Revenge of the Sith, uh, Realists



The eternal struggle between Good versus Evil is heating up in the opinion journal space in anticipation of this summer's Jedi versus Sith/ Harry Potter versus Voldemort pop culture smackdown. This Sunday, the Old Gray Lady lifted up her crinoline petticoats with lascivious intent (for easy access?) and weighed in on the Neocons-versus-Realists warfare thusly:

"For the decade since its founding by the neoconservative thinker Irving Kristol, The National Interest has been a central forum for the most influential conservative foreign policy thinkers of all stripes to hash out their differences."

That ... almost sounds like a Star Wars trailer, no? Themes of "Impending doom" and "phantom menace" figure strongly here:

" ... Now, however, a philosophical disagreement within its editorial board has put its future in turmoil. On Friday, 10 well-known board members, including the conservatives Midge Decter, Samuel P. Huntington and Francis Fukuyama, announced their resignations, saying they disagreed with the narrowly realist foreign policy of its new owner, the Nixon Center."

Nixon? But ... isn't Nixon dead? We have heard vague rumors ... whisperings in the force that the dread Lord was alive once again and on the move, spreading "Realism" throughout the galaxy. Damn those cloning facilities on Geonosis!

"... At issue is the perspective laid out in the most recent issue by Robert F. Ellsworth, vice chairman of the Nixon Center, a 'realist' foreign policy research group that acquired sole control of the journal last year, and Dimitri K. Simes, president of the center and co-publisher of the journal. In an editorial headlined 'Realism's Shining Morality,' they wrote: 'Overzealousness in the cause of democracy (along with a corresponding underestimation of the costs and dangers) has led to a dangerous overstretch in Iraq,' arguing that United States interests may sometimes require cooperation with undemocratic regimes."

Cooperation with undemocratic regimes, you say? Such are the mysteries of the Dark Side of foreign policy, we dare to presume. The Corsair looks forward to see how this will all play itself out, and here is a trailer:

Venerable Jedi Midge Dector: (sitting on a large root, chewing on a moist, succulent Gimer stick) Mmmm ... Victory? No, not victory. The shoud of the Dark Side has fallen. Begun the Clone Wars has.

Jedi Master Charles Krauthammer: *shudders* Did you say "Clone"?

Elsewhere, on Corsucant, Sith throneworld:

Richard Nixon: Lord Kissinger?

Kissinger: Yes Master?

Nixon: (primal roar) Riise.

The Neocon Wars (NYTimes)