Neocon Jive

Writing in the Washington Post, the erudite Charles Krauthammer fires a broadside at the Iran nuclear deal.

On many matters of concern for our country, Charles delivers worthy analysis and commentary. In the case of foreign policy, however, Mr. K. is in the firm clutches of the basically left-wing-thinking neocon camp. You know, the guys who think the Iraq, Afghan and Libyan adventures were a good thing for America while the country as a whole agrees that each was a debacle on the same order as the Vietnam War.

Let’s look at the deal from Iran’s point of view. Iran is a small minority in a Muslim world dominated by Sunnis. Iran and the Shia make up but ten percent of the Muslim world. Iran’s bitter religious enemy—the Sunnis (90% of Muslims)—include nuclear armed and belligerent Pakistan, supported by the folk who flew into the Twin Towers, our friends the Saudis. And then there are the Israelis, who, while not undeservedly concerned, present an ongoing nuclear risk for Iran.

You wouldn’t know it from listening to neocon yak, but Iran will not have a nuclear weapon anytime soon, if ever, and the recent nuclear accord will not improve Iran’s position on the nuclear front. If it appears certain that Iran is on a nuclear weapons fast track, Iran will be attacked with ferocity. There will be no shortage of international takers waiting to jump at the chance.

The central issue for America is the urgent need to (1) get 100% out of the Middle East, (2) divorce the U.S. from criminal Sunni dictatorships, including the Saudis; (3) seal our borders; and (4) cancel green cards for students and others from radical Islamist countries. America will be more safe, more prosperous, and more free (See my series on Chris Preble, author of The Power Problem, Parts I, II and III) once we adopt a foreign policy overview based on minding our own business, knocking off the failed nation building strategies promoted by the neocons, and quitting our effort to promote democracy in regions of the world that have never embraced democracy and never indicated any interest in so doing. And by the way, the word democracy does not appear in the Constitution. America is a constitutional republic not a democracy. In America, we pledge to “the republic for which it stands,” not to the democracy.