Perhaps the best article I've read since 12/2000

[Catch22Dem]

Written by an conservative to boot!

End-Timers & Neo-Cons: The End of Conservatives
by Dr. Paul Craig Roberts
http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=76&ItemID=7056

<snip>
There was a time when I could rant about the "liberal media" with the best of them. But in recent years I have puzzled over the precise location of the "liberal media."

In the ranks of the new conservatives, however, I see and experience much hate. It comes to me in violently worded, ignorant and irrational emails from self-professed conservatives who literally worship George Bush.

This is the mindset of delusion, and delusion permits no facts or analysis. Blind emotion rules. Americans are right and everyone else is wrong. End of the debate.

There is nothing conservative about these positions. To label them conservative is to make the same error as labeling the 1930s German Brownshirts conservative.

Like Brownshirts, the new conservatives take personally any criticism of their leader and his policies. To be a critic is to be an enemy. I went overnight from being an object of conservative adulation to one of derision when I wrote that the US invasion of Iraq was a "strategic blunder."

PLEASE read the rest!!!

[Tiberius]

1. Excellent article

Makes a great point that many miss: as the Iraq debacle continues, it becomes an important cause not because it's right or worthwhile; simply because so many will have died that we *have* to continue.

And, the other good point being that Vietnam was at least discussed and debated openly in the media. Today's cheerleading media whores not only fail to sponsor a real debate, they encourage ignorance.

[Cats Against Frist]

2. Freepers take note

Jam on it, Dr. Paul Craig Roberts. This makes me feel good, whenever a conservative comes forward with these criticisms. It only underscores, as the good Dr. put it, the DELUSION of Bush supporters, and gives me good faith that reality, rationality and the Enlightenment values upon which this country was founded will triumph, and that the loonies and the sycophants and the new Brownshirts will quickly meet their demise.

[Supersedeas]

15. Brownshirts

[BrklynLiberal]

3. Excellent! Thanks for posting. I am sending this to everyone on my

email list.

[andyhappy]

4. great article!

[enough]

5. Can there be other conservatives who see this clearly?

snip>

It is amazing that only a short time ago the Bush administration and its supporters believed that all the US had to do was to appear in Iraq and we would be greeted with flowers. Has there ever been a greater example of delusion? Isn't this on a par with the Children's Crusade against the Saracens in the Middle Ages?

snip>

When the draft is reinstated, conservatives will loudly proclaim their pride that their sons, fathers, husbands and brothers are going to die for "our freedom." Not a single one of them will be able to explain why destroying Iraqi cities and occupying the ruins are necessary for "our freedom." But this inability will not lessen the enthusiasm for the project. To protect their delusions from "reality-based" critics, they will demand that the critics be arrested for treason and silenced. Many encouraged by talk radio already speak this way.

more>

[Catch22Dem]

6. That 2nd one got me too.

:scared:

[Laurab]

21. A great article

I disagree with only one part. I don't think conservatives - well, "brownshirts", will "loudly proclaim their pride that their sons, fathers, husbands and brothers are going to die for our freedom". I think they will ensure that other people's sons, fathers, husbands and brothers will "die for our freedom" to the best of their ability, just as our "great leaders shrub & dick" did.

But that's just a minor quibble. I love the fact that people like this are speaking out, and I hope it opens some eyes.



edited for typo.

[Freedom_from_Chains]

44. And so it goes

"To protect their delusions from "reality-based" critics, they will demand that the critics be arrested for treason and silenced."

Did you not understand that was what the Patriot Act was passed for? While the democrat’s run around trying to figure out how to reformat themselves for the next election, apparently with the major winner being how can we too be see as god's chosen, perhaps their time would be better spent figuring out if there is actually going to be a next election.

[King Coal]

7. Thanks for that, that was great.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

8. I think the fellow is right

when he said the falling dollar is evidence the world sees the US as bankrupt. We're economically bankrupt and morally bankrupt as well.

As Dylan said, a hard rain's gonna fall.

[CrispyQ]

10. Another good article

on edit: although from a liberal source!

Dream On America
The U.S. Model: For years, much of the world did aspire to the American way of life. But today countries are finding more appealing systems in their own backyards.


http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0125-01.htm

snip...

