The scary new book by David Frum and Richard Perle, An End to Evil (2003) is getting more attention as the two authors travel around the country and work the radio talk-show and TV circuit promoting it. The Christian Science Monitor's Weblog for 01/12/04 has several further references on the the book.
One of them is to a piece by neoconservative Lawrence Kaplan: The Good Fight Washington Post 01/04/04. He notes that the Frum/Perle book expresses "the traditionally conservative view of the world as a fundamentally dangerous and Hobbesian place. But it also argues that the condition can be ameliorated -- through the vigorous application of American power and ideals. This is not conservatism. It is liberalism, with very sharp teeth." Actually, both the book and Kaplan's comment represent doubletalk with the bad attitude of men who spend their time thinking up wars for other men, women and children to die in.
I especially enjoyed the commentary by Jim Lobe, who the Monitor describes as "a long time critic" of the neoconservatives: Neo-conservatism, hardcore Asia Times Online 01/13/04. Lobe notes that Perle's status with the current Administration gives particular significance to the views expressed in the book. He also mentions that the book went to print in October 2003, and thinks it's notable that Perle at that time was worried that his hardline views were falling out of favor with the Administration. But he thinks that if Bush gets elected President this year, Perle's views may gain new ascendency.
(Cont. in Part 2)
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