The Neocons: An Illustrated Progression

[chiplitfam]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2008/02/01/GR2008020102389.html

[Rebel Resource]

washington post?!! nice graphic, but unlikely source

[Brian4Liberty]

Hannity and Mark Levin have spent a lot of time recently talking about Ayn Rand. I had forgotten about this graphic, now it makes more sense.

http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2008/02/01/GR2008020102389.gif

[low preference guy]

Hannity and Mark Levin have spent a lot of time recently talking about Ayn Rand. I had forgotten about this graphic, now it makes more sense.

LoL! Ayn Rand was called an isolationist when she was alive. She opposed U.S. involvement in WWI, Vietnam, and Korea. Opposed the existence of the U.N. Had she been alive, she would've likely opposed our current wars. What a joke.

[AGRP]

LoL! Ayn Rand was called an isolationist when she was alive. She opposed U.S. involvement in WWI, Vietnam, and Korea. Opposed the existence of the U.N. Had she been alive, she would've likely opposed our current wars. What a joke.

If I remember correctly, wasn't she a big advocate for an Israeli state?

[low preference guy]

If I remember correctly, wasn't she a big advocate for an Israeli state?

That's the only intervention I recall she supported, wrongly, but anyone who supports any intervention at some point isn't necessarily a neocon. Neoconservatism encompasses much more than that.

[FrankRep]

LoL! Ayn Rand was called an isolationist when she was alive. She opposed U.S. involvement in WWI, Vietnam, and Korea. Opposed the existence of the U.N. Had she been alive, she would've likely opposed our current wars. What a joke.


The Ayn Rand Lexicon: "Isolationism" (http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/isolationism.html)


A large-scale instance [of political smear-tactics], in the 1930’s, was the introduction of the word “isolationism” into our political vocabulary. It was a derogatory term, suggesting something evil, and it had no clear, explicit definition. It was used to convey two meanings: one alleged, the other real—and to damn both.

The alleged meaning was defined approximately like this: “Isolationism is the attitude of a person who is interested only in his own country and is not concerned with the rest of the world.” The real meaning was: “Patriotism and national self-interest.”

What, exactly, is “concern with the rest of the world”? Since nobody did or could maintain the position that the state of the world is of no concern to this country, the term “isolationism” was a straw man used to misrepresent the position of those who were concerned with this country’s interests. The concept of patriotism was replaced by the term “isolationism” and vanished from public discussion.

The number of distinguished patriotic leaders smeared, silenced, and eliminated by that tag would be hard to compute. Then, by a gradual, imperceptible process, the real purpose of the tag took over: the concept of “concern” was switched into “selfless concern.” The ultimate result was a view of foreign policy which is wrecking the United States to this day: the suicidal view that our foreign policy must be guided, not by considerations of national self-interest, but by concern for the interests and welfare of the world, that is, of all countries except our own.


- "‘Extremism,’ or The Art of Smearing,” Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal, 175

==============


Observe the double-standard switch of the anti-concept of “isolationism.” The same intellectual groups (and even some of the same aging individuals) who coined that anti-concept in World War II—and used it to denounce any patriotic opponent of America’s self-immolation—the same groups who screamed that it was our duty to save the world (when the enemy was Germany or Italy or fascism), are now rabid isolationists who denounce any U.S. concern with countries fighting for freedom, when the enemy is communism and Soviet Russia.

- “The Lessons of Vietnam,” The Ayn Rand Letter, III, 24, 4.

[Brian4Liberty]

LoL! Ayn Rand was called an isolationist when she was alive. She opposed U.S. involvement in WWI, Vietnam, and Korea. Opposed the existence of the U.N. Had she been alive, she would've likely opposed our current wars. What a joke.

That doesn't change the fact that many neo-conservatives studied and enjoyed Trotsky, Leo Strauss and Ayn Rand. The point isn't about Ayn Rand. It's about how neo-conservative pundits and politicians have found that quoting very selected portions of Ayn Rand and the US Constitution are effective (and deceptive) tactics in gaining more support (i.e. Levin and Hannity).

[Brian4Liberty]

That's the only intervention I recall she supported, wrongly, but anyone who supports any intervention at some point isn't necessarily a neocon. Neoconservatism encompasses much more than that.

How about Straussianism? Is a Straussian like Ayn Rand? A "libertarian-minded" person who supports a strong defense of both the US and Israel?

[youngbuck]

That graphic is missing Newt Gingrich. How can you talk about the evolution of neoconservatism and forget to mention HIM?

[Tyr]

That graphic is missing Newt Gingrich. How can you talk about the evolution of neoconservatism and forget to mention HIM?

It's also missing a massive photo of Reagan in the middle.

[low preference guy]

How about Straussianism? Is a Straussian like Ayn Rand?

Shockingly, it sounds like you're not joking?