US politicians from across spectrum "want to be 'tough' – but always somewhere else in the world. Neoconservatism has prevailed, but only in foreign policy. Today the target is Vladimir Putin and Russia," observed Scott McConnell, a founding editor of The American Conservative.
Neocons think foreign policy is easy, according to the journalist. The international arena offers them a prime spot for muscle flexing and powerful rhetoric, while their actions apparently yield only positive results and nothing could go wrong.
Is foreign policy as easy as US hardliners think?
It is this philosophy that prompts some to call for sending lethal weapons to Ukraine, a move any reasonable person would confirm will only escalate the ongoing civil war in the eastern European country. Russia and Europe have been adamant on this.
Population displacement is the hottest Neocon game in town. Ask Syria, Libya, Ukraine, South Sudan, Iraq… https://t.co/K9seI7zv9l
— Charles Edward Frith (@charlesfrith) 20 июня 2015
"Much of the 'Maidan Revolution' was driven by ethnic Ukrainian nationalists with deep hatred for Russia; while it's not a universal sentiment, many Ukrainians despise all things Russian, including their own compatriots who identify with Russia. They want nothing more than to draw the West into a war against their ancestral enemy," McConnell explained.
These are the people US hardliners want to help. Perhaps, belligerence is their second nature and they need an adversary to survive.
"This is neo-conservatism's triumph: the creation of an entire Beltway industry, honeycombed through Congress and largely bipartisan, which finds political life not worth living without the prospect of confrontation with a distant enemy," the journalist pointed out.
Saakashvili, McCain, now #TonyBlair, #Ukraine Putsch only missing Bush & Cheney for neocon jamboree! @EuromaidanPR https://t.co/FairBLbWXL
— Mark Sleboda (@MarkSleboda1) 17 июня 2015
Accordingly, neocons do not entertain the idea of "treating Russia as a great power, acknowledging that Russia has serious security interests on its borders and treating those interests respectfully."
Meanwhile, "major European governments are now doing their best to circumvent anti-Russian sanctions which they themselves instituted," McConnell stated.
US is "on the verge of losing Baltimore to lawlessness"
While US hardliners go full throttle in global affairs, "we are on the verge of losing Baltimore, a major American eastern seaboard city, to lawlessness," the American journalist said. Baltimore has been marred by violence since the death of Freddie Gray in April 2015 while in police custody.
McConnell added that neither tough conservatives nor the liberal interventionists offer meaningful contribution as to what can be done "to salvage a city on the brink."
They keep silent, for restoring the delicate societal fabric in Baltimore is hard. It requires a subtle "balance between economic investment, community organizing, and law enforcement," according to the journalist. All the effort put in finding this balance would surely take months if not years and could still be to no avail.
Nails it! "@LionelMedia: If #Baltimore was in #Libya neocons would order an air strike to liberate the brave freedom fighters and rebels."
— #BlackLivesMatter (@ru4peace2) 1 мая 2015
"Foreign policy by contrast is easy: just send weapons to the good guys. If that doesn't work, escalate. What could conceivably go wrong?" McConnell asked. If current trends serve as any indication, this question will remain unanswered for quite some time.
