Thursday, June 16, 2016

Neocon Quislings?

A small group of Washington would-be-insiders - nominally Republican - are openly backing Hillary Clinton. The latest example, according to Politico, is Richard Armitage. Others who've been mentioned may include Robert Kagan, Mark Salter, Peter Mansour and Max Boot.

My horseback characterization of the group is that they're "neocons," a group defined by Wikipedia thus:
The term "neoconservative" refers to those who made the ideological journey from the anti-Stalinist Left to the camp of American conservatism. Neoconservatives typically advocate the promotion of democracy and promotion of American national interest in international affairs, including by means of military force and are known for espousing disdain for communism and for political radicalism.
While it looks like they're migrating back to their leftist roots, another explanation is more probable. I believe this group of hawks see Secretary Clinton as being more willing to use military force - their preferred international intervention modality - than is Trump. Plus Trump's admiration for Putin's macho leadership doesn't sit well with these Russia-fearing Cold Warriors.