Living in a Dream World
Visit Lobelog.com for the latest news analysis and commentary from Inter Press News Service’s Washington bureau chief Jim Lobe.
If you need an example of just how sophomoric both Bill Kristol’s Weekly Standard and AEI’s Michael Rubin can be, don’t miss Rubin’s latest article in the Standard, entitled “Living in a Dream World: The Political Fantasies of Foreign Service Officers”. Rubin’s target is the contents of a regular column in the State Department’s in-house monthly magazine, State, in which diplomats overseas offer brief descriptions of life in their host countries. It’s very difficult to figure out why Rubin, a talented polemicist and Rudi Giuliani’s “Senior Iran and Turkey advisor”, would spend much time going over old issues of the magazine to prove what he calls the “sheer inanity of Foreign Service thinking.” Perhaps he had an intern with a lot of time on his or her hands, and the Standard needed some filler. On the other hand, most neo-conservatives, especially proteges of Richard Perle, believe there’s never a bad time to bash the “realists” in the State Department. (Indeed, in his new book, They Knew They Were Right: The Rise of the Neocons, Jacob Heilbrunn quotes Douglas Feith, Rubin’s boss during Bush’s first term, as saying that his family’s history as Holocaust victims made him understand the true nature of foreign policy, “unlike the ‘WASPs in the State Department.’” With an attitude like that, it’s no wonder the Feith and the Pentagon civilians tried so hard to keep the State Department out of the loop.)
Of course, it was Rubin more than any other neo-con who repeatedly assailed Gen. David Petraeus for trying to “appease” Ba’athists in his efforts in 2004 and 2005 to pacify Mosul and al-Anbar provinces, as I pointed out in a post last October on the Likudist cast to Giuliani’s foreign-policy team. As late as 14 months ago, Rubin, a de-Ba’athification hawk and Chalabi acolyte from the get-go, was still complaining bitterly about Petraeus’ early efforts to co-opt the Sunni insurgency. That those efforts are now given credit — even by Rubin’s fellow-neo-cons and most especially Kristol, who named Petraeus the Standard’s “Man of the Year” just last month — for what progress has been made in reducing the violence in Iraq over the past year is ironic to say the least. Indeed, the relative success of Petraeus’ tactics also suggests that it’s not just foreign service officers who inhabit dream worlds.
Visit Lobelog.com for the latest news analysis and commentary from Inter Press News Service’s Washington bureau chief Jim Lobe.
Steve
January 16th, 2008 at 7:30 pm
What must it feel like to be a neo-con? Think of all the benefits! Selective amnesia is my personal favorite, for every policy debacle magically finds its way into a permanent memory hole (the hole must be enormous by now).
When critics inconveniently unearth said failures, a well-oiled excuse factory cranks up. It’s poor execution, you see, not the policy itself. More bombing! More troops! Spend more and all will be well. It might take a hundred years and a bazillion dollars, but those nasty Muslims will one day see the error of their ways and shower the troops with flowers and kisses.
When all else fails, resort to character assassination. There’s nothing more effective in stifling debate or redirecting public attention away from wars, destruction and torture than an orchestrated ad hominem attack. Trotting out the charge of anti-semitism works wonders. Smear first, look for evidence later.
The best part about being a neo-con has to be all those perks: six-figure salaries, cushy pensions, unbridled political power, unrestrained spending, and lucrative speaking and writing assignments once out of office. What’s not to like?
R. Nelson
January 17th, 2008 at 3:06 am
Given Bush’s underwriting of every Mideast tyranny that so much as drops a hankie our way, you marvel at Rubin’s gall in taking a potshot at ambassadors “supporting all those autocracies.”
State Department rules if the neocons had their way would be:
1) Never talk to anyone.
2) Shoot first, middle, and last.
3) Be sure to dwell on a country’s negative side only; this will make carrying out rule 2 easier.
