . .what bunker busters are you talking about? Obama sold Bibi GBU-55′s in 2009 after it was too late — Iran was already too deep for them to reach.
Obama has refused to sell them the Big Blu.
As I say, you might be thinking about the garbage Israeli msm reports about Obama agreeing to sell the Big Blu and refueling aircraft if Bibi waited until after the US elections to bomb Iran — total BS.
@DC: Obama has greatly expanded wars in Sudan, Somalia, and Syria —
Another fact-check, please. I don’t recall greatly expanded wars in any of these places.
Your logic is circular. You claim Obama has done all of these things (many of which claims seem to be factually dubious) that make Obama a neocon, and the proof of that is (10) that Obama hasn’t taken any overt acts in order to make himself look like a “reluctant warrior.”
The fact that Obama is determined that Iran will not get a nuke does not make Obama a neocon. All of the facts you cite (at least the ones that are valid) are consistent with Obama’s very, very clear goal. They are not necessarily consistent with him being a neocon unless one plays that silly “reluctant warrior” reverse psychology game. You want neocons? The Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld/Feith/Wolfowitz dogs would have bombed the blue gesys out of Iran by now.
So compare Iran today with Iran of 2009:
They have not been bombed. They have multiplied their ultra-speed centrifuges many-fold. They now have uranium enriched to 20%. They are dug deeper into the mountains. They have imported sea-skimming cruise missiles from China and Russia.
All of this because Obama has been able to keep the muzzle on Bibi.
So how is it you see Obama as a neocon? Maybe Obama is out-foxing the American Zionists and winning re-election, too. If so, he will be the first president in 60 years to do that.
@DC: sold them long range fighter jets, as well as re-fueling tanker aircraft
Could you source this, please.
—————————————
link to haaretz.com
WASHINGTON – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu requested the United States approve the sale of advanced refueling aircraft as well as GBU-28 bunker-piercing bombs to Israel during a recent meeting with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, a top U.S. official said on Tuesday.
The American official said that U.S. President Barack Obama instructed Panetta to work directly with Defense Minister Ehud Barak on the matter, indicating that the U.S. administration was inclined to look favorably upon the request as soon as possible.
March 6 2012
——————————-
2010
link to haaretz.com
“Defense Minister Ehud Barak approved the purchase of 20 F-35 fighter planes for the Israel Air Force on Sunday. ”
Those come on line in 2015, and they are going to be buying a lot more – theyve already added to their initial buy-
—————————————————
As for everthing else – there is plenty of stuff out there about obama’s clandestine wars all over the middle east and north/east africa – my point wasnt to say hes a neocon – my point was to say, whatever we want to label him, or think of him as, he is not a guy anyone should be projecting things upon – “seems” and barack obama should never appear in the same sentence. He “seemed” to favor single payer, and then the public option – he “seemed” to want to close guantanamo and reinstate the rule of law and so on.
Thanks for the links.
Roger you on that last paragraph, and mostly agreed.
As for the BB’s — there have been a number of “deals” like the one you cite where the msm says the deal was closed but the administration says no way. In one instance Obama was going to sell Bibi bunkbust conversion kits that would increase accuracy, but after Bibi insulted Biden by signing off on 1600 new apartheid housing units while Biden was still in BibiLand, Obama promptly diverted the conversion kits to Diego Garcia while they were enroute to Israel. I don’t know if they are still on the island, or what.
But my point is, Obama is playing a very difficult, incredibly dangerous game here. Not just with respect to the elections and a possible bloody regional war in the ME, but there are those who make a good case for the theory that Israel took out the Kennedy brothers because they were making trouble for Israel’s (then) clandestine nuke operation. There is a lot of motivation not to show your hand in both poker and politics.
So I wonder whether “seems” isn’t the best any commentator can do. It’s all smoke and mirrors. Always has been; always will be.
RE: “Washington is setting up the same path all over again. As if nothing has been learned. The neocon propaganda organs are very much in place. The war talk is similar, especially the depiction of Iran’s leaders as irrational zealots, impervious to reason.” ~ Scott McConnell reporting on Steve Walt’s talk
AS TO “The neocon propaganda organs are very much in place.”,
SEE: Rush From Reality, By Rick Perlstein, 02/26/09
SOURCE – link to ourfuture.org
P.S. ALSO AS TO “we know better what they’re thinking than they do”,
SEE THIS FROM WIKIPEDIA [Team B]:
SOURCE – link to en.wikipedia.org
DICKERSON3870,
I appreciate all the high-quality research you post here. Nothing is more powerful than well-documented facts. Bam.
P.P.S. ALSO AS TO “The neocon propaganda organs are very much in place.”,
SEE: The Right’s False Prophet, By Kenneth B. McIntyre, The American Conservative, 5/10/12
ENTIRE BOOK REVIEW – link to theamericanconservative.com
P.P.P.S. “Sticks and stones may break our bones, but facts will never sway us.” ~ Neocon Creed (This creed also works for Team B, Republicans, Fox News, Fundies, etc.)
let us all work to make the Neocon Thirty part of the lexicon of American history the way we use the terms Gang of Four and Chicago Seven … by giving them a name we keep a light upon them which reveals to history their crimes
“Now is the time for all men to come to the aid of their country!”
Any chance the “coalition of the willing” will include British, Canadian, or Australian troops in an Israeli-American lead attack/war on Iran? NATO?
“Any chance the “coalition of the willing” will include British, Canadian, or Australian troops in an Israeli-American lead attack/war on Iran?”
I have no doubt our arse-licking politicians will want to send Australian troops. I think the people are getting a bit fed up with Australian troops being sent to fight useless wars, so they might object.
That, or watch MasterChef.