May 19, 2005

What's Old Is New Again

So I've been poking around on the goofy Third Way web site. Third Way, remember, is a brand-new addition to the stable of "New Democrat" talking shops.

Most of the Third Way site so far consists of self-congratulatory press releases, but there is at least one item of interest: a report, rather kinkily titled "Boots on the Ground", by Aaron Scholer, a staffer at Third Way. Scholer appears to be a protege of Joe "Mad Dog" Lieberman, prominent cheerleader for war and spokesman for God. Lieberman seems to have been one of the main sponsors of Third Way. Scholer doesn't mention God in his report, thank God, but war is front-and-center.

"Boots On The Ground" (BONTHEG, for short) urges that the US Army needs to be expanded -- by about 100,000 troops. And why? well, among other scary scenarios, what if we're still tied down in Iraq and have to "handle a confrontation with Iran"?

This mastery of euphemism suggests that Scholer can expect a distinguished Washington career. Translated into English, of course, what BONTHEG is saying is, Let's build up the Army so we can start a war with Iran, alongside the one we're already fighting with Iraq.

The funny thing here, for many of us, is that these rarin'-to-go conference-room commandos are supposed to be "new" Democrats. In fact, of course, mythical "bomber gaps" and "missile gaps" and the like have long been a staple of Democratic demagoguery, running all the way back to Woodrow Wilson's "preparedness" campaign, the overture to American involvement in the First World War. The Third Way donkey is running true here to long-standing form.

So, Democrats -- what's new?


Posted by gracchus at May 19, 2005 04:59 PM | TrackBack
Comments


this scholer chap

how's he tie his boots ?


my 2002 jack off party card
option reads

" new dems can
redeem pledges


post 9/11


"get
one set neo kold body armor

for each klint-hedonic blow me husssle "


hey
got to hand it to em

they remain the same old
non prof knee walkers
george meany
affectionately called
" our very own frosted flakes "

Posted by: eve abel on May 20, 2005 09:25 PM
Post a comment