« the poverty of journalism | Main | More myths in the culture wars »
June 18, 2003
a dash of cold water
If we forget the inquiries into Iraq WMD issue in the US, UK and Australia for a moment, then we can remember that the revised neocon script was that "we" were fighting Iraq to liberate an oppressed people; to introduce democracy and freedom into Iraq; and to democratize the Middle East.
This was the realist neocons at their most utopian, and many in Australia were seduced by the capitivating vision of we did it for democracy. They desired to be part of the neocon moment.
So here's a dash of cold water. And we should throw it on ourselves. For the core of the neocon discourse is really the old Cold War one recycled. Just substitute Islam for communism and move to go. The script reads. The enemy is Islam. Its an eternal black and white struggle. All those who resist an evil Islam are the good guys. Well, you know the rest. We can all sing it together. The chorus from Iraq goes: lets subvert democracy to curb populist Islam.
Posted by Gary Sauer-Thompson at June 18, 2003 10:00 PM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.sauer-thompson.com/mt2/mt-tb.cgi/273