Enemies of the Republic, Part 3-The Neoconservatives

What do Paul Wolfowitz, David Frum, Donald Kagan, William Kristol, Michael Ledeen, and Eliot Abrams have in common? All are neoconservative intellectuals, and powerful men in the upper echelons of the Bush administration. In the third part of this series, Enemies of the Republic, we will see who these men are and what they represent.

The Neoconservative movement was founded by German immigrant Leo Strauss. Strauss, a refugee from Nazi Germany came to the United States in the 1950's and established himself at the University of Chicago. Strauss brought with him the European worldview of mankind, something rejected by our Founders

In this worldview, man is depraved, stupid, weak minded and in need of a strong government. With shades of Alexander Hamilton, Strauss propagated the view that the theories of Europe apply to the people of the American Republic. In this ideal people also need a powerful and dominant religion. Strauss believed religious belief to be a powerful controlling force ( which it is) to be used to manipulate and control the masses. He considered the masses worthy of a Hobbsian government, a strong leader ruling benevolently over all. Strauss and other neoconservatives reject the Enlightenment ideal of increasing human knowledge, infusing critical thinking and philosophy among the people,
and educating the people as Jefferson stated " enabled to know ambition under all it's shapes, and prompted to exert their natural powers to defeat it's purposes.." This is anathema to the neocon. In their view common people, or the middle class if you prefer, are incapable of such learning; and even if they were, such knowledge is not desireable.

This neoconsevative mindset has infiltrated the federal government beginning in the early 1980's culminating in their complete domination with the election of George W. Bush. Through Washington, DC based "think tanks" these neocons have promoted their tyrannical agenda and have suceeded in convincing the American people that they are conservatives. Conservatives, in the truest sense believe in limited government, property rights, individual liberty ,neocons do not.
Neocons do not believe in any of the above ideas. Unfortunately, they have convinced many conservatives and libertarians that they are the mainstream of the conservative movement. Sadly, that is the farthest from the truth.

Through mindless propaganda arms like FOX news, the magazine National Review, and the Weekly Standard these dangerous people have been able to convince many conservatives that :

1) The United States should be an Empire
2) that the masses should follow elitist "leaders"
3) that total war to spread "democracy" is moral
4) that people are fundamentally incapable of self government
5) that the ideals of the Founding Fathers are antiquated ideas
6) a large centralized government is necessary
7) a large standing military is necessary
8)freedom needs to be limited in times of war
9)American "interests", meaning corporations and cartels, should be "protected" by American soldiers
10)the overthrow of foreign governments is not only moral, but necessary to protect our "interests"

These planks are the building blocks of imperial government. All that is needed is a dissolution of the legislative branch, and the President to proclaim himself in office for life. All of these doctrines are as old as civilization itself. A ruling clique usurps the government with promises of protection and "freedom" and then piece by piece dismantles civil liberties under the guise of " fighting terrorism" or some other bugaboo.

Strauss and his neoconservative philosophy is not new. It is the philosophy of Thomas Hobbes, Sir Robert Filmer, George III, Napoleon, and the ancient kings and princes of Europe. This philosophy is one of hierarchy, domination, and despotism. Here is Thomas Jefferson explaining the difference between the Federalists and Democratic Republicans of his day, sums it up best:

" The doctrines of Europe were, that men in numerous associations cannot be restrained within the limits of order and justice, but by forces physical and moral, wielded over them by authorities independent of
their will. Hence their organization of kings, hereditary nobles and priests. Still further to constrain the brute force of the people, they deem it necessary to keep them down by hard labor, poverty and ignorance and to take from them, as from bees, so much of their earnings, as that unremitting labor shall be necesary to a sufficient surplus barely to sustain a scanty and miserable life. And these earnings they apply to maintain their privileged orders in splendor and idleness, to fascinate the eyes of the people, and excite in them an humble adoration and submission, as if to an order of superior beings."

