First, a bit of background. The man pictured here is none other than Robert Kagan. His career in the neoconservative school of International Relations has been long and storied. Here are some (only some) highlights:
— In 1997, Kagan cofounded, with Bill Kristol, the major neo-con think-tank, the Project for a New American Century (PNAC);
— In 2000, Kagan penned a scathing editorial blaming Colin Powell for Saddam Hussein remaining in power in Iraq (and in general accusing Powell of not backing enough wars);
— In 2003, Kagan wrote in support of the Iraq War, whilst simultaneously attempting to justify the Iran-Contra deals of the Reagan Administration and characterizing opposition to the pending invasion of Iraq as “elite opinion around the world”, “tirelessly working to discredit Bush”;
— In 2008, Kagan served John McCain as a foreign policy advisor;
— Notwithstanding McCain’s defeat in the 2008 election, Kagan served in the State Department between at least 2011 and 2015 as a member of the elite Foreign Affairs Policy Board, which is a council tasked to provide advice & opinion directly to the Secretary of State;
— In 2014, Kagan wrote a cover article of The New Republic taking President Obama to task for being insufficiently willing to assert American values (read: start wars with foreigners);
And here’s the kicker:
— Later in 2014, Kagan spoke on-the-record about his preference for the Presidency of the United States. Endorsing Hillary Clinton, he said about her:
“I feel comfortable with her on foreign policy...If she pursues a policy which we think she will pursue, it’s something that might have been called neocon, but clearly her supporters are not going to call it that; they are going to call it something else.”
The loudest voice of all in favour of the utterly fruitless, bootless, sleeveless invasion of Iraq has endorsed Hillary Clinton’s foreign policy mindset. That should scare the holy howling bejeezus out of anyone who wants the next President not to be a warmonger.
Rebranding “neoconservatism” to comfort the base that it’s not really neoconservatism is not acceptable, and someone should ask Mrs. Clinton what her views of Robert Kagan (and his proposed policies) are...preferably soon, before her answer becomes irrelevant by virtue of coming after her nomination.