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Neoconservatism

2007-04-05T09:50:01Z

Barker: success

A '''neoconservative''' (colloquially, ''neocon'') is a former liberal turned conservative. Neoconservatives believe that democracy can and should be installed around the world, even in Muslim countries such as Iraq, [[Iran]], and [[Saudi Arabia]]. It is said that neoconservatives were responsible for persuading President [[George W. Bush]] to invade Iraq, and they have lobbied for military action against [[Iran]] also. The outstanding success of the US' war on Iraq is a good indication of the average neocon's grasp on reality.

==Origin==
[[Image:Kris.gif|thumb|right|Irving Kristol was dubbed by many as "the Godfather" of Neo-conservatism]]
Neo-conservatism was developed by a group of largely Jewish intellectuals graduated from the City College of New York in the late 1930's, a group that includes [[Irving Kristol]], [[Daniel Bell]], [[Nathan Glazer]].<ref>[http://www.amazon.com/Neoconservative-Revolution-Jewish-Intellectuals-Shaping/dp/0521836565/ref=sr_1_3/102-2076504-6567320?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1175142752&sr=8-3 The Neoconservative Revolution: Jewish Intellectuals and the Shaping of Public Policy, Murray Friedman, 2005]</ref> Many of this group came to despise the counterculture of the 1960's and what they felt was a growing "anti-Americanism" among many baby boomers. And during the [[cold war]] era, many of them came to realize the evil of the Stalinist regime.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/glogin?URI=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/19/magazine/neo.html&OQ=_rQ3D1&OP=789ca3bQ2F@tVK@FQ27Q5C(LQ27Q271Q25@Q25GGQ3B@GQ25@Dh@Q24aQ3EaQ3Dg4V@4VQ27n-1Q24W After Neoconservatism, FRANCIS FUKUYAMA, February 19, 2006]</ref> Kristol described a neoconservative as a '''"liberal mugged by reality"'''. The development of neo-conservatism was strongly influenced by the work of German philosopher [[Leo Strauss]] and Marxist theorist [[Leon Trotsky]]. Irving Kristol himself was once a member of the [[4th international]].

== Publications ==
The leading publications of neoconservatives are Commentary and The [[Weekly Standard]]. Many Washington, D.C. think tanks, such as the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), the Project for the New American Century (PNAC), Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA) and Henry Jackson Society are now dominated by neoconservatives.

==On Israel==
Neoconservatives advocate strong ties with the State of [[Israel]], both economically and militarily. Some [[paleoconservative|paleoconservatives]] such as [[Pat Buchanan]] have accused neoconservatives of putting the interests of Israel above those of America{{fact}}.

== Social Issues ==
[[Image:Wolfowitz.jpg|thumb|right|Former Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, was a prominent architect of the foreign policy of the George W. Bush administration known as the Bush Doctrine]]
Neoconservatives often take [[libertarian]] positions on social issues, and are unlikely to agree with religious conservatives on issues like abortion, prayer in school and same-sex marriage. Neoconservatives differ from libertarians in that neoconservatives tend to support [[Big government]] policies to further their objectives, and to support erosion of American liberty by [[Patriot act]] and other measures such as the implementation of federal [[gun control]].

In anticipation of vacancies on the [[U.S. Supreme Court]], the neoconservatives urged the selection of [[Michael McConnell]], a [[libertarian]]-leaning jurist, and [[J. Michael Luttig]], who declared ''[[Roe v. Wade]]'' to be "super-stare decisis"<ref>http://althouse.blogspot.com/2005/07/arlen-specter-makes-up-term.html</ref> and later left the judiciary to become general counsel of Boeing.<ref>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/10/AR2006051000929.html</ref> Both were passed over in filling the vacancies with religious conservatives.

