We're Always Right

Publius gives his (her?) take on the foundations of Neoconservatism while reading James Mann's Rise of the Vulcans: The History of Bush's War Cabinet.

Mann does a good job laying out the basic intellectual foundations of neoconservatism, including its Straussian influences. Personally, I think the whole “Straussian noble lie” is a conspiracy theory too far. The real influence of Strauss upon modern politics was his Manichean worldview of absolute good and absolute evil. Evil (or tyranny) existed, Strauss believed, and strong action was necessary to confront it.
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It’s all very depressing, and there’s a tendency to blame it all on people like Wolfowitz and Perle. But we can’t blame them alone. Ironically enough, blaming these individuals only makes it easier for the future Wolfowitzes of the world to start new wars. To see where the rotten apples came from, you have to turn back to the tree.

And indeed, the rot runs much deeper -- the overly nationalist American public is to blame for the rise of neoconservatism. These men were not merely agents of change, they were themselves caused -- they were superstructure upon larger underlying movements and resentments that gained strength in the venomous aftermath of Vietnam.

This rings true with me. Many of the conservatives I know that support the Iraq War have an opinion, whether voiced or implied, that "might makes right." But it is more than that. It is "Right makes might right." In other words, we, the infallible U.S., the greatest nation ever on Earth, can use our might as we see fit and it will be the correct thing to do.

Publius correctly talks of our excessive nationalism. One thing not mentioned in the post that I don't think can be completely disassociated with our nationalism is the connection of religion and our politics. (Uh oh! Here comes the librul, atheist rant.)

But consider it. If you believe your chosen deity has blessed you, your politics, and your nation. If you believe your deity is omnipotent and infallible. How could you believe otherwise. If you believe God is never wrong by default and that God has chosen your nation, then anything your government chooses to do is by definition correct.

Unless, of course, it is being currently being run by godless libruls.