"In a damning critique of what is still the Republican line on Iran, the former congressman characterized neocons as fear-mongering, trigger-happy hawks who would rather launch pre-emptive war than allow nonviolent diplomatic efforts to succeed. Their “greatest fear,” he writes, “is for peace to break out.”
Conservative pols and pundits have been working themselves into a tizzy, trying to spin recent developments in the U.S.-Iran relationship into a narrative of American folly and weakness. Never mind that those developments include the release of four political prisoners, as well as a brief altercation with the U.S. Navy, which ended — much to some conservatives’ consternation — without violence.
Conversely, Paul, the onetime Republican presidential candidate and father of current GOP hopeful (and debate no-show) Rand, praised what he described as the triumph of diplomacy thanks to both the efforts of President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry, as well as their counterparts in Tehran." Reisman
http://www.mediaite.com/online/ron-paul-rips-neocons-their-greatest-fear-is-for-peace-to-break-out/
-----------------------
Hilary Clinton has come to the fore lately as the country's leading neocon. Her strident calls for unending and un-relenting hostility to Iran are indicative of the character of the "advice" she is getting and the fear of abandonment by AIPAC that seems to grip her.
The People (in the constitutional sense of the term) do not trust her. They watch her well rehearsed performances and recognize them for the contrived, coached things that they are.
Now the multi-billionaire Zionist Michael Bloomberg is floating the rumor that if there is a Trump/Sanders election he MAY run as an independent and spend a billion dollars of his own money in the process. He also says that if HC is the Democratic candidate he probably WOULD NOT run against her. Does this mean that HC is acceptable to the billionaire class and to Zionists like little Mike, but Sanders is not?
Senator Sanders is far to the left of me politically. He would do a lot of things that I would not like, but he is not a neocon. pl
DC,
This is a lot of Sanders as Cipher talk for the viewers own dreams and wishes. Don't kid yourselves - Sanders is going to be another dyed in the wool Progressive doing wacky progressive things.
"Sorry Mr. Leibowski, your revolution failed - the bums lost!"
Posted by: Tyler | 25 January 2016 at 02:44 PM
DC,
I would not be surprised to see Webb running as Trump's VP.
Posted by: Tyler | 25 January 2016 at 02:45 PM
Every time I hear Ron Paul speak I'm reminded of how his son is just a pale imitation of him. In partial defense of Rand, I don't think he decided to eschew the GOP debate; I have read in a few places that his invitation to the debates was rescinded. The Powers that Be are trying to winnow the field of candidates down in hopes that voters will coalesce behind one of the establishment guys.
Posted by: Medicine Man | 25 January 2016 at 02:51 PM
Colonel,
See this?
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/01/iraq-war-wmds-donald-rumsfeld-new-report-213530
Posted by: MRW | 25 January 2016 at 04:57 PM
MRW
That is what the people who wrote the report told me at the time. They said their analytic work was being impeded by people in OSD. We did not discuss the report itself but they told me the subject was Iraq. It was clear to me that the IC was being blocked from carrying out its statutory responsibility. That is why I researched and wrote "Drinking the Koolaid." pl
Posted by: turcopolier | 25 January 2016 at 05:04 PM
"Trump isn't a neocon either which is why the National Review went after him. I can smell the fear."
Justin Raimondo editorial about this is a beauty. Just published today.
http://original.antiwar.com/justin/2016/01/24/nationalism-and-its-discontents-the-meaning-of-trump/
Posted by: MRW | 25 January 2016 at 06:01 PM
"That is what the people who wrote the report told me at the time. that is why I wrote 'Drinking the Koolaid'."
This is why this blog is so goddam valuable.
Posted by: MRW | 25 January 2016 at 06:02 PM
And another, Cee.
http://www.vdare.com/articles/donald-trump-sam-francis-and-the-emergence-of-the-alternative-dissident-right
Posted by: MRW | 25 January 2016 at 06:03 PM
AE,
Sorry bruh, but Bernie is another Progressive Globalist. He's going to dance dance dance for his paymasters.
The thing many people (including yourself, sorry to say) are unable to do is realize that the Progressive Agenda is the Globalist Agenda. The Progressives are the inheritors of Wilson's Yankee Puritan "democracy at bayonet point" revolution. The battle against Russia isn't simply because Russia won't knuckle under, its because of this spurious notion of "human rights" extending to Pussy Riot being able to commit blasphemy at Orthodox Christianity's most sacred temple and gay marriage across the world.
