Hell to Pay
Posted on Oct 30, 2008
By Elliot Cohen
Sen. John McCain’s ideological ties to the Bush-Cheney administration have mostly passed beneath the radar of the mainstream media, but if McCain loses the presidential race to Barack Obama, his neoconservative legacy could erupt into the open with a force that should not be underestimated.
snip//
PNAC’s plan was a long-term project to be accomplished over decades. It sought to transform the military through research and the development of advanced warfare technologies. The approach included a global anti-ballistic missile system (the so-called Strategic Defense Initiative), a more effective nuclear capability, modernization of conventional weapons and development of biological and chemical weapons. The proposed biological weapons included ones that could “ ‘target’ specific genotypes” and thereby “transform biological warfare from the realm of terror to a politically useful tool.” The PNAC plan shunned arms control and the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty as obstacles to U.S. pre-eminence and ability to thwart the rise of other great geopolitical powers. Thus it sought to cultivate and use military superiority “to preserve an international security environment conducive to American interests and ideals.” {All quotations from “RAD.”}
In his Citadel speech, Bush proclaimed: “… if elected, I will set three goals: I will renew the bond of trust between the American president and the American military. I will defend the American people against missiles and terror. And I will begin creating the military of the next century.” But he was very clear that the project would not be completed by the time his administration ended. “Even if I am elected,” he said, “I will not command the new military we create. That will be left to a president who comes after me. The results of our effort will not be seen for many years.”
Obviously, to carry out the PNAC vision, Bush’s successor would have to be dedicated to the vision. This individual could not, as did Bill Clinton, present a conflicting ideology.
Currently, the only candidate who appears to satisfy this requirement is John McCain—who, as mentioned, was a principal founder of PNAC. In addition, his campaign advisers and likely members of a McCain administration largely consist of former PNAC officials and signatories, including William Kristol, Robert Kagan, Randy Scheunemann, James Woolsey, John R. Bolton, Robert B. Zollick, Gary Schmitt, Richard Armitage, Max Boot and Michael Goldfarb.
There are two important considerations. First, the Bush/PNAC administration has a decade of planning and implementation at stake on the upcoming election. Second, a McCain presidency would assuredly mean another four years of militaristic Bush/PNAC policies.So what, in particular, could we expect from a McCain administration? President Bush’s Citadel speech gives us some answers, as does PNAC’s “RAD.” Following are (1) statements from the 2000 PNAC “RAD,” (2) parallel remarks made by Bush in his 1999 Citadel speech and (3) what we might expect from John McCain as president and a PNAC supporter.
more...
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20081030_hell_to_pay/
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
