TO: My Fellow Neoconservatives
FROM: Joshua Muravchik
RE: How to Save the NeoconsWe neoconservatives have been through a startling few years. Who could have imagined six years ago that wild stories about our influence over U.S. foreign policy would reach the far corners of the globe? The loose group of us who felt impelled by the antics of the 1960s to migrate from the political left to right must have numbered fewer than 100. And we were proven losers at Washington’s power game: The left had driven us from the Democratic Party, stolen the “liberal” label, and successfully affixed to us the name “neoconservative.” In reality, of course, we don’t wield any of the power that contemporary legend attributes to us. Most of us don’t rise at the crack of dawn to report to powerful jobs in government. But it is true that our ideas have influenced the policies of President George W. Bush, as they did those of President Ronald Reagan. That does feel good. Our intellectual contributions helped to defeat communism in the last century and, God willing, they will help to defeat jihadism in this one. It also feels good to see that a number of young people and older converts are swelling our ranks.
[1]The price of this success is that we are subjected to relentless obloquy. “Neocon” is now widely synonymous with “ultraconservative” or, for some, “dirty Jew.” A young Egyptian once said to me, “‘Neoconservative’ sounds to our ears like ‘terrorist’ sounds to yours.” I am shocked to hear that some among us, wearying of these attacks, are sidling away from the neocon label. Where is the joie de combat? The essential tenets of neoconservatism–belief that world peace is indivisible, that ideas are powerful, that freedom and democracy are universally valid, and that evil exists and must be confronted–are as valid today as when we first began. That is why we must continue to fight. But we need to sharpen our game. Here are some thoughts on how to do it:
He goes on to list in this memo the things he and his Neocon friends at the American Enterprise Institute need to do to make their "comeback:"
- Learn from Our Mistakes…
- Deploy More Than the Military…
- Fix the Public Diplomacy Mess…
- Prepare to Bomb Iran:
Make no mistake, President Bush will need to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities before leaving office. It is all but inconceivable that Iran will accept any peaceful inducements to abandon its drive for the bomb. Its rulers are religio-ideological fanatics who will not trade what they believe is their birthright to great power status for a mess of pottage. Even if things in Iraq get better, a nuclear-armed Iran will negate any progress there. Nothing will embolden terrorists and jihadists more than a nuclear-armed Iran.The global thunder against Bush when he pulls the trigger will be deafening, and it will have many echoes at home. It will be an injection of steroids for organizations such as MoveOn.org. We need to pave the way intellectually now and be prepared to defend the action when it comes. In particular, we need to help people envision what the world would look like with a nuclear-armed Iran. Apart from the dangers of a direct attack on Israel or a suitcase bomb in Washington, it would mean the end of the global nonproliferation regime and the beginning of Iranian dominance in the Middle East.
This defense should be global in scope. There is a crying need in today’s ideological wars for something akin to the Congress for Cultural Freedom of the Cold War, a global circle of intellectuals and public figures who share a devotion to democracy. The leaders of this movement might include Tony Blair, Vaclav Havel, and Anwar Ibrahim.
- Recruit Joe Lieberman for 2008…
Twice in the last quarter-century we had the good fortune to see presidents elected who were sympathetic to our understanding of the world. In 2008, we will have a lot on the line. The policies that we have championed will remain unfinished. The war on terror will still have a long way to go. The Democrats have already shown that they are incurably addicted to appeasement, while the “realists” among the GOP are hoping to undo the legacy of George W. Bush. Sen. John McCain and former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani both look like the kind of leaders who could prosecute the war on terror vigorously and with the kind of innovative thought that realists hate and our country needs. As for vice presidential candidates, how about Condoleezza Rice or even Joe Lieberman? Lieberman says he’s still a Democrat. But there is no place for him in that party. Like every one of us, he is a refugee. He’s already endured the rigors of running for the White House. In 2008, he deserves another chance–this time with a worthier running mate than Al Gore.Joshua Muravchik is a resident scholar at AEI.
Which brings us to yesterday’s L.A.Times Opinion pages. Here’s Mr. Muravchik coming out of his Ivory Tower with a vengeance:
Diplomacy is doing nothing to stop the Iranian nuclear threat; a show of force is the only answer.By Joshua Muravchik
WE MUST bomb Iran.
…
I’m a little bit speechless. The logic is that we didn’t stop the Nazis early on, we didn’t stop the Russian Communists early on, so now we need to learn from that and pre-emptively bomb Iran. It’s "Reaganism" and "Bush Doctrine" unchanged by the miserable experience in Iraq. John Bolton, Michael Ledeen, Joshua Muravchik – they have a mission. They know they’re right. They have the ear of Bush, and Cheney’s one of them. It’s not clear what our policy with Iran needs to be to any of us, but it is clear that it’s not something these people ought to have any say in at all. They have a fixed idea that has already proved disastrous, and they can’t seem to shut up about it.
And Joe Lieberman for President? Holy Shit! What can they be thinking?
[1]The price of this success is that we are subjected to relentless obloquy. “Neocon” is now widely synonymous with “ultraconservative” or, for some, “dirty Jew.” A young Egyptian once said to me, “‘Neoconservative’ sounds to our ears like ‘terrorist’ sounds to yours.”
This statement by Murvachik implies antisemitism. I think, however, that many think that the American Enterprise Institute has made the U.S. into an arm of Israel’s foreign policy. That’s not antisemitism, it’s simple observation. Murvachik’s "pre-emptive strike" with this term avoids his dealing with AEI’s relentless injunctions to attack Israel’s enemies.
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