==Influence==
Neoconservatives are small in number but dominate television talk shows, Washington-based think tanks, and advisory positions in Republican Administrations. Some prominent neoconservatives are [[Bill Kristol|William Kristol]], [[Paul Wolfowitz]], [[Lewis Libby]], [[David Horowitz]], [[Norman Podhoretz]], [[Daniel Pipes]], [[Charles Krauthammer]], [[Richard Perle]], [[Robert Kagan]], Christopher Hitchens, Willmoore Kendall, Stephen Schwartz, Elliott Abrams and Carl Gershman. Because of the Trotskyist background of some key neoconservatives, many critics have argued that the neoconservative concept of "'''global democratic revolution'''" was derived from the Trotskyist Fourth International's "'''vision of permanent revolution'''".<ref>http://antiwar.printthis.clickability.com/pt/cpt?action=cpt&expire=&urlID=8208846&fb=Y&partnerID=16</ref>

== References ==

<references/>

==External Links==
:[http://www.henryjacksonsociety.org/ The Henry Jackson Society]
:[http://www.jinsa.org/home/home.html Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs]
:[http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/003/000tzmlw.asp The Neoconservative Persuasion by Irving Kristol]
:[http://www.danielpipes.org/ Daniel Pipe's official website]
:[http://jewishworldreview.com/cols/horowitz.html David Horowitz at Jewish World Review]
:[http://www.frontpagemag.com/blog/index.asp David Horowitz's FrontPageMag]

[[Category:Politics]]

Weapons of mass destruction

2007-04-05T03:14:37Z

Barker: Undo revision 86216 by Special:Contributions/RobS (User talk:RobS)

'''Weapons of Mass Destruction''' or '''WMD''' were the pretext upon which the US invaded [[Iraq]]. As we now know they never actually existed.

WMD can consist of stockpiles, production facilities, or the human know-how to manufacture weapons designed to kill a large number of people. WMD begins with research and development among persons with highly specialized scientific and technical training. This requires a location and resources to employ such persons with know-how to build production facilities of WMD. Once a location, resources, know-how and production facilities are employed, stockpiles can be built.

Overall it is important to remember that know-how, production facilities, and stockpiles of Weapons of Mass Destruction held by appropriate forces such as [[NATO]] can be beneficial to the balance of world order. Whereas with a rogue dictator such as the late [[Saddam Hussein]] or [[Kim Jong Il]] it would be inappropriate to possess the know-how to create and stockpile WMD, a more stable state that does not threaten international order should be able retain the control of Weapons of Mass Destruction peacefully.

Know-how is the most dangerous aspect of WMD in today's world; persons who receive classroom training in these specialized techniques can travel anywhere in the world where location and resources may be available to produce WMD. Also, communicating the know-how, a potentially lethal weapon to large numbers of people, is largely unregulated in some parts of the world. There are [[United Nations]] Treaties which have attempted to regulate the spread of know-how throughout the world, but it is still possible for a person with know-how to communicate their knowledge how to manufacture WMD to anyone, without the signatory of the International agreements who holds their place of citizenship knowing of the illegal transfer or being able to stop it.

The International scientific community of technicians with knowledge to teach and manufacture weapons of mass destructions likewise consist of independent persons, some with no national loyalties to the nations who have signed International agreements barring the spread of WMD, i.e. the know-how, potential "dual use" technologies, or the end manufactured result. A young person trained today, be it in a NATO country or an al-Qaeda training camp, in the methods of producing stockpiles of WMD, has an entire lifespan to communicate his knowledge to whomsoever he pleases. And a persons political or ideological views can change over a lifetime. In the old Soviet system, scientists were often retired to special [[Gulag]]s apart from the rest of society, so as there would be no chance they can reveal the potential lethal know-how to unauthorized persons.

One of the most troubling aspects of the [[War on Terror]] is understanding that scientific knowledge itself has become a weapon in the hands of dangerous persons against innocent people.

In times of crisis, the habit has been to call upon our best, brightest and most talented individuals to find solutions. This usually in the past meant scientists and technicians; now we have discovered in the War on Terror knowledge itself has become a dangerous thing, and new gadgets and technology cannot defeat terrorist cells who do not wear the easily identifiable military uniforms as is custom throughout the Western world. In fact, we've discovered past scientific and technical solutions in warfare now threaten the civil populations of the nations that discovered and built them. Knowledge indeed is a weapon.

== Types of WMD ==

Nuclear Weapons.

Chemical Weapons.

Biological Weapons.

Weapons of mass destruction

2007-04-05T01:04:36Z

Barker: WMD