> Which prompts some further thoughts on the "Policy Review" article that
> Kelley, for other reasons, called our attention to recently. But that's
> enough typing for one day.
Oh, what the hell.
The "Policy Review" article was
"Al Qaeda’s Fantasy Ideology
> By Lee Harris"
>
> http://www.policyreview.org/AUG02/harris.html
Policy Review is an organ of the Hoover Institution, an organization once devoted to anti-communism and now apparently given over to a general bellicosity.
In light of what Michael Lind and others have written about the high degree of coordination between conservative intellectuals and publicists and the GOP, there is something a touch minatory about this piece. It seems to go a little beyond the left-bashing that is a tiresome staple of conservative commentary. Conservative intellectuals used to say that they wanted to engage in a battle of ideas. Now, here's Lee Harris saying that people on the left have no ideas, but are essentially mentally deranged terrorists or terrorist-symps, who cannot be reasoned with, but must, like the terrorists, be stamped out. Given that the neo-conservative faction in the administration is setting the stage for war, one has to wonder what else they are laying the groundwork for. To engage in a bit of Kremlinology, I take Cheney's statement of yesterday as a sign that the more cautious Powell/Scowcroft faction is being pushed aside.
It seems possible to me that some within the administration know or suspect that any war they launch in the ME may prove bloodier and more protracted than the press or public yet realize. Their true goals may also be considerably more expansive than just "regime change" in Iraq. They have already laid the legal groundwork with the "patriot act" for domestic repression more severe than anything we have seen. I know there was a lot of infiltration and surveillance and use of agents provocateurs in the 60s, and against the opposition to the Central American wars of the 80s, but that was mostly covert ops. Now they seem to want to do it openly. Could this article be an early sign that public opinion is being prepared, too? What's in "Policy Review" today, after all, will show up in popularized form on the op-ed page of your local paper tomorrow.
Am I paranoid? Canada, anyone?
Jacob Conrad