Chris "the yellow dart" Bauer, my best friend from high school and probably the smartest guy I know, has brought up a question several times that I think deserves an answer. To paraphrase: how can a pro-life Christian possibly support a candidate or a party that supports the Wolfowitz doctrine?
For those who aren't familiar with it, Wikipedia has this to say about the doctrine:
"Not intended for public release, it was leaked to The New York Times on March 7, 1992,...the document outlined a policy of unilateralism and pre-emptive military action to suppress potential threats from other nations and prevent any other nation from rising to superpower status.
Such was the outcry that the document was hastily re-written under the close supervision of U.S. Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell before being officially released on April 16. Although the initial release was denounced at the time it was leaked, many of its tenets have since re-emerged in the Bush Doctrine."
Now, to me this doesn't sound like a political philosophy Jesus would support. It sounds more like Nietzsche's ideal of a super-man, but applied to an entire super-nation, brought above international law by the will-to-power. Yet many Christians supported this kind of thinking when it was used to justify the Iraq war in 2003.
Rememember, Jesus said that His Kingdom is not of this world. America isn't a Christian nation not just because of our demographics and history, but because such a thing is a contradiction in terms. Our mission is one of spreading the Gospel, not one of conquest. But if we as Christians have political influence to use, as clearly evangelicals do, shouldn't we use it to support peace and not US global supremacy?
Are we as Christians able, in good conscience, to lend our support to the imperialist machinations of the GOP? OK, clearly the question is worded in a biased way, but let me hear your thoughts.
7 comments:
Probably? I think I am pretty clearly the ubermensch.
"Now, to me this doesn't sound like a political philosophy Jesus would support. It sounds more like Nietzsche's ideal of a super-man, but applied to an entire super-nation, brought above international law by the will-to-power. Yet many Christians supported this kind of thinking when it was used to justify the Iraq war in 2003."
I agree and much to my dismay. Rice, Cheney, Powell, and all the rest of the Bush White House are globalists.
Much of the GOP are globalists. I can't stand globalism.
On one side of the isle we have the Bush doctrine that over-uses our military. Honestly, who cares if Russia takes Georgia back? Less than 20 years ago it was theirs! It is none of our business.
On the OTHER side of the isle (IMHO) are people who will UNDER-USE our military. Clinton's lack of action with the embassy bombings, USS Cole, and first WTC attack directly resulted in 911. In my opinion of course.
In addition to the under-utilization of our military, they look to undermine our rights as citizens, and give free handouts.
They BOTH stink. We are forced to choose between two extremes.
The Founding Fathers warned about parties. They were right. We seriously need a change.
Jesse,
It's interesting that we come at this question from completely different political philosophies, but arrive at a similarly low opinion of this doctrine.
Though I tend to be pretty liberal in most respects,including on the globalism question, I have a lot of respect for libertarians/paleo-cons like you. You're a lot more ideologically consistent than the neo-cons.
Interesting indeed.
I've pondered a solution to keeping politicians in check for sometime.
Term-limits. Not only term-limits, OFFICE limits.
I can't stand political prostitutes like Charlie Christ. Who knows when he last held a "real" job. Political SERVICE should be just that, a service to your community, not a life long parasite.
The lack of term-limits results in many politicians looking out for their own interests and agendas rather than working toward the greater good of our people/country.
If a politician weren't able to be in office long enough to have an agenda, it could potentially be a very good thing. Imagine fresh faces, no more McCains or Ted Kennedy's sitting on the Senate for 938 years. It is quite unacceptable.
I haven't worked out the specifics of the office limits yet, but a limit of 5 separate offices state level and above sounds reasonable. (2 or 3 at state level, 2 or 3 at federal level) after that, you are ineligible for anything above county government.
Obviously someone smarter than me would have to logically create a plan but it sure sounds like a start to me.
I'm sure this will happen right about the time they introduce mandatory driving tests for the elderly in Florida.
Hello there! This post couldn't be written any better! Reading through this post reminds me of my old room mate! He always kept talking about this. I will forward this post to him. Fairly certain he will have a good read. Thank you for sharing!
Here is my site: click here
tennis elbow treatment occupational therapy
Here is my webpage - massage tennis elbow treatment
Instead of a photo, enhance it, share it -- it's that easy. Beyond afore mentioned, such therapies are needed only if the patient desires an oral contraceptive anyway. It takes two to three weeks these patients are moving down to four, five bowel movements a day. So what is the cause, an individual might drink their own urine on their face. That's why products that targetbacteria don't work particularly well to clear up acne killer.
Post a Comment