Not long ago, the American dream was a global fantasy. Not only Americans saw themselves as a beacon unto nations. So did much of the rest of the world. East Europeans tuned into Radio Free Europe. Chinese students erected a replica of the Statue of Liberty in Tiananmen Square.

You had only to listen to George W. Bush's Inaugural Address last week (invoking "freedom" and "liberty" 49 times) to appreciate just how deeply Americans still believe in this founding myth. For many in the world, the president's rhetoric confirmed their worst fears of an imperial America relentlessly pursuing its narrow national interests. But the greater danger may be a delusional America—one that believes, despite all evidence to the contrary, that the American Dream lives on, that America remains a model for the world, one whose mission is to spread the word.

[Nothing Without Hope]

9. They say converts make the most convincing, motivated supporters

I hope he can spread the word about the truth even in dark bastions that we haven't been able to reach. No wonder the freepers are now sending him their hate. They have lots to spare, anyway.

This is the mindset of delusion, and delusion permits no facts or analysis. Blind emotion rules. Americans are right and everyone else is wrong. End of the debate.

There is nothing conservative about these positions. To label them conservative is to make the same error as labeling the 1930s German Brownshirts conservative.

Yes!!!! Thanks for this article. I hope he keeps speaking and stays safe.

[theresistance]

11. Paul Craig Roberts has written many good

articles and a collection can be found on the http://www.antiwar.com site.

[Catch22Dem]

12. Thanks.

I didn't realize.

[moobu2]

13. Excellent! thanks...

[bling bling]

14. Oh how I treasure articles like this. I print them out even.

I save articles like this for posterity as proof to future historians that there really were *some* enlightened people in these times.

[moggie12]

16. I had the same reaction when I read it -- it's one of the single,

best things I've read about our current bizarre situation in the US.

[Catch22Dem]

17. Thanks

And kick :kick:

[Nothing Without Hope]

18. A kick for an excellent article. Thanks! n/t

[drhilarius]

19. This desreves a kick...

Glad to hear a true conservative use the term "delusional" to describe the Bush cult of personality.

[Twist_U_Up]

20. Cons are no longer Cons..............

from now on theyre BROWNSHIRTS Great piece Thank You Very Much

[Mugsy]

22. Conserv's slow to note what we've seen all along.

I always just shake my head as these "suddenly enlightened" Conservative columnists start looking around themselves and wondering, "Just who are these people I'm alliging myself with? They're nuts!"

I give Pat Buchanan the credit for being one of the first... though he still refuses to jump ship. To him, even a crackpot Republican is better than a Democrat.

It seems to be happening more and more lately and I just ask, "What took you so long?" :(

[Domitan]

38. Actually

Paul Craig Roberts has been critical of the neocons for a long time.

[intheflow]

23. This is a powerful article.

Along with all the excellent points people have made already, I'd like to add that this man attempts to bust the myth of the liberal media. As our media becomes more consolidated and corporate, it's objectivity has diminished greatly. It's sounds ever more hollow to hear all the RW news shows rave about the liberal media when there is almost nothing on cable or the networks that offers alternatives to RW news.

Thanks for posting.

[politicaholic]

24. Great article, but disturbing revelation.

:kick:

[The Doctor.]

25. THANK YOU!!!

That's what I've been trying to tell people!

I'm a moderate Republican, these Neo-cons are anything but conservative.

Thank you for posting this.

[outrage]

26. Clearly this guy has refused his daily cup of kool-aid...

Awesome article. I'm astonished that someone on the Reich actually has an iota of common sense and the cajones to openly object to the misadministration's mad machinations. Right on!

[seejanerun]

27. This was an inspiration

To write to my family.

Dear Family,

My main purpose in writing is the attached article, which I found particularly good. My eyes have been opened in the last months to what is really going on in our country. Since the election I have read approximately 1500 pages, mainly in the form of books and internet articles, which is where I got the one I am now sending to you.

Two of the many things I have learned:

1) To get my news from the internet because internet news sources are extremely varied and uncensored and because the mainstream media are still “embedded.” Television news has been taken over by a few shouting heads, and they and the newspapers are too invested in conglomeration and favors from the administration and the FCC to tell us what we need to know. This leaves most people in the dark about crucial, crucial developments.