4) Listen to the voices in your head rather than the lying, treacherous words of other humans.
peace
January 17th, 2008 at 3:26 am
Thank you both, Jim and Steve.
lester
January 17th, 2008 at 7:18 am
well, neo con is shorter than zionist supporters of israel or whatever.
any way all of the….neo cons were aggeressively in favor of de baathification. on NPR a few months ago kanan makiya, absolutely one of the most obnoxious ideological jerks on the face of the earth, denied it. then they played a clip of him on the same program from 03 saying that de baathification needed to go much further . so he denied it again. The callers were livid and he just made fun of them, comfortable in knowing he had a tenure position at MIT to return to. the host Tom Ashbrook, very nearly hauled off and knocked the guy out, you could tell in his voice. It was intense and he deserves alot of credit for his restraint.
I’m not actually sure he is all that pro israel though. most hawks are but he’s sort of a random commie warmonger in there.
hjmaiere
January 17th, 2008 at 7:24 am
No, ‘neocon’ works better. Israel is just a beachhead–a means, not an end. The neocons are merely the self-imagined intellectual elite du jour. When the particulars of their agenda no longer serve the interests of the true plutocracy, their think tanks and media coverage will dry up, and they will be replaced by something else.
Sally
January 17th, 2008 at 9:23 am
Douglas Feith, “unlike the ‘WASPs in the State Department.’”
Who are these wasps? The term seems to be simply an aggressive term of denigration, so why do Christians so readily accept it? Apparently the British do not know of our use of “wasp” even though their nation would seem to be packed with anglo-saxon protestants. They reserve wasp as a way to describe another nation & culture altogether.
Kenneth
January 17th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
I gotta get me a job at the Weekly Standard!
Kenneth
January 17th, 2008 at 12:08 pm
Bwahahahaha! Bloody brilliant!
aeskylos
January 17th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
If only we can get a war with Iran, Syria, Pakistan or whatever.
Our brave boys can bring freedom to somewhere and make America safe or something. The things that count are patriotism, service, honor and stuff.
Kenneth
January 17th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
And oil. Don’t forget the oil.
peace
January 17th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
Thanks to Jim Lobe and Steve, above, for their clever truthtelling here.
peace
January 17th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
You are right, sally. Christians should not readily accept the catchall WASP designation. It is meaningless.
Negin
January 18th, 2008 at 7:44 am
You might be interested in seeing : http://www.ebtekarm.blogspot.com
Wondering
January 18th, 2008 at 11:44 am
I was wondering that myself. Isn’t it WASP-baiting according to PC ideology? If not, why not? How come you can’t say “the Jewish NeoCons in the Pentagon” but you can say the “WASPS in the State Dept.”?
Gary
January 19th, 2008 at 4:20 am
All I know is that if Guiliani gets elected, they might as well move the capital to tel aviv because that’s who will be running this country.
Ed March
January 19th, 2008 at 6:02 am
Of course, some would say that AIPAC is already running the country – even without Guiliani.
Steve Block
January 19th, 2008 at 10:44 am
Never in human history has so few (the Neocons) harmed so many. (Most of us.) Never in American history has such a small group of foreign loyalists wrested control of a major nation, an alleged superpower, such as our own, for the betterment of the foreign nation where their heart truly lies. Never in Amrican history has our citizenry stood impotently by allowing this to have happened. Their background partially explains their “America Second” agenda but most troubling is the useful idiots they have recruited – The Christian Right eagerly awaiting the joys of a final war and Armageddon and others such as John McCain allied with Senator Lieberman not being aware of the latter’s true love.Steve, US Navy, World War 2.
Frank
January 19th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
That is too good lol.
Zhu Bajie
January 19th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
Don’t forget the neocon alliance with the theocon armegeddonites!
Phonk
January 19th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
The entire US political, military and media spectrum are alien not from earth or they are lizards dressed in human skin
As long as the palestinian are demonised and the arab and moslem became the very picture of terrorism.
