Posted by southernavenger on 12/26/08 11:57 PM   [Newer: A Conservative Foreign Policy] [Older: Obama's War]

The neoconservatives have conducted much mischief through organizations like the American Enterprise Institute during the Bush years. Antiwar.com's Justin Raimondo believes in the Obama era, the same scoundrels and their center-Left, pro-war brethren will be up to the same shenanigans using organizations like the Progressive Policy Institute. Writes Raimondo:

"What's rising on the left-end of the political spectrum is a new brand of neoconservatism, a 'liberal' and even 'enlightened' variety of the same old hubris-in-arms that animated the departed warmongers of American Enterprise Institute. You can forget AEI; it doesn't matter that much anymore, now that the Republicans are out of power – but get ready for PPI!

What the heck is PPI? I can hear you asking that question, and the answer is simple: it's the neocons all over again, albeit this time in 'liberal' drag.

The Progressive Policy Institute was set up by the Democratic Leadership Council, a 'centrist' Scoop Jacksonish group that aims to keep the Democrats on the pro-war straight-and-narrow: it is the War Party's intellectual outpost in the Democratic Party. These '"national security Democrats' are just as unabashedly militaristic as their right-wing counterparts over at AEI, the only difference being rhetorical. Thus, PPI's chief theoretician Will Marshall avers, in a 2005 screed hailing 'national service and shared sacrifice'":

'True patriotism is at odds with the selfish individualism that shapes the Republicans' anti-government ideology. It means accepting obligations to the community to which we all belong and must contribute if we are to enjoy the fruits of membership. In wartime, not everyone can fight, but everyone can find ways to sacrifice for the common cause. Bush has sent U.S. troops into battle, but he hasn't challenged the rest of us to do our part.'

Marshall's beef is that the Bush crowd wasn't warlike enough on the home front."

Read Raimondo's entire column

Posted 12/27/08 12:26 AM Caleb Kinley Hot Springs, AR

Well, we're just gonna have to out-maneuver them with truth at every turn they make. Nice article.

Posted 12/27/08 12:27 AM LordFirebrand batavia, OH

I've been concerned about this from debating a couple of friends of mine who I thought I agreed with. The republicans campaigned on true republican values and gave us what we have today. So whos to say the "progressive" label wont make everything progressively worse! The labels are the problem In my opinion. I must add that I thought to myself a couple of times about the wars of the past. In a war this long, we have never been asked to really do anything. Not even for the troops, besides support shady legislation and un-justified power grabs!

Posted 12/27/08 02:42 AM Linda APO AP, Japan

I just posted this article link to Ed Schultz. So maybe I'll send it to Rush too and see if any sparks fly?

Posted 12/27/08 04:53 AM Haystacks Calhoun NEW YORK, NY

Are we going to have our own think tank that puts out press releases to the media?

Posted 12/27/08 04:53 AM BruceKoerber Cedar Rapids, IA

The unConstitutional coup works from the back rooms. Of course it needs and has front organizations to keep fully propagandized the issues that serve as distractions. It is one more layer that has to be peeled away to expose the termites that are destroying the structure of the Constitutional Republic. These termites are economic terrorists and serve as the members of the inner circle of the unConstitutional coup. As we all know termites create their own downfall since eventually the structure is destroyed. That is why the unConstitutional coup has spread outward and seeks a world government. All the people in the world are being terrorized by this same infestation. Our goal is to rebuild the structure of civilization with a material that is impervious to their ego-driven intervention. The philosophy of classical liberalism is the architectural pattern needed for the renovation and the principles of classical liberalism guarantee a capital structure destined to bring about prosperity. The Campaign For Liberty is the exterminator!

Posted 12/27/08 05:40 AM yadranko Hong Kong, Hong Kong

The last paragraph of the blog in italics sounds very sick to me. Thanks for letting us know about the PPI doctrine, I never heard of it before.

Posted 12/27/08 07:18 AM hrdman2luv Malakoff, TX

There really isn't much difference in the Progressives and the NEOCONS...Really, there isn't.

Posted 12/27/08 08:16 AM PopeDonzel Holland, OH

Obama and the Progressives = smiley face fascists.

