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Neocons Still Driving The Republican Bus?

If one considers neoconservatism as the pernicious branch of conservatism that is marked by a more aggressive, even unilateral, foreign policy, most prevalently manifested in the Bush administration's false justifications to force the U.S. into war in Iraq, then one wonders just how much influence this brand of conservatism still haves in the Republican Party. Watching the latest Republican debate, which was marked by tough talk on Iraq, I am somewhat convinced that a Guiliani, Romney or McCain administration would initiate a war with Iran, despite the fateful lessons we've learned from Iraq. McCain has even been caught on camera singing "Bomb Iran" with glee, hardly the somber political perspective one would expect from a combat veteran.

Conservative columnists like Jonah Greenberg have argued that neoconservatism hasn't existed and is just a political neologism. The way that the Bush administration was usurped by Wolfowitz, Cheney and their unilateral, war-first doctrine with Iraq, however, begs the question of whether neoconservatism still marks Republican foreign policy. If Vice President Cheney's comments on Iran (no nuclear Iran allowed, even if that means invasion) were compared to McCain's, there would be virtually no difference. Neoconservatism doesn't seem to have met its death with Bush administration departures; on the contrary, this brand of conservatism, which is particularly destructive because of its pro-war, aggressive philosophy of foreign policy, is seemingly alive and well in the Republican Party.

posted by Michael Martin @ 7:19 PM