Bernie didn't have the strength of character to kick BLM out of his rally, instead letting them take over the megaphone and abuse the hell out of him. You guys seriously think he's going to provide some sort of opposition to the globalists who have been playing this game with much more to lose? C'mon now - that's as crazy as some of the "Obama is a secret non-interventionist and here's my triple bankshot reasoning WHY" nonsense I see floating around here.
The only option if you want to stop the endless wars and staunch the bleeding at home is Trump. He's the only person with the force of personality, willpower, and sheer animal drive to get it done. He's the only person that doesn't need a gorillion shekels from Goldman Sachs and he means what he says.
The lines across the world aren't Left and Right anymore, but Nationalist v Globalist. Pick a side and strap in, cause its going to get messy.
Posted by: Tyler | 25 January 2016 at 07:48 PM
Colonel,
I just spent the time since I last commented above rereading "Drinking the Koolaid," which I first read in 2009 (I think). I remember it was hot outside and I was driving to Canada. Read it in a bar one night on a stopover in some state on the way there. But I don't think I finished it because the dogs were hanging out the car window pretending they were abandoned, and attracting attention, their favorite trick.
It's a SPECTACULAR piece of analysis and reporting. And a *critically important* piece of history, imho. You ought to highlight it on the right panel under a new section called VIP 'writings' or 'papers' or 'essays' or something to that effect.
Posted by: MRW | 25 January 2016 at 10:22 PM
"Trump is the only reasonable madman to fill that role. Of course as a megalomaniac he could be terrible but given our last 6 presidents and especially the last one I can't see any way he could be worse."
Thank you for a good laugh.
Posted by: annamaria | 25 January 2016 at 10:39 PM
MRW
First published in 2004. pl
Posted by: turcopolier | 25 January 2016 at 10:44 PM
Cee, the fear of Trump for different reasons on the right and left, is quite fascinating.
Interesting look at the fears of the right...
Donald Trump Is More Like Ike Than George W. Bush - Why movement conservatives hate the GOP frontrunner. http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/an-ike-not-a-bush/
National Review’s barrage against Donald Trump won’t make much difference in the race, but clarifies nonetheless. In an editorial and 22 signed contributions, the magazine urges conservatives to reject Trump. Ninety percent of those likely to be influenced by National Review (a small, but not negligible number in a GOP primary) would have come to that conclusion without any help: Trump is not and never has been an establishment conservative, and other perfectly capable candidates are filling that niche. Nonetheless, NR‘s “Against Trump” campaign reveals much about the magazine and the current state of the conservative movement.
Posted by: Valissa | 25 January 2016 at 11:07 PM
Tyler
Ron Paul was one of the few persons in elections past along with Pat Buchanan who had a Nationalist perspective on foreign affairs. I recall well the debates, with Giuliani calling Ron Paul "unserious" about terrah. I've always been a big fan of Ron Paul and his firm belief in constitutional government not meddling in all aspects of our lives.
This election season the vibe seems different. Trump clearly has knocked the GOP establishment neocons off their pedestal but even more importantly has completely dominated the media. And even attacked them like Megyn Kelly. You see the schizophrenia in the establishment with some going after Trump while the others go after Cruz.
The next month is going to be super exciting.
Posted by: Jack | 26 January 2016 at 12:29 AM
Valissa
It's to be expected that the neocons like Bill Kristol oppose Trump. But, what's interesting is a Super PAC run by a former Romney aide is going after him with an ad in Iowa. So, it would seem the Wall St cronies are worried too because if anyone knows how they work it's Trump.
Posted by: Jack | 26 January 2016 at 12:47 AM
Ah ...Dr. Anne-Marie Slaughter on Syria in 2011, it's always good to reflect on public statements.
1. I love the premise of her proposal, that the no-fly / safety zones are necessary for force the Syrian army to get up close in personal because they will all defect if they could only see the carnage that they are causing the people. Yes indeed, the only reason the Syrian army is fighting is because they can sit back and fire long range artillery and level their own cities and then walk in after rebel forces politely bury the dead before they evacuate so as not to offend their sensibilities.
