Guest AuthorAre you up for more war – a really, really lot of it? More invasions of sovereign nations like Iraq? More “Mission Accomplished” banners? More Americans maimed and killed, for what, in places like Afghanistan? More trillions spent to protect Halliburton’s bottom line?
It’s A-OK by Jeb Bush.
Long before his brother was conned into being a neocon by Dick Cheney, as early as June 1997, Jeb Bush signed “The Statement of Principles” of the Project for the New American Century, along with Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, “Scooter” Libby, Cheney of course, and 20 ignoble others, mostly chicken-hawks.
The goal of the Project was “to promote American global leadership” (aka world domination) through a Ronald Reagan-inspired military supremacy and manifest destiny on steroids spiked with “American exceptionalism.” It was our time to remake the planet in our image.
During the Bill Clinton administration, the Project began its call for toppling Saddam Hussein, citing the threat of his stockpile of weapons of mass destruction to U.S. national security. After 9/11, its pressure on George W. Bush, and the public, was relentless.
In other words, Jeb Bush is a member of the cabal directly responsible for the duplicity that got us into Iraq and produced the greatest military and diplomatic debacle in U.S. history, which has destabilized today’s Middle East and the rest of the world it planned to dominate.
You’d think Jeb would have learned from his brother’s catastrophe, at least enough to keep quiet about it. But Bushes never look back or accept responsibility for their mistakes. Self-doubt isn’t in their DNA. Quite the opposite.
Still pretending he’s undecided about running for president, Jeb recently outlined his “Doctrine” on foreign policy, a self-delusional repackaging of the failures of the Project for the New American Century and the Bush-Cheney Doctrine.
Wannabe president Jeb will fight our foes anywhere he finds them – and promises actively to go looking. (Soon enough, he’ll be saying, “If you’re not with us, you’re against us.”) Predictably, before his applauding Cuban-American crowd in Coral Gables, Florida, Jeb proposed strengthening the 50-year failed embargo against Cuba. Of course, he’s for increased military spending, because it helps expand free trade and protects corporate interests, which is why we police the world in the first place.
That ain’t doctrine. It’s just jive, designed to keep Dick Cheney’s heart transplant pumping.
Jeb appears to have taken the foreign affairs equivalent of Cialis to overcome an electoral dysfunction that could keep him out of the White House. When he announces and critics yell, “Iraq,” he’s decided that his best defense is to claim success in Bush Dynasty tradition and blame President Barack Obama for the mess George W. left him.
When Americans understand what Jeb Bush really believes about the country’s macho role in the world, will they reject him? Probably not. As has been proven again and again, the nation’s capacity for self-delusion is boundless – even Bush-like. When the neocons fooled us once, it was shame on them. When Cheney-Bush fooled us a second time, it was shame on us. So, Jeb’s playing off Obama for a third crack at world domination may add a third dimension to foolery – tragically – with everyone to blame.
Stephen L. Goldstein is the author of “The Dictionary of American Political Bullshit” and “Atlas Drugged: Ayn Rand Be Damned.” He lives in Fort Lauderdale. Column courtesy of Context Florida.
