The Neocons and you.

posted by The Vidiot @ 7:55 AM Permalink

I'm sure you've heard that Rumsfeld, Cheney, Wolfowitz, Perle, et al, are considered neocons. And while some of you may know that the ideas many neocons embrace stem from the philosophical writings of Leo Strauss, you may not understand what the means to you or if that even should have any effect on your life. Well, I have to say, there's a very clear example of how it does effect our foreign policy and it's happening right now. (Well, it's been happening all along, but with Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz and Perle's diminished influence, it's still going on which just underscores the possibility that Bush foreign policy = Cheney foreign policy.)

Here, I'm only going to refer to two aspects of neocon/Straussian belief -- their belief in the "noble lie" and dominance by the elite -- because both aspects directly effect how Bush et al is handling the Iraq situation.

Excerpt: What gives Straussian thought its special flavor – a bitter blend of hypocrisy and cynicism – is the fact that Strauss himself didn’t believe in the eternal “truths” he championed. He was a nihilist, in other words – but one who believed only the philosophical elite could be trusted to indulge in such a dangerous vice. In exchange for this privilege, the elite has a special obligation to uphold the “noble lies” the ignorant masses must live by if society is to survive.

So how are do these beliefs effect our foreign policy? Well, let's look at it this way: Only 11% of the people polled support increasing troop levels in Iraq. The military doesn't support increasing troop levels. The Iraq Report cautions against increasing troop levels. And what does Bush et al want to do? Increase troop levels. 'Natch. The neocons think they know better than EVERYBODY ELSE.

Couple that with "noble lies" like proof they were told, in 2002, that Iraq had no WMDs and Iran approached THEM in 2003 to have a nice chat and they ignored it, well, there's no way to even think that the neocon foreign policy has no bearing.

You know, I've read that Strauss wrote in such a complex way that very few understood what he was saying. Theory being that he wrote in a sort of "code" so that only the most brilliant minds could embrace his thought processes. But judging by how things have turned out, it's more likely that Strauss was an idiot, and anyone who managed to find meaning in his drivel is completely and certifiably insane.