2) The only way I can adequately explain current events to myself is to believe there is a broader agenda behind what is going on, and it isn’t spreading freedom around the world. Based on my reading, I have ideas about what that agenda is, but everyone needs to do his own research. A lot of the issues that take up our national energy are red herrings, and while they arouse strong emotions, they aren’t particularly important: I would include in this category prayer in schools, flag burning, and even abortion. They are only important because they are simple, emotional, and can be used effectively to divert attention from the elephant in the room.

Do we really want a government that holds both citizens and non-citizens secretly and indefinitely and that nominates an apologist for torture as Attorney General? Do we really want sycophantic elected officials who ignore their sworn duty to provide an independent check on the power of the executive branch? This is the sort of question I started with, and my search for answers has led to some very disturbing conclusions. While I understand the need for healthy illusions in the face of a sometimes appalling reality, I think we, as a country, have veered past the healthy state and into the land of delusion.

I didn’t mean for this to sound like a speech. I just hope that everyone is paying attention.

Love,

[Kali]

29. good letter

I may crib!

[mother earth]

32. Beautifully said.

[hector459]

28. Thanks. This is great!!

I would mail it to those Dems who voted yes for everyhting Bush asked for including Rice. Also, mail a copy to Andy Young while you are at it.

[V Lee]

30. The radicals have taken over ...

It seems that war-mongering radicals have taken over the "conservative agenda."

My hope is that as the devastating consequences of their policies and actions become clear, a majority of Americans will reject their ideology. Then, and only then, will America be able to move back toward sanity and once again deal with reality in a rational, civilized manner. This must happen if we are to ever regain our status as a respected world leader.

[mother earth]

31. Fantastic article, thanks for bringing it to our attention.

I emailed it to one of George's followers, who has a son that is draft-able. I know she won't be proud to send him off, that's when there will be a thunder reigning down in this country.

[Roland99]

33. Excellent read...perhaps the likes of Hersh are finally waking people up!

[AVID]

34. Wow Why does that make so much sense to me?

[struggle4progress]

35. Changing times. Changing opportunities. Changing alliances. eom

[Disturbed]

36. Conservatives

In my view most "real" Conservatives are not pleased with the Bush Junta. Real Conservatives are conflicted and most went along only due to pressure to have another Republican Admin. in power. The problem is that the Bush Junta are not Conservatives. The Bush Junta are Corporatives or to put it even more correctly: Fascists. The so-called Religious Right are neither Conservatives or Neoconservaives but a focus group of their fundamentalist psuedo Christian agenda. The Republican Party is fractious as is the Democratic Party. The fizures within both parties are becoming more evident. Perhaps there will be major changes in both within a few years.

[WillyT]

37. Damn... For The First And Only Time Ever, I Posted On FreeRep...

I posted the story, and gave this comment:

**************************************************************************

Just wondering if any of you agree with this view. Hell... I'm a DU Liberal who miss's Barry Goldwater desperately. What happened to real conservatism? I really would like to know before I'm zapped into oblivion. Straight up... if you please.

Peace

**************************************************************************

And I was banned in nanoseconds!!!

I was staright up and honest. Used my DU name, told them where I was coming from, but BLASTME... I was banished before intelligence could be embraced.

Ah well...

:shrug:

[Bhaisahab]

39. You're crazy!

freepers ARE the brownshirts! they're the one who would kill anyone in the name of the chimp. you think they'd like reading abt their own foaming-at-the-mouth retardation?
besides, i doubt the mods there even read the article, they saw the part of your comment that said "DU" and zapped you!
brave try, i must admit tho!

[E_Smith]

43. you should have posed as a freeper blasting the article n/t.

[NNguyenMD]

40. all I have to say is wow, couldn't have said it better myself

[fujiyama]

41. i'll kick it for a later read

:kick:

[Lone_Wolf_Moderate]

42. Very compelling. I liked that article.

I think he hit on a great point about the reversal that's happened in the last few years, with respect to government. Isn't it funny, how only ten years ago, conservatives were the ones talking about less government, and a less irrational foreign policy?

Now we're the ones who want to balance the budget, and cut government. Liberals have always stood for civil liberties and a sound foreign policy, but only now has the hypocrisy of the conservatives' "limited government" mantra been revealed.