Jefferson to William Johnson 6-22-1823

This is an apt description of the neocon mindset. Morons like Bill O'Reilly, Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, G. Gordon Liddy, excite devotion and submission to the Republican Party worldview, and the elevation of George W. Bush to near monarch status. Bush is called
"our President", "our leader", "your President", "commander in chief", and a "great man". All that is missing is a gold crown, purple robe and sceptre. The neocon world view as professed by Strauss and his disciples
is really the Old World view of European monarchs and the Federalist Party in the early republic. Let's compare this with the Jeffersonian view of the people:

"Ours was on the contrary, was to maintain the will of the majority of the convention ( constitution), and of the people themselves.We believed, that man was a rational animal, endowed by nature with rights, and with an inate sense of justice; and that he could be restrained from wrong and protected in right by moderate powers, confided to persons of his own choice, and held to their duties by dependence on his own view.We believed the complicated organization of kings, noble and priests was not the wisest nor best to effect the happiness of associated man that wisdom and virtue were not hereditary, and that the trappings of such machinery consumed at their expense"

Jefferson to William Johnson 6-22-1823

That profound statement above is the antithesis of the neocon worldview of empire and domination over the people of the US and the world itself.

One of the neoconservatives main program planks is the imperial supremacy of the United States around the globe. In 1997 the Project for the New American Century (PNAC) was created by neoconservatives Donald Kagen, William Kristol, and Paul Wolfowitz. In 2000 they issued a position paper entitled Rebuilding America's Defenses.This 90 page report is a call for American Empire. Military supremacy, strategic military bases all over the world, and pre-emptive war are recommended. This frightening document is the blueprint for world domination. It is a complete repudiation of the Jeffersonian foreign policy that served the early republic so well.

Combined with Straussian domestic policy and aggressive imperial foreign policy, the neoconservatives are creating a Frankenstein. The Republic is still there, superficially it has elections, courts, constitutional debates, but in reality under the veneer of the velvet glove of democracy is the iron fist of a burgeoning imperial power. Liberty, freedom, democratic electoral politics, and Jeffersonian limited government are being cast aside for war, corporate dominance, and a strong centralized state. This is the neocon dream. They see the Old Republic as archaic, unworkable, and not fit for the modern era.

The neocon worship of the centralized state must have a leader. This leader is President George W. Bush. Bush, a half witted politician, is really a puppet furthering the true goals of the neocons. Using religion, 500% patriotism ( you are either with us or against us), dumbed down public schools, and the mass media, we are looking at a retrogression of sorts. This retrogression will be back to a day, as Strauss hoped, before the Enlightenment. A day when kings ( the President), nobles ( government bureaucrats and corporate fat cats), and priests ( the Christian Right) combine to enslave the populace for their own enrichment. Critisism of the President is called "unpatriotic", "treason", and calls for the imprisonment of anti war and administraion opponents grow. As I have related in other essays it is the return of the Divine Right of Kings with a monied aristocracy and oligarchy to rule us all.

The neocons are also affiliated with the Likud Party in Isreal. They are Zionists. United with the Christian Right they denounce all critisism of Isreal as "anti semitic" and "nazi ". This anti intellectual diatribe is similar to the one used by leftists against white males calling them "racist" or "homophobic" when one of their causes or cliques is subject to any rational review. This is done to silence debate by name calling, slander and ad hominem attack. All such responses are not rebuttals to arguement and debate but are used to discredit their opponent and cause the public to believe that their opponents are not worthy of debate or attention. This is tragic to the cause of liberty since these forms of political correctness and mindless thought control techniques DO scare people into silence.

The Middle East is an obsession with the neocons and the protection of Isreal at all costs is paramount. The arabic peoples are routinely scorned and put down, and treated as vermin in the eyes of the neocons. Of course the other consideration is the large amounts of natural gas and oil in the Middle East. These natural resurces just happen to be connected to many of the corporations the neocons are involved with. Halliburton, with it's no bid contracts, and Bechtel, affilliated with Vice President Cheney, and former President George H.W. Bush and his affiliation with the Saudi Royal family are just a few examples. Modern day mercantilism at it's finest. All of these corporations benefit tremendously from their incestuous relationship with the government and it's warmongers.

Neocons also have dumbed down American history. Beginning in the 1950's neocons and other phony conservatives began propagating the view that the American Revolution was "conservative" unlike the radical French Revolution. This is a flat out lie. Revolutions by their very nature are anything but "conservative", especially the American Revolution.
The American Revolution may have started out as merely a defense of "English Liberties" but soon it became much more radical. Soon the colonists were speaking of the "natural rights of man", and the "sovereignty of the people", neither of which is a "conservative" proposition. Soon the monarchy was replaced by a democratic republic, a written constitution ( unheard of in Britian), a Bill of Rights, and the disestablishment of government religions in each of the colonies within the the first 40 years of the republic. Manhood sufferage was extended,
the right to property protected, and representative government established. Nothing, let me repeat nothing was conservative about it.

The American Revolution was so radical that it spurred the French officers who had come to help the Americans to become infected with the ideals of liberty which they brought back to France with them. Of course conservatives hate both the American and French Revolutions since the ruling oligarchies and monarchies were displaced and the people aroused to defend their rights. Neocons love to quote German aristocrat and paid scribbler for the English government, Fredrich Von Gentz, who propagated the view that the American Revolution was "conservative". Pure nonsense. The European monarchs hated both revolutions. They denounced the American Revolution in the same terms they denounced the French. Words like "rebels", "republicans", "democrats", " the lower sort", etc. European aristocrats despised the very idea of America. Republican government was seen as "anarchy", and it's supporters labeled as "disorganizers", "malcontents", and "jacobins". The neocons are avid believers in the views of European monarchs even though they prattle on about "democracy".

They are attempting to bury the revolutionary traditons and foundations of America to further the Straussian agenda. Neocons secretly hate the American Revolution because it's principles, outlined in the Declaration of Independence, spelled out the right to overthrow tyrannical government and institute new government on according to the will of the people. The will of the people means nothing to the neoconservative. They believe the people are like Alexander Hamilton thought, a "great beast", who are incapable of self government.

One of their most immoral and despotic ideals is the imperial ideal of pre-emptive war. They believe the United States has the right to attack, disarm and dominate any nation on this planet that the President considers a "threat". We would then occupy the nation to bring "democracy" to them. Pre-emptive war is the doctrine of of despots. Lying , fabrication of evidence, propaganda, are all used to sell war to the American people. Fanatical "patriotism" is then whipped into a frenzy by the neocon press; hatred of all who oppose the war, civil liberties advocates, peace groups, are all then spied on, ridiculed and calls for imprisoning them grow.


In their document "Rebuilding America's Defenses" the neocons call for pre-emptive war. They neocon war machine called for invasion of Iraq while President Clinton was in office, advice Clinton rejected. They also ominously called for a "Pearl Harbor" type event to propel the United States and the American people into war. This "Pearl Harbor" event was sent to them in the 9/11 tragedy, a Godsend to their cause. The drumbeat then began against Iraq. Lies and propaganda, false accusations of "weapons of mass destruction" that never materialized, and violation of civil liberties here at home are the lifeblood of their movement.

The neocon war machine is running at full steam, trampling over the Constitution and Bill of Rights. These evil men call for the torture of "terrorist" suspects, indefinate imprisonment as "enemy combatants",
and for the PATRIOT Act to be strengthened. Notice that the civil liberties of not just enemy aliens, but American citizens is at risk.
Habeus Corpus, the ancient right against unlawful and indefinate imprisonment, has been totally cast aside. The right to counsel has been breached by the policy of the Justice Dept to listen to conversations between suspects and their attorney's, thereby destroying any ability to mount a proper defense.The "enemy comabatant" doctrine has been sucessfully applied to American citizens like Jose Padilla. Padilla, arrested in 2002 for being affiliated with a terrorist cell, has never been charged with a crime, and is being held without access to his attorney.
This is the neocon doctrine of the total warfare state. This state is always in a state of fear, and extreme nationalism rules the day. The rights of citizens like Padilla are ignored, violated and totally disregarded.

If the neocons succeed ,the American Republic, which is on life support, will soon die. After it's death the United States ,as it's Founders intended, a democratic republic, will cease to exist. As I have stated in other essays, if this happens a true dark ages will consume the Earth. The new US Empire with it's massive military and fanatical religious zealots and sycophants will leave no stone unturned to further their global ideas of despotism, greed and domination. The Republic of Jefferson, Franklin, Madison and George Washington will be no more. Should this come about the world will truly become what Jefferson feared most from tyranny the " war of all against all" Let's do our best to make sure the neocons do not succeed.