A troubling political development for me is the rise of the “news” site called The Bulwark. I have had several conversations lately with people that consider themselves knowledgeable Lefties who say they have turned to this outlet as an alternative to the MAGA hijacked mainstream media, that it better reflects their politics and viewpoints. My response has been, have you done your homework? Let’s not forget that these are the Neocons, the loudest cheerleaders for, and managers of, the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. They come from various conservative bastions like the defunct Weekly Standard and the Wall Street Journal.
Disaffected from their party by the rise of MAGA and led by Bill Kristol who, among other destructive endeavors, co-founded the Project for the New American Century (PNAC). This so-called bulwark is comprised mostly of “former” right-wing commentators masquerading as cool-headed centrists fighting for democracy and social liberalism (taken directly from the Bulwark Substack site). Yet, their godfather Irving Kristol, Bill’s pop, was a prime actor in the smearing of the Great Society programs. His frequent screeds complained that using the government to help underprivileged, underserved, and underrepresented people only created dependency instead of alleviating poverty, destroyed the dignity of hard work, and led to bloated bureaucracy. His aim was to undermine GS social programs- war on poverty, medicare/medicaid, welfare, food stamps, environmental protection etc. That strategy was then effectively co-opted by the ultra-right and has led us to where we are today. I’m surprised that David Brooks and David Frum haven’t joined up. Oh right, they have both resurfaced at that other landing spot for Neocons, The Atlantic. My question to them: FDR or Reagan? Which side are you on? (hint: I already know the answer).
They say that politics makes strange bedfellows. Remember, those who sleep with dogs may wake up with fleas. In a world where the goal of the news media has degenerated into an exercise in deceiving rather than informing, be aware and consider your sources. This has been a public service announcement.
David Brooks is at least open about it. To Fight Trumpism Bring Back The Neocons
Camera Obscura
Parallel Narratives 