How many non-political junkies know about PNAC?

[_Jumper_]

If the masses learn of this we can decimate Bush on defense, his #1 strength among voters.

[drdigi420]

1. none

i have to explain it even to ppl that hate bush

noone knows about PNAC because the media completely ignores it

pisses me off i tell ya what

[onecitizen]

2. My friends are telling me.........

to shut-up! Just shut-up! I'm a downer they say and they don't wanna talk to me anymore! HA! People just aren't interested. They think I'm a conspiracy theorist in need of "special" help. They're kidding a little (I think) but their point remains. They don't wanna hear it.

[_Jumper_]

5. Are you friends with Bill O'Reilly and his cousins?

:evilgrin:

The same thing has happened to me. People want their nice myth about their brilliant wartime president saving the world from terrorism and are unwilling to listen anything that deviates from the script. However, we need to keep working on this because this is the #1 thing to take Bush down on foreign policy. They'll never buy LIHOP or MIHOP but they will accept PNAC.

[AZCat]

3. We need to develop a short...

We need a 30-second PNAC summary. I can't explain it in less than 3 or 4 minutes, so I only get to slip it in to serious political conversations.

I would like to be able to bring it up casually- just to raise awareness.
Any takers on a quickie summary?

[Stephanie]

6. Could start with this:

Many more articles here: PNAC Links Archive


http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article3249.htm

"Rebuilding America's Defenses" – A Summary
Blueprint of the PNAC Plan for U.S. Global Hegemony

Some people have compared it to Hitler's publication of Mein Kampf, which was ignored until after the war was over.

Full text of Rebuilding America's Defenses here

Compiled by Bette Stockbauer

05/06/03: When the Bush administration started lobbying for war with Iraq, they used as rationale a definition of preemption (generally meaning anticipatory use of force in the face of an imminent attack) that was broadened to allow for the waging of a preventive war in which force may be used even without evidence of an imminent attack. They also were able to convince much of the American public that Saddam Hussein had something to do with the attacks of 9/11, despite the fact that no evidence of a link has been uncovered. Consequently, many people supported the war on the basis of 1) a policy that has no legal basis in international law and 2) a totally unfounded claim of Iraqi guilt.

What most people do not know, however, is that certain high ranking officials in the Bush administration have been working for regime change in Iraq for the past decade, long before terrorism became an important issue for our country. In 1997 they formed an organization called the Project for the New American Century (PNAC). They have sought the establishment of a much stronger U.S. presence throughout the Mideast and Iraq's Saddam Hussein has been their number one target for regime change. Members of this group drafted and successfully passed through Congress the Iraqi Liberation Act, giving legal sanctions for an invasion of the country, and funneled millions of taxpayer dollars to Hussein opposition groups called the Iraqi National Congress and The Committee for the Liberation of Iraq.

The PNAC philosophy was formed in response to the ending of Cold War hostilities with Russia and the emergence of America as the world's only preeminent superpower. Claiming that this is a "strategic moment" that should not be squandered, members of PNAC say that America should use its position to advance its power and interests into all areas of the globe. They believe the time is ripe for establishing democracies in regimes considered hostile to U.S. interests and are not hesitant to advise the use of military means to achieve those ends.

PNAC members on the Bush team include Vice-President Dick Cheney and his top national security assistant, I. Lewis Libby; Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld; Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz; National Security Council member Eliot Abrams; Undersecretary for Arms Control and International Security John Bolton; and former Chairman of the Defense Policy Board, Richard Perle. Other PNAC members exerting influence on U.S. policy are the President of the Committee for the Liberation of Iraq Randy Scheunemann, Republican Party leader Bruce Jackson and current PNAC chairman William Kristol, conservative writer for the Weekly Standard. Jeb Bush, the president's brother and governor of Florida, is also a member.

Their campaign to overthrow Hussein was unsuccessful during the Clinton presidency and early days of Bush's term, but on 9/11 they found the event they needed to push for the overthrow of Hussein. Within 24 hours both Wolfowitz and Cheney were calling for an invasion of Iraq, even before anyone knew who had been responsible for the attacks.<more>

[AZCat]

9. I'm looking more for a very short summary

I've been doing it by listing prominent members, and then explaining the origin of PNAC. I bring up the letter to Clinton in '98, and then talk about the Bush Admin. obsession with Iraq prior to 9/11. But this takes too long, and isn't a strong argument. If they are media-savvy, I point them here (DU) and to the PNAC website, but others aren't so willing to do their own initial legwork (they chalk it up to conspiracy theory).

[Stephanie]

10. This one's very good

You could try condensing this:

http://www.counterpunch.org/weiner05282003.html

PNAC Primer: How We Got Into This Mess
By BERNARD WEINER
May 28, 2003

Recently, I was the guest on a radio talk-show hosted by a thoroughly decent far-right Republician. I got verbally battered, but returned fire and, I think, held my own. Toward the end of the hour, I mentioned that the National Security Strategy -- promulgated by the Bush Administration in September 2002 -- now included attacking possible future competitors first, assuming regional hegemony by force of arms, controlling energy resources around the globe, maintaining a permanent-war strategy, etc.

"I'm not making up this stuff," I said. "It's all talked about openly by the neoconservatives of the Project for the New American Century -- who now are in charge of America's military and foreign policy -- and published as official U.S. doctrine in the National Security Strategy of the United States of America."

The talk-show host seemed to gulp, and then replied: "If you really can demonstrate all that, you probably can deny George Bush a second term in 2004."

