Neocon cabal

It's always good to know who is influencing policy. Here's a great breakdown from the CSM.

http://www.csmonitor.com/specials/neocon/index.html

They also have a great questionnaire (a bit more involved than a quiz) to find out where you stand. Some good questions here to get your mind working.

http://www.csmonitor.com/specials/neocon/quiz/neoconQuiz.html

They pegged me as a liberal, but I think I'm a cross between a liberal and a realist according to their category breakdown.

I spent a good part of my Sunday reading about Neoconservativism and I'm tickled. Fundamentally I disagree with their vision as a whole, but I can see how it would be useful to have a neocon on any foreign policy planning board. In other words - I wouldn't leave them in charge of an empire, but would certainly take their input.

Here is a mission statement from one of their leading groups. Check out the list of names at the end - it's who's who in our current government. Pretty amazing!

http://www.newamericancentury.org/statementofprinciples.htm

On the face of it it's pretty standard strong-arm, right-wing view of the world. The problems start to emerge once you start thinking about what some of those statements imply or might result in. Here is one of the more troubling points:

"we need to accept responsibility for America's unique role in preserving and extending an international order friendly to our security, our prosperity, and our principles."

In other words screw the world. We will install new governments that are friendly to us, bully countries into trading with us on our own terms and democratize the world (as long as that doesn't conflict with previous two items). Basically, continue doing what we've been doing since WWII, perhaps a bit more openly. Pax Americana here we come!!