11 Comments so far

1. dakotalin February 4th, 2007 9:02 pm

   For my money, Larry Beinhart knows this administration and the neo-cons better than anybody else. He “gets” them from the inside out, with a master fiction writer’s ability to imagine how someone entirely his opposite would think and act–and combines that ability with a particularly acute understanding of world events. (Read “The Librarian”!) Thank you, Larry, for the insights.

2. Sisyphus February 5th, 2007 12:31 am

   Right on Larry Beinhart! I don’t think that the self and mutually destructive neocon philosophy is limited to just the neocons. The tremendous silence of both parties and from the “creme de la creme” in our erudite, educated, well heeled and “liberal” media and from our guarded institutions following the 9-11 debacle indicated that the neocon lies and responsibility shirking rants found resonance through out our society.

   The very fact that the Bush administration has not been put in jail makes me unable to believe that there is any hope for the United States. I just hope it (we) can self destruct without hurting the rest of the world in the manner in which we are accustomed to do.

3. brynn February 5th, 2007 11:43 am

   Excellent piece!

   To Beinhart’s list of ways that NeoCon philosophy has been proven wrong (and disastrous) in Iraq, add “privatization” of the armed services. Laundry, shipping, food services, private security and other tasks are being provided by the likes of Halliburton and Blackwater, whose employees (and their stateside bosses) are being paid by American taxpayers many times more than what US GI’s would make.

   In addition to this enormous financial windfall to Bush and Cheney supporters, other big pluses include: no draft (so far), so opposition to the illegal war remains subdued; no legal responsibility on the part of private security contractors, who can torture, rape, and kill in Iraq and Afghanistan without fear of arrest, trial and prison; and (perhaps most importantly) the creation of private militias under the command of corporations, on a scale unheard of before 9/11 and this horrific war.

4. observer February 5th, 2007 12:42 pm

   Larry Beinhart took but a first step to list of bankrupt ideology, individuals, parties and media.

   Alas, few main culprits are missing - owners and consumers of media. The very term ‘consumers’ show how thoroughly once great entity called American people are indoctrinated by the worse brew of philosophy of individualism and ideology of nationalism. The spectacle of American people from those in kindergarten to those on Capitol Hill reciting pledge of allegiance, hand on heart, mind somewhere else, day in and day out, is something that I still cannot comprehend after 30 years living in this once great land of braved.

   And I know what totalitarianism is when I see it. For 60 years ago, in then Soviet Union, I pledged the allegiance to Young Pioneers, organization that wanted me to be good. Then they left me alone and nobody ask me to repeat pledge again. For you do not repeat your name daily if it is your name. You need to repeat your name daily if you are not sure who you are.

   So, on September 11, 2001, they were American people, the salt of the planet, in panic and fear, has shown their face to astonished world. They demanded blood and more blood of whoever was thrown to them by shrewd politicians. The spectacle of future presidential hopefuls, committing political suicide by authorizing new Caesar for unlimited time to rule via nuclear button, was awful. Yet, corporate capitalism with less than human smirk became fact of our time.

   Recalling corporate capitalism with wide smile of Bill Clinton, I have troubles to find what is worse.

   Personally, I prefer operation to long agony. So let us see.

5. moreover February 5th, 2007 3:20 pm

   A very perceptive view: Here, Beinhart argues that it’s not just cynicism , greed and hunger for power but that those leaders really believe in what they are preaching. Which may or may not be true but it’s advisable to take their word for it even while looking at their obvious media manipulations. We can prove them wrong by analyzing their ideology and tearing it apart. If only people would listen.

6. LWelsch February 5th, 2007 3:32 pm

   Steven Colbert said this with satire at the White House correspondents dinner. See URL http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-869183917758574879&q=White+House+correspondents+dinner+Colbert&hl=en

7. mysticdon February 5th, 2007 4:16 pm

   What a mish mash this is. Filled with rearranged “fats” wrapped in suppositions and labels, this is the typical hate filled drivel used to get all the kool aid drinkers going.

   The original neo-cons were progressive democrats. But that was before the name became some sort of label that is uttered with a sneer.
   You need to do a bitof homework.

8. armybrat February 5th, 2007 9:20 pm

   I didn’t see the rest of the world doing anything to prevent this disaster, so it’s a little presumptious to demonize Americans. The same thing happened when Hitler came to power - largely nothing. Zilch. The rest of the world is just as responsible as Americans.

9. Ashot February 7th, 2007 2:00 am

   “We can prove them wrong by analyzing their ideology and tearing it apart.” Wow, sadly that’s actually a novel idea based on what I have read on this this website over the last half year: logic.

   Liberals are the most simple-minded/naive group of idealists that God (yes, God) ever created. The deepest syllogistic plateau one has yet to reach is: When people die, the act that caused it is bad. In war, people die. Therefore, war is bad. Mind boggling.

   Never a counter-solution offered…simply run away, re-distribute this, socialize that, don’t mind the terrorists, appease him, equality for all, capitalism for none!

   I have to say, this website offers some of my greatest laughs day in and day out. Thanks.

10. ezeflyer February 7th, 2007 2:00 pm

    Ashot may be too simple-minded to realize that Jesus his God was a liberal. Conservatives are full of oxymorons.

    I once heard about a town in Georgia that had no crime, supposedly because every adult was required to carry a gun. I’m not sure we can apply the same logic to the Iraqi’s situation, where women are not allowed to carry guns and anyone seen with a gun would probably be shot by our troops.

11. bnrekoxuzosa January 13th, 2008 4:16 pm

    titxykovirity…

    exvepunopuzu…

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