The White House - too much influence for Neo Cons ?
                    The White House - too much influence for Neo Cons ?
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                      In some areas of our globe, the title "neocon" has
                      become a synonym for one-dimensional imperial
                      thinking and policy. "Arrogance of power" became an
                      often-used label. These neocons have a lot of power
                      and influence in the administration of George W.
                      Bush. Therefore, it is interesting to take a closer
                      look at these protagonists of a hegemonic policy of
                      the world's sole superpower, the United States.
                      These people believe that the superpower US has the
                      right and the obligation to design and build a new
                      world order following American standards and values.
                      "Democratisation" has become a key word.
                      The question is whether or not democracy can and
                      should be exported to each and every country in the
                      world regardless of its respective history, culture,
                      religion, traditions and perceptions of the "target
                      society."
                      Is it possible to impose democracy from the outside?
                      Would it be better and more prudent to implant the
                      idea of participation and democracy as a virus into
                      the hearts and minds of the people and let it grow
                      and spread? Free media and the Internet without
                      territorial borders could be a tool for an
                      orchestrated public diplomacy to promote the idea of
                      participation and democracy.
                      Is democracy the starting point or the desired end
                      state? Are early elections desirable or do they
                      give democratic legitimacy to former non-democratic
                      strong players? Or is it necessary to first develop a
                      desire for participation and democracy? For example:
                      German reunification was not initiated from the
                      outside world. We are the people was the cry for
                      more freedom, participation and democracy - a desire
                      that had become stronger and stronger over months and
                      years.
                      The ideas of the neocons gained in power and
                      influence when the US became the sole superpower in a
                      unipolar world. There was no longer a political
                      heavyweight to counterbalance the one imperial
                      empire. The temptation grew to prefer unilateral,
                      national actions to multilateral ones, or to form a
                      coalition of the willing in order to avoid long and
                      fruitless discussions and consultations with
                      unwilling partners  as in NATO.
                      More than Afghanistan, Iraq became the test bed for
                      these ideas. There is already one important lesson to
                      be learned: As the sole superpower, the US has proven
                      to be able to win a hot war based on military
                      supremacy but face huge problems in the long lasting
                      process of post-conflict-operations.
                      There is a second development: The unipolar world
                      might be a temporary status. States like China, India
                      and  less probably  a stronger Europe will
                      challenge the status of the US. No one is able to
                      tell when this status might change  but it will at
                      the end of the day.
                      Thus, it is interesting to ponder the future of
                      neocons in the US. To understand their future, we
                      have to understand the history and present-day status
                      of neo-conservatism. This is exactly the purpose of
                      our newsletter written by the American academic
                      Norman Levine. He goes back to the roots of this
                      movement. He describes the power and the influence of
                      neocons in US policy. Think tanks and well organized
                      media transport their ideas to the public throughout
                      the world. He asks for the future of those ideas.
                      The worldwide feedback seems to be counterproductive
                      for the image of the US. Conservatism is not a bad
                      idea. In a good sense, conservative people want to
                      safeguard values and standards for the future.
                      If we had more participation and democracy in the
                      world, it would be a safer and better place. The
                      fundamental question is how to get there. It takes
                      time to awaken the desire for participation and
                      democracy. Information and communication can be
                      helpful. There is the need to educate and form a new
                      political class that can take over responsibility
                      and accountability in due course. Democracy belongs
                      to the people.
                      We must learn to accept that a new democracy might
                      choose a different way  its own way. These new
                      democracies will bring more stability than those
                      authoritarian leaders and regimes we needed as allies
                      and partners in the Cold War to contain our former
                      enemies.
                      Lets have a fresh look at an ever-changing world.
                      God Bless,
                     +Horst-Karl
DR HORST-KARL F. BLOCK, DD,LLD,PhD,EOSJ
Bergerend 4 - 41068 Mönchengladbach - Germany