US public is the most gullible people on earth.
USA is a danger to international peace the weapon they produce and sell all over the world is the most dangerous terrorism.
aL
January 19th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
Ron Paul 2008
Although his ideals will get him assassinated if elected…
Kenneth
January 19th, 2008 at 11:44 pm
They should just start a nuclear war with Russia and be done with it.
Tim R.
January 20th, 2008 at 12:10 am
Steve Block writes:
“Never in American history has such a small group of foreign loyalists wrested control of a major nation, an alleged superpower, such as our own, for the betterment of the foreign nation where their heart truly lies.”
Are you refering to the disgusting Saudi Arabians? The Saudis whom we just gave 20 billion dollars worth of advanced military hardware? The same Saudis who have a prince that practically owns Citigroup and who donate millions and millions of dollars to our most prestigious universities? The same Saudi Arabians who say they are our friends but foment radical Islamic theology? 75% of the hijackers on September 11th were also Saudi.
So I guess this is what you are speaking of.
anon
January 20th, 2008 at 1:42 am
True, but there’s at least an explanation for sucking up to such a nasty place as S.A.—oil.
Kenneth
January 20th, 2008 at 11:43 am
Actually, he’s thinking of Israel, but given America’s penchant for supporting tyranny, Saudi Arabia surely comes in a close second.
mike
January 20th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
donkey democrats = jackass anti-americans
NOMOREWAR_FORISRAEL
January 21st, 2008 at 11:38 am
Bush Admits that He Plans to Attack Iran
http://www.itszone.co.uk/zone0/viewtopic.php?p=413048#413048
NOMOREWAR_FORISRAEL
January 21st, 2008 at 11:39 am
http://NEOCONZIONISTTHREAT.BLOGSPOT.COM
NOMOREWAR_FORISRAEL
January 21st, 2008 at 11:41 am
Feith/Libby Lies Exposed
http://www.itszone.co.uk/zone0/viewtopic.php?p=413019#413019
America Dot Com
January 21st, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Mearsheimer/Walt book (see http://www.israellobbybook.com
More war for Israel (this time with Iran) coming right at US:
http://www.itszone.co.uk/zone0/viewtopic.php?t=71055
Tough Guy With Falsetto
January 22nd, 2008 at 1:48 pm
Kristol and his tribe never tire of maligning people–Americans, Arabs, Journalists and Generals–who actually live and breathe in the Middle East. But they sure can type.
Michael E. Piston
January 23rd, 2008 at 11:49 am
Kannan Makiya is certainly a ideological supporter of human rights and democracy, but in my own personal dealings with him I have found him the very opposite of a jerk. Despite his acknowledged standing as the leading internationally recognized political analyst on Iraq he for many years served as an expert witness in the cases of Iraqi asylum seekers for token compensation, always taking substantial time to review their case histories in detail and then to testifying with intelligence and graciousness, subjecting himself in the process to rude obnoxious and ignorant cross examination from government attorneys who fully deserved the term “jerk”. I didn’t watch the program “lester” referred to, but from my observation of Mr. Makiya’s patient response to sneering ridicule from government attorneys, it is difficult to believe that the description of his performance on NPR is accurate.
Michael E. Piston
January 23rd, 2008 at 11:56 am
If even such rabid anti-American activists as Alex Cockburn and William Blum are unconvinced by the 9-11 “skeptics” case, I’m not either. Ask yourself carefully if Al Qaeda was not responsible for the September 11 attacks why has UBL and KSM (before he was arrested) loudly and repeatedly taken responsibility for it? And if the neoconservative were indeed behind this attack, why wouldn’t've they have framed Iraq for it, for whom extensive evidence exists that they were seeking an excuse to attack long before September 11, rather than Al Qaeda which, as Richard Clarke’s and others memoirs confirm, they had little interest or concern about prior to September 11?