You ever wonder what it would be like to be a neocon?

I mean, what the hell goes on in their minds?

There are actually people- lots of real people- out there who come to these neocon types of conclusions and think that they're being rational.

How? What's it like to actually be that person, you think?

It's gotta be some entirely different way of thinking. Like an alternative logic or language or something.

I think what astounds me about it is that it seems so impossible to me. Like I just couldn't do it, I couldn't think like that, even if I wanted to. So I wonder how others could.

You know, it sounds like I'm asking this rhetorically, but I'm really not. Think about it. There are PEOPLE who actually think that this stuff the neocons are spewing is RIGHT. HOW???? It seems impossible to me.

The only explanation I can really think of is that the neocon leaders who are spewing the crap are evil, and the people who nod their heads in agreement are just scared to speak up.

is required to qualify as a neocon.

being lobotomized I imagine. Or perhaps being given massive doses of Thorazine. Whatever it is, is stops all higher brain activity and depends on the brain stem, the most primitive part of the brain, to function.

This is a best case scenario. It could be far worse.

like serial killers. As communications improved, so did their ability to interconnect, network and advance each other along in their careers. They have always known they were outsiders; the secret lies in hiding that fact from others and always presenting their bizarre fantasies as logical or reasonable.

Sort of like thinking that evolution is just a theory.

If you don't check your premises, as Ayn Rand used to mumble, you might well come to think such things are reasonable and harmless.

As Strauss saw it, "good politicians" need to reassert the absolute moral values that unite society and this would overcome the moral relativism that liberalism had created. To do so, they needed to propagate myths necessary to give ordinary people meaning and purpose as to ensure a stable society. Modern liberalism had stressed the pursuit of individual liberty as its highest goal, and Strauss wanted government to take a more active role in promoting morality. Perpetual deception of the citizens by those in power is critical in Strauss's view because the populace needs to be led; they need strong rulers to tell them what is good for them.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_Strauss

They are masters of hegelian dialectics

But the peons....how?

I think they don't really care about ideology, morality, religion, ethics,etc - for them it's just a method to further their agenda.

Neocon manifesto reads pretty much like Mein Kampf.

Paul Wolfowitz: "A democratic world government would not let America rule the world"

A real belief that they know so much better than anyone else what is good for individuals. That kind of thing.

The abrogation of international law, or any kind of check on the behavior of the hyperpower of which they are citizens. The belief that because the US is a hyperpower, the US is entitled to absolutely anything it wants, by force if necessary.

Social Darwinism. Lack of empathy. Utter selfishness.

Destruction of governmental checks and balances, gathering of power to the Executive branch. Because they feel like a hyperpower within the country itself, again there is this sene of entitlement to do or to seize anything they want.

Continual blather about "morality" and no feeling for "ethics." I don't know how they do it either, and yet I'd be willing to bet that most of them sleep very well at night.

Hekate

:tinfoilhat:

How can one NOT see the hypocricy?
How can one just jump from Point A to Point C without wondering whatever happened to Point B?
I think that the actual neo-cons in power: Cheney, Wolfie, Rummy, et al, are smart, but they're evil. They know exactly what they're doing and they're doing everything and they do for either greed (mostly) or some sort of false eutopia that is NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN. (I don't understand why anyone would want to rule the world, personally.)
However, the average neo-con follower believes whatever warped spin that these people put out: Saddam is 9/11, moral values equals screwing mules, fake reporting is good for the country, Bolton is "perfect" for the UN, despite his wanting to dismantle it and the deficit is OK as long as it's a Republican who creates it? :wtf:
Maybe neo-con followers have a flawed personality trait that allows them to simply follow and never lead or maybe they're actually missing some physical neurons in their brain that allow such a disconnect. I don't know.
I, like you, don't get it. I cannot think this way. It's just impossible.

it is mental illness.. obcessivve compulsive behavior..

Permanently suppressed empathic distress response. At one end of the continuum
sociopath-->soldier/emergency worker-->neurotypical-->really feeling your pain-->hearts bleeding all over everything

We have to be able to suppress our instinct to identify with other people when dealing with emergencies and self-defense. Statistically it follows that at least a few of us will be way too good at that.

I think that conservatives in general are to sociopaths as somewhat geeky people are to non-functioning autistics.

The answer is: nothing.

Or, very little.

Here's from a debate in Norway with my favourite, Tim - a self confessed 'former contractor to the US government' hanging out at a conservative board. The topic is DU, because I've been rubbing a lot of the stories told here at the DU in their faces. I'm using the nick dorian:
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tim <2329> 04.05.05 23:01
Dorian

<<Here's a story:>>

Very touching, but also heartening, you received one more conscript to join you underground, with Hope no less which is a good deal more than you are enjoying.

<<I heard rants about Bill Clinton and strangely enough, Al Gore (I guess Gore had given a speech last week - I missed it if it happened).>>

He is frequently being lauded when the dead are being honored. By the way, Al Gore missed the speech as well, he later stated it was not worth remembering.

I noticed elsewhere you stated that pictures made you think, I guess anything is possible though thought was the last I suspected, but if so, why don’t you get your mother to buy you a collection of “glansbilder”, that will really get your adrenalin and other uncontrollable urgings going.

I am curious, do you think it would be possible to get one of your troglodyte friends to emerge from the safety of their bunkers who would be willing to risk all and on your behalf, since you are unable, debate one, just one, of your many allegations. If daylight frightens you or them please know they will receive all the care and gentle attention they deserve.

I know you are a very modest person with more to be modest about than most but that should not be cause to hide behind a façade of stupidity, unless of course, it is not a façade.
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dorian <954> 04.05.05 23:40

> a façade of stupidity

Hell, where did you find that char?!

Looks real cool, Tim. But not as cool as the sentence 'that will really get your adrenalin and other uncontrollable urgings going' ! :-)
Weeee!

> I am curious, do you think it would be possible to get one of your troglodyte friends to emerge from the safety of their bunkers who would be willing to risk all and on your behalf, since you are unable, debate one, just one, of your many allegations. If daylight frightens you or them please know they will receive all the care and gentle attention they deserve.

You know, I've been thinking about that. There's about 70.000 DUers, and let's face it; due to strict moderation at the DU conservatives are given little room for debate and are quickly tombstoned. Some DUers may long for a neocon to verbally beat up. Problem is to get them interested in AD; Backyardistan Central Propaganda Board when the bait is of such slight intellectual capacity.

I would say that the notion that someone would go out of their way to meet you, a dorky old man posting incoherent nonsense in a faraway country, suggests a self picture somewhat exaggregated.

But hey - you never know.
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The people at this board is an incredible bunch of Norw.-American neocons and Norwegian Bush suckups. Anything goes, and I mean ANYTHING. The place is awash with propaganda, and I have been hitting them hard since last summer (there's little or no moderation), especially picking on this Tim-character, who is really an open and admitted fascist.

Feel free to sign up and debate. It's in Norwegian, but a lot of english-speaking people hang out there too.

http://debatt.aftenposten.no/Group.asp