- JACOB HEILBRUNN <http://nationalinterest.org/blog/jacob-heilbrunn>
Share on email<http://nationalinterest.org/blog/jacob-heilbrunn/john-mccains-neocon-manifesto-7404#>Share on twitter<http://nationalinterest.org/blog/jacob-heilbrunn/john-mccains-neocon-manifesto-7404#>Share on facebook<http://nationalinterest.org/blog/jacob-heilbrunn/john-mccains-neocon-manifesto-7404#>Share on digg<http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300&winname=addthis&pub=nationalinterest&source=tbx-300&lng=en-US&s=digg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnationalinterest.org%2Fblog%2Fjacob-heilbrunn%2Fjohn-mccains-neocon-manifesto-7404&title=John%20McCain%27s%20Neocon%20Manifesto%20%7C%20The%20National%20Interest%20Blog&ate=AT-nationalinterest/-/-/52d8b033af094f77/2&frommenu=1&uid=52d8b033050151f3&ct=1&pre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F&tt=0&captcha_provider=nucaptcha> |More Sharing ServicesMore<http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&username=nationalinterest> [image: Printer-friendly version]<http://nationalinterest.org/print/blog/jacob-heilbrunn/john-mccains-neocon-manifesto-7404> Jacob Heilbrunn <http://nationalinterest.org/profile/jacob-heilbrunn> | August 29, 2012 It's no secret that John McCain, once a prominent realist, has steadily converted to neoconservatism over the past two decades. He is now the movement's most visible champion, which is to say that McCain has been at the forefront of championing almost every bad idea of the past decade, including serving as a cheerleader for the war in Iraq. McCain's vision of American power and influence around the globe is so open-ended that it constitutes an invitation for hegemony, something that China is bound to reject. One thing that is missing in McCain's essay is that the Iraq War forms the origins of much of the current mess. The Bush administration expended trillions of dollars—with more to come in the form of payments to veterans over the next decades—trying to use Iraq as a demonstration shot for freedom in the rest of the Middle East. Another flaw in McCain's analysis is that he exaggerates the Obama administration's passivity abroad. McCain suggests that Obama has alienated allies such as Israel. He writes, This is the feeling in Israel and the Gulf, where the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran is existential, but trust in America's willingness to address the problem has never been lower. Really? Israel itself is experiencing a vigorous debate over whether it makes sense to bomb Iran—something that McCain does not demand that Obama accomplish, saying rather that there needs to be a realistic national-security threat. But it's difficult to discern how Obama could be much more accommodating to Israel, short of giving it carte blanche, which, I guess, is what would amount to a realistic threat for McCain. On Thursday, January 16, 2014 4:49:21 PM UTC-6, KeithInTampa wrote: > > Not an opinion Plain Ol. Fact: Neither Graham or McCain are former > registered Democrats. > > > On Thu, Jan 16, 2014 at 5:41 PM, plainolamerican > <[email protected]<javascript:> > > wrote: > >> opinion noted. >> they will all sacrifice American interests for israel. >> >> >> On Thursday, January 16, 2014 3:14:35 PM UTC-6, KeithInTampa wrote: >> >>> By definition, neither McCain nor the "Chinless Wonder" Lindsey Graham >>> are "Neo-Cons". Fatalists? Most definitely, but not Neo-Cons. >>> >>> >>> >>> On Thu, Jan 16, 2014 at 12:52 PM, plainolamerican >>> <[email protected]>wrote: >>> >>>> McCain, Graham, Menendez >>>> --- >>>> 3 zionists who must be removed from our government asap by any means >>>> necessary. >>>> >>>> On Tuesday, January 14, 2014 8:34:31 PM UTC-6, MJ wrote: >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> *McCain and Graham Go To Work Against Iran Agreement *Written by Daniel >>>>> McAdams<http://ronpaulinstitute.org/archives/congress-alert.aspx?author=Daniel+McAdams> >>>>> >>>>> Tuesday January 14, 2014 >>>>> >>>>> Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) continue to pull >>>>> out all stops in attempt to scuttle the six-month interim agreement >>>>> between >>>>> the P5+1 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P5+1> and Iran. The agreement >>>>> is meant to provide some space for negotiations to continue between the >>>>> two >>>>> sides while allowing for some confidence to be built in place of a >>>>> decades-long hostile relationship. >>>>> >>>>> The six month water-testing agreement is not meant as a permanent >>>>> agreement nor is it a legally-binding Chapter VII UNSC resolution. >>>>> >>>>> Nevertheless, the neocons, led by Messrs