2. Regarding 1. Every single military intervention that I can remember is first preceded by a misinformation campaign making the target of the intervention the earthly representation of the forces of hell. Let's see, we had the incubator babies of Saddam's Iraq, the Libyan army Viagra rape gangs, and the barrel bombing, chemical weapons using, civilian targeting SAA. Oh, and when the drumbeat starts up on Iran again there will be stories about their civilians being victimized by our sanctions and blaming the evil Mullahs, probably about the lack of airline safety.
The pre-war propaganda campaign is something you can set your watch to.
Posted by: Chris Chuba | 26 January 2016 at 07:10 AM
I know, but you didn't feature it here until 2009, or more correctly, that's the first time I saw it.
It is a brilliant piece of work, Col., and a thorough one.
I've been *really* affected by reading it, which I did slowly yesterday. Every goddam word. I woke up this AM still thinking about it. I keep thinking had this received a wide readership in 2004, it could have changed the course of history...faster. I already knew about PNAC in 2004, a product of my own haphazard digging and reading; I even knew there was a group that nabbed Bush in Texas before he ran for President, didn't know they were called the Vulcans, and I didn't know the range of names, which was enlightening. I knew a lot of the details you recount, but when I told anyone around me back then, the snort was that I was being a conspiracy theorist, cherry-picking fringe shit from the internet, making connections that didn't exist. But I have one of those pea-under-the-mattress kind of brains: disparate details stick, often for years, until I can find or discern the pattern, and they won’t go away until I resolve them. Doesn’t make for easy conversations with casual acquaintances; I’m just a ‘screwball’.
You, however, have the heft of who you are, and what you were doing for 20 years. What you had been in charge of. You have the heft of authority, not to mention your military stature and accomplishments. You don't lord that over your reader in the piece, but it's there like an anvil saying Just try me, motherfucker.
Had I read this in 2004, I would have sent it to every major news bureau in the country with a tart note to read it or STFU (something I did periodically back then to various anchors and radio personalities who pissed me off). You need to highlight it here on your homepage. There are kids in universities, and budding historians, who need to see this. They're not going to scour your archives; how would they know it exists? You might think I'm being too insistent, but this is an *important* record, and I think you should treat it as such. It’s the only one I can think of written that early in the decade that details what went on, without hyperbole, and that can be independently verified. Take advantage of the three seconds you’ve got if someone accidentally lands on your homepage, and scans one screen. Take advantage of those 13 million hits.
Posted by: MRW | 26 January 2016 at 05:22 PM
P.S. Tab it as “The Article Harper’s Didn’t Have the Guts to Print.”
Posted by: MRW | 26 January 2016 at 05:28 PM
MRW
IMO the Harper's board did not want it to have the effect that you believe it would have had. Maybe I will give it its own blog? Would you like to take charge of it? pl
Posted by: turcopolier | 26 January 2016 at 05:34 PM
From leftist me: Sister Sarah in any kind of cabinet post? Hell no.
Posted by: Cee | 26 January 2016 at 07:52 PM
Just like the NY Times. Would have killed Bush's reelection?
"Would you like to take charge of it?"
That won't work for the foreseeable future. Going under the knife first week of March; minimum six- to eight-hour operation if they don't have to reconstruct things that join my body to my brain. [Could wind up stupid.] Pre-op starts in three weeks. Two weeks in hospital to see whether I live. Then one month can't lift anything heavier than a toothbrush. There goes the beer. ;-)
Stick a link under The Anthenaeum upper right.
Posted by: MRW | 26 January 2016 at 07:56 PM
Old Microbiologist '
Popcorn indeed . Maybe a Moon Pie and a Big Red for old time sakes.
Posted by: alba etie | 26 January 2016 at 10:11 PM
sac brat
Yes it has be and educational .
Posted by: alba etie | 26 January 2016 at 10:16 PM
Tyler
Who would be a good choice for Trump's VP ?
Posted by: alba etie | 26 January 2016 at 10:17 PM
AE,
Webb or Sessions. Webb completely obliterates any Dem plans for Virginia, while Sessions shows that a new day is coming in immigration enforcement in the US.
I'd expect both to play a serious role in any Trump Presidency. Sessions for DHS Secretary or Webb as Secretary as Defense to unf-ck the mess the military has become.
Posted by: Tyler | 27 January 2016 at 01:34 AM