Neoconservatism Thoughts

Posted by johnhouk on Dec 17, 2007
 John R. Houk
© December 16, 2007

Okay, I tend to lean to the Neoconservative side of Conservatism. Before any of you go apoplectic because you are any where on the Left spectrum or an old fashioned Paleoconservative, I am saying I lean that way.

As a Neocon I believe America should remain the global hegemon because it is in the National Interest to do so. To remain the global hegemon means once in a while America needs to challenge militarily nations actively working against American National Interests and National Security. In this sense I am a bit Machiavellian when it comes to American primacy; however American primacy is not the same as empires of old which conquered other peoples or nations for various reasons of using absolute control to pad the ruling elite’s pockets of those empires.

America has never been colonial or neo-colonial in its foreign wars. The closest to colonialism America ever came to is the Mexican-American War in which there was consideration to actually annex substantial amounts of Mexican land; however the politicians of the day came to their senses that a Mexican pacification of population centers would be a costly affair that could weaken America in the face of the day’s Super Power Empires (France and Britain) in the long run.

Nearly all of the lands acquired by winning a foreign war have become independent nations or have chosen to voluntarily to remain under American control. Liberia, Philippines, Cuba and Puerto Rico come to mind.

I support the Neocon concept of building Democracies in foreign lands if the culture is of a character to be malleable in that direction. Islamic culture is not amenable to concepts of Liberty, Justice and Freedom for all citizens regardless of race, religion, conscience or gender (etc.). A form of Republican Democracy is possible in Islamic culture but not even close to the principles Western culture. Thus I disagree with the Western Democratization of Iraq. Islam and government are simply too intertwined as one entity to embrace Western Democracy.

I know some say, “Well what about Turkey?”

Certainly Turkey is a secular nation; however it is also certain that Turkey does not embrace the Western concepts of Liberty and Freedom. There are still honor killings, Mohammedan superiority over other religions, and the influence of the Quran and Hadith in the rule of law. And you know what, that is the way it should be in Turkey. Turkey culture is Mohammedan and its history filled with the brutality that Mohammedanism has perpetrated on non-Mohammedans. Turkey is an example of a model of the furthest extant nation dominated by Mohammedanism can achieve a secular Democracy.

It is purely my opinion: I do not think America will ever be able to maintain its National Security with the old Paleocon concepts of various degrees of Isolationism and a government with a weak President. The utopian dream of limited government will indeed weaken America’s Presidency.

On the other hand a centralized Big Government dictating the minutiae of broad domestic National Policy must be limited. So I am saying Big Government concerning the National Policy of Foreign Relations and Limited Government in Domestic National Policy. Basically this is 21st century version of Federalism. Federalism is the pattern of a Democratic Representative Government the Founding Fathers implemented in the great experiment of the U.S. Constitution. The biggest difference with my concept of Federalism from the Founding Fathers is in the Foreign Policy tradition established by President George Washington; however Washington’s vision of limiting entanglements with foreign nations in Foreign Policy was based on the reality of the day. America definitely was not a global hegemon after the Revolutionary War. America definitely became a global hegemon after World War II.

Limiting a Government Foreign Policy budget in this day and age will eventually spell “disaster” for America’s National Security and National Interests. “Foreign Entanglements” are a necessary component of American global interaction in this day and age.

Now after rambling about my amateurish political thoughts of my personal Neoconservatism, in the next couple of days I am going to post an interview of Neocon Joshua Muravchik in which one can get a clearer picture of Neoconservatism. The interview is a lengthy so I will post it in parts. I am uncertain if I can pull that off in two or three parts.

This will begin tomorrow. If you wish to get a jump on the read, you can find it at AEI HERE. [SlantRight NOTE: The AEI link has disapeared. The SlantRight capture of the AEI post begins HERE] Otherwise be looking for the posts.
_______________________
 Neoconservatism Thoughts
John R. Houk
© December 16, 2007

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