Posted 12/27/08 08:50 AM StatusQuoJoe Phoenix, AZ

Meet the new boss, same as the....

Posted 12/27/08 09:58 AM coolwise Sun Valley, NV

It is scary to think that people in high places that are conspiring to subvert the populace with meaningless slogans like "Change" to convince them this is "good". They have control over the MSM which will push out their agenda. They will do a good job convincing much of the people that there is a difference between left and right, even though in the end both parties work for the same goals. This is going to be interesting for C4L members to get the truth out. I often heard that "the word of mouth" is the best way to reach your family, friends and neighbors to get your point across. Maybe is that we are in the trenches and know what people are going through sort of speak. The others use "loud speakers" to reach the masses, seems distance and cold. They (MSM) usually have human-interest stories to let us know they "feel" for us but they also spread the propaganda of those who are in charge. The Progressive Policy Institute is one of those who will do anything in their power to convince us that their way is the correct way and they have a smart popular elected President to push this message out for the next four years to come. Get ready folks, this is going to be interesting as well a very challenging as well.

Posted 12/27/08 1:13 PM mirand sharma Celebration, FL

Where is the Constitution in all of this central planning? A international nuclear fuel bank? Mandatory National Service? A civilian army? Deficit spending? The progressives (aka neocons) can plan all they want. Don't they now that the dollar is about to crash taking the rug out from underneath them?! The US can't afford any of this. Fools indeed!!!

Posted 12/27/08 4:53 PM Lazy Spider Winthrop Harbor, IL

This was a good read and a surprising one. Let those who don't learn from history suffer the consequences of their ignorance, I guess. I'm afraid that truth is a better blanket than it is a weapon, however.

Posted 12/27/08 7:54 PM LizLiz Brooklyn(or Cresco,PA!) , NY

Damn; this is a bad dream... or a really bad 70s pop band.. Obama and The Progressives.. with hit songs like 'Let me be your inflation' and 'Just can't tax without you'

Posted 12/27/08 8:20 PM Mike in Virginia Fredericksburg, VA

The PPI is totally fascist (as is Obama). I remember when we used to wonder how totalitarian fascism...aka National Socialism...could have come to a cultured, educated society such as Germany. We are in the process of finding out how it happened there, as we watch it unfold here.

Posted 12/27/08 10:08 PM CharlotteJuett Genoa, NE

All of it comes down to one word, CONTROL. The power brokers that have been orchestrating this debacle are grinning in their leather high backed office chairs and determining which fraction of the world population will survive and how best to manage them so that all power belongs to them, and all of mankind suffers in permanent servitude.

Posted 12/28/08 05:24 AM MarilyninLakeJackson Lake Jackson, TX

Yes, I've been hearing a lot about this Progressive stuff we are faced with. Progressively socialistic, I suppose. We will see.

Posted 12/28/08 10:12 AM Mike in Virginia Fredericksburg, VA

Marilyn, it is a pleasure to see another post from you. I was thinking the other day that I hadn't run across your name in a while. The progressive movement that began in the late 1800s was definitely socialist in nature. Among other things, they were behind prohibition, food and drug laws, and the Constitutional amendment to provide for direct election of senators. Although there was no unanimity within the movement, there was a general belief in the government's ability to solve social problems and to provide for economic "fairness". As I see it, the difference between progressives and socialists is in the label only; the contents of the package are essentially the same.

Posted 12/29/08 04:15 AM Witness Matthias Pasadena, TX

I....am...trying....really....really.....hard.....not.....to.....let....the..... profanity....I....want....to....say.....get.....loose...@#!!!!!@!!@#!@!!!@!!@!!! !@!@!@!#!!@@@@!!~!@~!@

Posted 12/29/08 08:30 AM hartman Fishers, IN

That last paragraph is socialism in it's purest form. There is no way around it, call them Progressives if you will, I will call them Socialists, and perhaps Facists will fit in due time. http://federalfallacy.com

Posted 12/29/08 2:51 PM Aquinox Syracuse, NY

@ witness LOL, me too. @ All Out of my cold, dead hands...