Earlier on this morning, a kindly fellow blogger and golfer suggested to me that I might in fact be a neo-con because of my views on Iran. Now, obviously I'm not going to start saying nucular instead of nuclear but I wondered whether such an anlysis might be right.
In general, neoconservatism is considered to be epitomised by the Bush Administration and is clearly defined in it's foreign policy approach. It argues strongly in favour of a robust foreign policy which includes the promotion of liberal democracy abroad, and, at least in relation the US, the continuance of American global hegemony.
It's certainly true in my view that the continuance of American hegemony is not a bad thing, or more correctly it is the least worst option (if the hegemon is not America it will be either Russia or China, and frankly that doesn't bear thinking about). However, I don't hold that America should remain the hegemon as a matter of ideology. I just think she's the only one with the economic clout and geopolitical influence that isn't also an oppressive regime that stifles freedom. For all it's faults and mistakes, it's still a free country unlike its two closest competitors.
The second supposedly identifiable characteristic of a neo-con is the desire to spread liberal democracy around the world (whilst maintaining American hegemony of course). I'm not sure what is exactly wrong with that as a general goal per se. However, again, I don't agree with it as a matter of ideology. It's hardly an objectional goal though is it?
So the question I have is, does that make me a neo-con?
4 comments:
What is it about the Neo label that automatically makes something negative. Neo means new, and yet socialists who drone on about being modern, use it as a form of insult.
The irony is of course is that most of the leading lights of "neoconservatism" in the US are all former Trots. They still believe in World Revoltuion, just a democratic one rather than a communist one.
They use all variants of 'conservative' as an insult, never mind the 'neo'.
On the other hand, I use all variants of 'progressive' to mean 'seditious' and/or 'untruthful' and/or 'deluded', according to the occasion.
I don't think you are a neo-con. You make the mistake of thinking that just because you don't hate America you are a neo-con. But of course most Americans are not neo-cons either. Hopefully when Mrs Clinton is restored to the White Hosue, the world will see this.
I've put a post on Labourhome, quoting a neo-con article, and an anti-neo-con article written by an Israeli. Read it, and see which article you agree with, and then you'll know whether you are a neo-con or not:
http://www.labourhome.org/comments/2006/8/3/20263/82524/6#6
Post a Comment