Max Sawicky
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``Neoconia IS the conventional position'' God how depressing.
I have a lot of trouble trying to figure out some kind of central organizing idea behind a full decade of disasters--well several decades. The idea of US Exceptionalism was too loose or propagandistic for me.
``Obama: Since the days of Franklin Roosevelt, and the service and sacrifice of our grandparents, our country has borne a special burden in global affairs...''
Maybe I try to think through what amounts to bullshit, and that's the mistake.
Anyway, this exceptionalism is worth a few thoughts. It's the kind of idea that was coming out of the Reagan administration to mask the massive failure of Vietnam and the stagflation that followed. Then the US establishment got lucky when FSU imploded, and claimed we won the cold war. The ideology of exceptionalism became conventional wisdom through a nice new lie added to the pile.
I can see the equivalence between the cheerleader nonsense of exceptionalism, America the Great, Land of the Free, and the neocons, since they mouth the same sorts of celebratory nonsense. In fact the necons claim to own this flag waving. What both conceptions have in common is another great American trait, which is both ahistorical and completely un-empirical, that is a distinct preference for an ideological view of the world.
It's this denial of history and empiricism that links them together and makes them an ideology, which in turn makes it all look like insanity to me.
Juan Cole posted a way out of Afghanistan a couple of weeks ago. It's here:
http://www.juancole.com/2009_11_01_juancole_archive.html
For those interested, scan down to Sunday November 22, 2009. William R. Polk. It's long but well thought out.
So the point to mentioning that essay, is there was no compelling reason to escalate the war, and every empirical reason to phase it out.
The only explanation I can come up with for escalation is this harder core neoconism. And since Obama used McCrystal that must be the central source.
Please don't tell me that McCrystalized Neoconism is now the conventional position in DC.
BTW have you read Scahill's Blackwater?
Another question. Do you think this has a chance in hell:
``It's time to woman up. This policy can be blocked. It lacks support on the libertarian side, in the center, among the military, and on the left. We need to wreck this presidency in order to save it..''
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/12/01/its_the_cliches_stupid/
The reason I am really doubtful is because Pelosi has been very dexterous in undermining the CPC effectiveness in the whole health care debate. In other words she is running flak for Obama while she feints support for them. I expect her to work overtime on this anti-war noise.
CG