Marty Peretz puts democracy last again

Some people describe the rise of neoconservative thought as a journey from Trotsky to Reagan. But seldom mentioned is that this journey never approached any genuine appreciation of small "d" democracy. Neocons, like the Khmer Rouge they supported, were never bothered by the hypocrisy of decrying intellectual elitism in others while demanding for themselves overreaching deference for their own status as intellectual elites. In fact if there is one common thread that runs through neoconservative arguments it is that the neoconservatives have a unique special almost religious knowledge that trumps everything else including democracy.

This article is a perfect example of this attitude. The United States military is not like the military of a nation such as Israel. The military is not an institution that reflects the nation. The military in the United States is very unrepresentative of its citizenry. It is much more conservative, much more Republican, and of course much younger and healthier.

Further the United States army is a hugely powerful institution. Leaving aside its awesome power to destroy all life on earth, the military is a huge economic engine spending trillions of dollars. The American military could literally take over the country by mistake. It could like the military in China simply control the control the country by its economic decisions.

Luckily the military has been scrupulous in its avoidance of this danger. But the fact can not be denied is that the power of the United States military makes it the most potent threat to democracy in the United States.

The problem is that if political desire of the military is perceived all of its contractors suddenly have a vested interest in bringing that reality to pass. This is truly a case were one can't be too vigilant.

More important than any outcome of the Afghan project is the political neutrality of the military. The information McChrystal has to give is available from many other sources. Nothing is gained by McChrystal giving a policy desire the colour of the uniform. Peretz of course doesn't fear this consequence because he imagines that he will be whispering into th ears of the generals. This is what is to be a neocon and not a democrat

in reference to: "Old Soldiers Never Die." The Douglas MacArthur Analogy Fits Neither Petraeus Nor McChrystal. But That Is Probably No Comfort To The President | The New Republic (view on Google Sidewiki)