Monday, February 28, 2011

JINGOCON MANIFESTO

“We fight neither for revenge for conquest; neither from pride nor passion; we are not insulting the world with our fleets and armies, nor ravaging the globe for plunder. Beneath the shade of our own vines are we attacked; in our own houses, and on our own lands, is the violence committed against us. We view our enemies in the characters of Highwaymen and Housebreakers, and having no defense for ourselves in the civil law, are obliged to punish them by the military one, and apply the sword, in the very case, where you have before now, applied the halter.”
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Thomas Paine – Common Sense
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"JINGO" WORD HISTORY: “Jingo” was originally an interjection used as a conjurer’s incantation or as an excited utterance in place of something more risqué. “Jingo” acquired most of its current meaning in Great Britain during the Russo-Turkish War of the late 1870s. We apparently have British secularist George Holyoake to thank for the first use of “jingo” as a political label. He used the term in a letter penned to the Daily News on March 13, 1878. Holyoake was referring to a popular patriotic music hall song of the time, “By Jingo”, written by G.W. Hunt. The song contained the lyrics "We don't want to fight, but by Jingo if we do; We've got the ships, We've got the men, We've got the money too." By the turn of the century "jingoes" had become a derogatory term applied to anyone deemed too nationalistic or aggressive in foreign policy. Theodore Roosevelt was labeled a “jingoe” by his foreign policy critics, to whom he responded in an 8 October 1895 interview in (of all places) the New York Times: "There is much talk about 'jingoism'. If by 'jingoism' they mean a policy in pursuance of which Americans will with resolution and common sense insist upon our rights being respected by foreign powers, then we are 'jingoes'."
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Now the term is used like a vile curse by the defeatist and pacifist left . Defined in a post-9/11 context, it should refer to those supporting an aggressive and even belligerent war and foreign policy as the best means of securing America in the modern world. Modern American jingoists can point to multiple historical examples of a passive America inviting attack. Since 9/11 the equation had shifted in favor of "staying on offense" and high levels of American involvement abroad. The Obama administration has America in full retreat. The jingoist will rightly tell you America has no choice but to remain aggressive at all times lest we invite attack. The world is full of enemies and potential enemies. Evil men will surely succeed if good men do nothing, and that, my friends, is not debatable.
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MODERN AMERICAN CONSERVATISM: Largely sculpted by President Ronald Reagan, “conservatism” in the sense used here centers around four basic ideas:
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1. STRONG NATIONAL DEFENSE: The United States of American must maintain unquestioned military superiority. Any perceived or actual weakness invites aggression.
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2. SMALLER GOVERNMENT: Government at all levels is too large, inefficient, and subject to waste and abuse. Efforts to increase the size and scope of especially the federal government should be opposed.
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3. LOWER TAXES: At least three times since World War 2 major federal tax cuts have spurred the economy and increased total government revenues due to faster growth. Government is also forced to be more efficientl and less intrusive when taxes are kept low.
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4. 2ND AMENDMENT: The individual right to bear arms is a cornerstone of American freedom and is constitutionally guaranteed. Two recent Supreme Court cases (Heller v. District of Columbia and McDonald v. Chicago) have affirmed that right. Free citizens should not be forced by local government regulations to seek the permission of police or government agencies to buy, sell, trade, own, or bear arms for self-defense.
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BASIC FOREIGN POLICY PRINCIPLES OF JINGOCONSERVATISM:
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1. The United States of America is the primary force for good in the modern world. Americans have shed more blood for the people of other lands than any nation in history.
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2. The United States is and must remain the preeminent military force in the world.
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3. The role of the President of the United States as Commander in Chief of the armed forces is sacrosanct and should not be infringed or impeded by the Supreme Court or Congress. The President should only take major military action with a Congressional declaration of war or authorization for use of force. The President is constitutionally obligated to take immediate military action without authorization in vital and immediate matters.
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4. The United States should maintain an aggressive posture in all international affairs. Military action should be taken only when all deliberate peaceful means of resolution have been reasonably exhausted. Ground forces should be used only when accomplishment of the mission is not possible with air, naval or elite forces alone.
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5. The United Nations should be dismantled if it refuses reform. International organizations cannot guarantee American national security, and thus their permission is not needed or desired prior to taking military action vital to our defense. The United States should not participate in or fund international agencies other than those whose members are republican allies. International law should never be used as a basis or means of adjudicating American domestic law.
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6. The United States must not allow threats to our security to fully materialize before taking appropriate action.
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7. The men and women of the United States military should always have the best training, equipment, leadership, and support than can possibly be provided. Pay and benefit levels for service members are woefully inadequate and should be drastically increased. The compensation for families of those killed in our service, and the compensation and health care benefits for wounded members and veterans should also be significantly and frequently increased. American military veterans should receive priority in all federal, state, and local government contracts and hiring.