Two things became apparent in that exchange: 1) Even a well-educated, intelligent radio commentator was unaware of some of this information; and, 2) Once presented with it, this conservative icon understood immediately the implications of what would happen if the American voting public found out about these policies.

<snip>

[AZCat]

11. This might work- Thanks!

Let me work on this for a day or so.
Thanks for the help though! :)

[Old and In the Way]

18. I've kept one of your threads bookmarmed from DU1

great reference...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/cgi-bin/duforum/duboard.cgi?az=show_thread&om=3021&forum=DCForumID12

[spanone]

4. All folks whether they care or not have seen PNAC in action

RE: Iraq

[KamaAina]

7. My Mom

'cause I told her.

That's about it, though. :(

[pinto]

8. when I bring it up, I'm subtly seen as a "conspiricist", y'know?

But, the tide turns.

[ComerPerro]

12. Not many, but I tell everyone who will listen

And some who won't


For me, it is one of the biggest pieces of proof that 9/11 was at the very least LIHOP.

[_Jumper_]

13. I agree

The PNAC statement about the need for a Pearl Harbor-like event is very damning in that area.

[maggrwaggr]

14. I am shocked how nobody knows

I live in Santa Monica, CA and work in the film business. We're all pretty liberal, pretty smart, pretty educated, and we all hate George Bush (about 99%).

Yet NOBODY that I've talked to ( and I talk to everybody I get the chance to) has heard of PNAC, even those who seem otherwise extremely well informed!

This is sheer proof that the media has dropped the ball horribly for the last several years.

[mac2]

19. Nobody wants to know about PNAC

When you tell them about it...they get upset and say, they don't want to hear about it. It is too scary or it is a "conspiracy theory". Why is that? It not a new concept in history...to be ignored.

PNAC is a plan by few powerful Neo Cons to dominate the world.
America, maybe Israel, and Britain are the main players (Bush admitted to a Judo/Christian War against Islam).

The PNAC documents themselves have good goals about the peaceful and better life world, etc. This is a lie because, they are using tyranny to enslave us for their control. It is fascism.

President Bush the Elder, talked about the plan for the World Union, the Americas, on CSPAN at the 10th NAFTA anniversary. He said, that it had been held up but was back on schedule (you know that Clinton thing). He would like to see the combining of many nations in North and South America...with open borders like the EU of trade/government before HE dies. It is his dream not ours.

What an ego. And Jeb Bush will probably be one leader of all the Americas Union located capital in Miami. Worry about losing the next election when they will have robbed us of all our money and taken control of all the American Continent? I don't think so.

The World Union (previously called the World Order) consists of six to seven unions (EU and the Americas well on the way). They will control us not by democracy (as they say) but by stealing our vote with computers. We will think we have a say...when we do not.

What worries me the most if the taking away of rights, wealth, and freedoms using "terrorism and fear" as an excuse to take control. They will use these laws to go after their enemies...political, intellectual,environmental, etc. They are also inventing new weapons to use against us. They do all of this with our tax dollars.

Think this is a made up story? Senator Graham (D-FL)had it on his web site that the FTAA (Free Trade Agreement of the Americas) would be located in Miami. He was pushing for it. A Democrat pushing for a trade/government agreement that the unions oppose.

Yes...as Senator Wellstone stated, the wealthy corporations (some of who help control the World Unions) already have an ear in Washington...the citizens do not. I am going to represent them. It is my job. Don't you wish more of them did?

This is their plan (PNAC, FTAA, WTO, GATTS) not ours because we will suffer the loss and they will gain. Absolute power corrupts. We can certainly say that about this group of Neo Cons.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

15. Jay Bookman of the Atlanta Journal Constitution

wrote some very good and readable articles about this during the war runup, but I don't think they are linkable because the ajc.com has a pay archives or something.

PBS "Frontline" has had excellent coverage of this topic, and to boot, the shows are available on streaming video:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/view/

I particularly recommend these two:

"The War Behind Closed Doors"
Covers the PNAC origins of the current preemptive war doctrine and Iraq war, particularly Wolfowitz, and how 9/11 let it all spring to evil life:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/iraq/view/

"Truth, War, and Consequences"
Covers Douglas Feith and the Office of Special Plans hyping prewar propaganda, and the whole Chalabi debacle:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/truth/view/

Of course,once people have been exposed to this (the trouble is, most people don't want to be informed even if you are telling them), the mother lode is at PNAC's own website, linked below. All their documents are archived there. It's amazing that people will deny there's any such thing as PNAC like it's some sort of Illuminati or something, and then you show them the website, complete with all the letters, documents, and position papers all proudly signed by the Wolfowitz's, Perle's etc.:

http://www.newamericancentury.org/

[Stephanie]

16. We have links to those in the PNAC Links Archives

In the Bush/Conservatives folder - the AJC articles are there.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

17. Frontline TV show has covered this very well:

Sorry about the partial dupe, just wanted to reinforce these shows since it may be easier for lazy people to watch an excellent show on TV.

The shows are available on streaming video:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/view /

I particularly recommend these two:

"The War Behind Closed Doors"
Covers the PNAC origins of the current preemptive war doctrine and Iraq war, particularly Wolfowitz, and how 9/11 let it all spring to evil life:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/iraq/view /

"Truth, War, and Consequences"
Covers Douglas Feith and the Office of Special Plans hyping prewar propaganda, and the whole Chalabi debacle:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/truth/view /

[TOhioLiberal]

20. I had never heard of PNAC...

...before signing up at DU.

It's so sleazy...sometimes I wish I 'didn't know now, what I didn't know then' (to quote B. Seger).

Trekkerlass