McCain and Graham, are >>>>> determined to plant as many IEDs along the road to diplomatic resolution >>>>> as >>>>> possible. >>>>> >>>>> Today McCain and Graham issued another joint >>>>> release<http://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=abac1126-8b42-478c-bbc6-a12d053bcc85>, >>>>> >>>>> this time raising the red flag over a rumor they heard that the agreement >>>>> included some implementation language to which they had not yet been >>>>> privy. >>>>> >>>>> What has the Senators so concerned? Rumors that for the next six >>>>> months: Iran will be permitted to keep all of its nuclear facilities >>>>> open, continue its enrichment of uranium, and maintain and even expand >>>>> its >>>>> nuclear research, including into next-generation centrifuges. >>>>> >>>>> Even if this "nonpaper <http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/non-paper> " >>>>> has been included as part of the six-month deal, it is hardly the >>>>> revelation that the Senators would have us to believe. All of these >>>>> activities are already permitted by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty >>>>> of >>>>> which Iran is a signatory. >>>>> >>>>> Yes, Iran is already allowed to engage in these activities according >>>>> to existing international treaty to which the US is also a party, meaning >>>>> the US recognizes this existing right. >>>>> >>>>> But the Senators are trying to make something of nothing to push their >>>>> pet project: passage of Sens. Menendez and Kirk's green light to war >>>>> legislation, the Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act. >>>>> >>>>> They conclude their hyperactive press release by pushing their real >>>>> agenda: these reports only add greater urgency to the calls from an >>>>> increasing number of members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to >>>>> pass >>>>> new bipartisan sanctions legislation as soon as possible. >>>>> >>>>> As Patrick Buchanan points >>>>> out<http://original.antiwar.com/buchanan/2014/01/13/a-blank-check-for-war-on-iran/>today: >>>>> When >>>>> the interim agreement was reached, it was denounced by neocons as >>>>> �worse >>>>> than Munich.� Now the War Party piously contends this Senate bill is >>>>> simply an �insurance policy� to ensure that the terms of the deal are >>>>> met and a final deal reached. It is nothing of the sort. This bill is >>>>> a project of AIPAC, the Israeli lobby, designed to sabotage and scuttle >>>>> the >>>>> Geneva talks by telling Tehran: Either capitulate and dismantle all your >>>>> enrichment facilities, or face more severe sanctions which will put us on >>>>> the road to war. What terrifies AIPAC and Bibi is not an American war >>>>> on Iran, but an American rapprochement with Iran. Who are the leaders >>>>> of the push for S.1881? Sens. Mark Kirk and Robert Menendez, the biggest >>>>> recipients of AIPAC campaign cash. >>>>> >>>>> Expect more hysterics from McCain, Graham, Menendez, and the rest of >>>>> the neocons. For a handy guide to which of them is likely to scream the >>>>> loudest, please consult Professor Michael Rozeff's list >>>>> here<http://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/u-s-senators-are-nearly-all-stooges-for-israel/>. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> http://ronpaulinstitute.org/archives/congress-alert/2014/jan >>>>> uary/14/mccain-and-graham-go-to-work-against-iran-agreement.aspx >>>>> >>>> -- >>>> -- >>>> Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. >>>> For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum >>>> >>>> * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ >>>> * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. >>>> * Read the latest breaking news, and more. >>>> >>>> --- >>>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >>>> Groups "PoliticalForum" group. >>>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send >>>> an email to [email protected]. >>>> >>>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. >>>> >>> >>> -- >> -- >> Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. >> For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum >> >> * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ >> * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. >> * Read the latest breaking news, and more. >> >> --- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "PoliticalForum" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected] <javascript:>. >> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. >> > > -- -- Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "PoliticalForum" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