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8. The borders and ports of the United States should be secured through physical or electronic means as soon as possible. Those who have violated our sovereignty and entered the country illegally should be deported immediately. Employers who hire illegal immigrants should face exorbitantly heavy fines and prison terms. Priority for legal immigration should be given to democratic allies.
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9. A thriving defense industry is vital to our national security. All weapons, equipment, and supplies utilized by the U.S. military should without exception be made in America.
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10. The United States should never under any circumstances tolerate the use of torture. The U.S. Congress should clearly and unequivocally define torture, including specific procedures that are not permissible. Enemy combatants taken prisoner should be held under the Geneva Conventions as prisoners of war, and given the rights and confinement circumstances therein prescribed. No trials of any kind should be conducted, nor are any prisoner exchanges or releases possible. Guantanamo Bay should continue to be the main holding facility for enemy prisoners. All prisoners should be held until the conclusion of hostilities without regard to the length of time that may require.
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11. The spread of democracy around the globe greatly enhances but is not essential to American national security. All peaceful means of promoting and establish republican governments should be encouraged and supported. The extent to which the United States should militarily support democratic movements should be commensurate with the will of the foreign citizens involved and their own ability to assist and function.
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12. Energy is a national security issue. Every reasonable effort should be made to reduce or eliminate dependence on foreign energy sources and to develop successful alternative sources domestically. Drastically increased domestic production and sensible conservation measures should be pursued in the short term to alleviate market pressures. An America free from dependence on foreign oil would both greatly increase our flexibility abroad and strengthen our economy.
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13. Ballistic missile defense programs are technologically feasible and should receive increased funding. Deployment of systems should only occur in requesting allied nations. Ballistic missile defense is vital to U.S. national security and should never be the subject of concession or negotiation.
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15. The United States should take a firm stance against the hostile communist regime in North Korea. Every reasonable effort should be made to foment rebellion within the country. No concessions of any kind should be made, especially regarding direct or six party talks with North Korea. No further food or humanitarian aid of any kind should be provided to North Korea, as it will be commandeered by the government instead of being distributed to the populace. Aid only bolsters the North Korean dictator(s) and encourages further misbehavior. North Korea should be warned that any attack on American forces in South Korea will result in a full retaliatory response. The President should strongly and publicly pressure China to exert whatever control they may have over North Korea to force more polite conduct on their part. North Korea should not be allowed to mandate events by threatening or actually engaging in military operations of any kind.
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16. Iran is the main state sponsor of terror, and the regime now in power should be treated as a mortal enemy of the United States. Every effort to protest and resist by the Iranian people should be publicly and covertly supported to the maximum extent. Iran has for decades sponsored terrorist groups and attacks throughout the world, providing weapons, training and funding. Their role in terrorist attacks against Americans is undisputed and stretches back to the 1970s. Iran has been directly involved in the killing of American diplomats and military personnel abroad and has provided advanced armor penetrating IEDs to Al Qaeda in Iraq and Afghanistan. Iran’s pursuit of a nuclear weapons program cannot be allowed to produce a deliverable weapon. The risk of Iran turning a nuclear weapon over to their terrorist allies for use against the United States or Israel is too great to allow. If Iran refuses to cooperate with international efforts to monitor their nuclear program, military action to disable their weapons program should be taken at the earliest opportunity.
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17. The United States of America should take every measure necessary to support the nation of Israel. They are the only republic in the region and are under constant threat from terrorist forces, most of which are supported by Iran. Israel should be publicly supported in any action it deems vital to its national security. Any effort to internationally condemn or isolate Israel for military action taken in its own defense should be thwarted.
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18. Africa is a vital front in the war against international terrorism. All reasonable effort should be made to assist allied nations with economic and military development.
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19. Piracy on the high seas cannot be tolerated. All pirate vessels should be sunk immediately without regard to crew. Any pirate attack on any U.S. or allied commercial or military vessel should result in an immediate and overwhelming response.
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20. It should at all times be clear to foreign powers that the United States of America will defend its interests and its citizens by peaceful negotiation first, but by force if necessary.
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WHAT JINGOCONSERVATISM IS NOT: An America that is aggressive and active on the international scene best secures our own nation and assists our allies and potential allies. It is not warmongering, it is not bloodthirsty, and does not seek to dominate or occupy any foreign land. American troops are always liberators and we do not "occupy" other nations.
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THE FUTURE OF OUR GREAT NATION is in mortal jeopardy. Our enemies abroad grow stronger and more numerous with each passing hour while the Obama administration has the United States in full international retreat. This President does not like or understand our armed forces, and it would be difficult to imagine a set of circumstances under which he would properly apply the force of the American military in a timely manner. Now is not the time for the United States to retreat on any front. Only by remaining aggressive and belligerent when necessary can America guard against attacks at home. A posture of weakness and vacillation will insure that our vital interests will be damaged and that our armed forces and citizens will be killed.