Conservatives Endorse Fuhrer Principle :Our leader über alles- Roberts

[Clara T]

Conservatives Endorse the Fuhrer Principle
Our leader über alles
by Paul Craig Roberts

Last week's annual Conservative Political Action Conference signaled the transformation of American conservatism into brownshirtism. A former Justice Department official named Viet Dinh got a standing ovation when he told the CPAC audience that the rule of law mustn't get in the way of President Bush protecting Americans from Osama bin Laden. Former Republican congressman Bob Barr, who led the House impeachment of President Bill Clinton, reminded the CPAC audience that our first loyalty is to the U.S. Constitution, not to a leader. The question, Barr said, is not one of disloyalty to Bush, but whether America "will remain a nation subject to, and governed by, the rule of law or the whim of men."

The CPAC audience answered that they preferred to be governed by Bush. According to Dana Milbank, a member of the CPAC audience named Richard Sorcinelli loudly booed Barr, declaring: "I can't believe I'm in a conservative hall listening to him say Bush is off course trying to defend the United States." A woman in the audience told Barr that the Constitution placed Bush above the law and above non-elected federal judges.
These statements gallop beyond the merely partisan. They express the sentiments of brownshirtism. Our leader über alles.

Only a few years ago this same group saw Barr as a conservative hero for obtaining Clinton's impeachment in the House. Obviously, CPAC's praise for Barr did not derive from Barr's stand on conservative principle that a president must be held accountable if he violates the law. In Clinton's case, Barr's principles did not conflict with the blind emotions of the politically partisan conservatives demanding Clinton's impeachment.

In opposing Bush's illegal behavior, Barr is simply being consistent. But this time, Barr's principles are at odds with the emotions of the politically partisan CPAC audience. Rushing to the defense of Bush, the CPAC audience endorsed Viet Dinh's Fuhrer Principle over the rule of law. Why do the media and the public allow partisan political hacks, like Viet Dinh, to define Bush's illegal actions as a national security issue? The purpose of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act is to protect national security. FISA creates a secret court to which the president can apply for a warrant even after he has initiated spying. Complying with the law in no way handicaps spying for national security purposes. The only spying handicapped by the warrant requirement is spying for illegitimate purposes, such as spying on political opponents.

http://www.counterpunch.org/roberts02182006.html

[ulysses]

1. I'd have never thought

that it'd come to the point at which I had feelings other than revulsion for Bob Barr, but there it is.

[Eric J in MN]

2. If anyone would like to skim right-wing articles by

Paul Craig Roberts, go here:
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/paulcraigroberts/archive.shtml

[tabasco]

3. And now a word from a Founding Father:

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

[salvorhardin]

4. Like I said in the thread that got deleted

Always nice to see hard core Reaganites agreeing with us.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Craig_Roberts

[seafan]

5. My thread was deleted because of this same source. Here's another source:

This is a good article, so you may want to change your link to avoid thread deletion.

http://www.counterpunch.org/roberts02182006.html

[Clara T]

6. Thanks

Seems odd. I've seen alot of good writers posted on some marginal websites and some really good websites post a few marginal authors. Shouldn't the articles be allowed to stand or fall on merit?

Oh well. Thanks again.

[seafan]

9. Y're welcome! Paul Craig Roberts GETS it.

That previous source is frowned on here, apparently.

[Strelnikov_]

13. What Is Up With Thread Deletion For Links To That Source? n/t

[InsultComicDog]

7. There was a very good blog post on this topic earlier on the week

at http://glenngreenwald.blogspot.com

[InsultComicDog]

8. specifically

http://glenngreenwald.blogspot.com/2006/02/do-bush-followers-have-political.html

and the followup

http://glenngreenwald.blogspot.com/2006/02/follow-up-to-bush-post-yesterday.html

[bobthedrummer]

10. Viet Dinh authored quite a bit of The PATRIOT ACT

We've been under a new form of fascism for years.

[NobleCynic]

11. Let's just hope this is the minority of conservatives.

If it isn't the next decade is going to be very difficult.

[distantearlywarning]

15. Sadly, I think it's very common.

And it's the reason why Bush never drops below 35% in the polls. There is a certain percentage of people out there who now totally subscribe to a cult of personality. It's no longer about conservatism or conservative principles - it's about Bush and only Bush. And that's really, really scary. Because now he can do no wrong. Instead of evaluating their leader by their principles, they are evaluating their principles by the actions of their leader. Welcome to Nazi Germany.

[Strelnikov_]

12. Fuhrerprinzip

Fuhrerprinzip- the "fuhrer principle" or leader principle. This principle placed all moral responsibility for an act under authority on the commanding officer, ending finally in the Fuhrer. In this blind obedience, soldiers and workers were held unaccountable personally and morally for atrocities and war crimes as long as they were commanded to do the act.

[highnooner]

14. Fuhrerprinzip does not apply....

when orders allowing torture trickle down (and the underlings get caught).

[LouisianaLiberal]

16. This is desperation

This advocacy of Bush is an attempt to resurrect unquestioned nationalism, thereby preserving their power.

Tammy Bruce actually tried to make the case on Fox News a month or so ago that we must resurrect nationalism. I don't remember her argument, but nationalism was obviously the new product that the right wing are supposed to selling.

I thought I had become completely jaded by these Straussians, but this shocked me. It seems that they are openly appealing to the basest part of humanity, and believe that no one will notice how cynical this is. The fact that it will work on many of their supporters is the truly frightening part.

[glitch]

17. This can be looked at two ways: one that they are desperate and exposing

themselves because they know they need to close the deal before if falls apart. This is good for us, because it means their deal is most likely falling apart and desperate people make mistakes.
Or, two they feel their coup is already a done deal so why keep hiding? This is bad.

Edit: btw, I think it's ONE.

[Uncle Joe]

18. And to think, their grandparents fought against

this kind of blind cultism shedding their blood and tears, it just astounds the mind.:puke: