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Without accurate representations, we cannot make independently informed choices. It is imperative that the human body and mind be considered sacrosanct. To invade a person's body without their consent is an egregious human rights crime. We are in a time of extremism, permanent war and the unilateral manifestation of ethnocentrism and power by a cabal of people in the US government. These power elites have been in operation for decades and are set on nothing less than the total US military domination of the world. They defy the foundational values of the American people to achieve their ends. This is not a new phenomenon. Without accurate representations, we cannot make of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security independently informed choices. It is imperative that the human and liberty may prosper together. body and mind be considered sacrosanct. To invade a person's "Akin to, and largely responsible for, the sweeping changes in body without their consent is an egregious human rights crime. our industrial-military posture has been the technological We are in a time of extremism, permanent war and the unilateral revolution during recent decades. In this revolution, research has manifestation of ethnocentrism and power by a cabal of people in become central; it also becomes more formalized, complex, and the US government. These power elites have been in operation costly. A steadily increasing share is conducted for, by, or at the for decades and are set on nothing less than the total US military direction of, the Federal government..." domination of the world. They defy the foundational values of We now understand that Eisenhower was referring to the the American people to achieve their ends. This is not a new conjunction of redirected tax monies to research secret new phenomenon. technology aimed at nothing less than increasing the controlling power of the military-industrial elite to a global scale. Rise of the Ruling Class One particular faction of ambitious men, the former cold The repression of human rights has been present within the US warriors and emerging neo-conservatives, were close followers of government throughout our history. A long thread of sociological philosopher Leo Strauss. This elite group, which included not just research documents the existence of a dominant ruling class in the generals and industrialists but philosophers, scientists, academics US that sets policy and determines national political priorities. and politicians, has now become the most powerful public-private The American ruling class is complex and intercompetitive, war organisation ever known. maintaining itself through interacting families of high social Strauss espoused an elitist philosophy that fawned over those standing with similar lifestyles, corporate affiliations and who inherited wealth and lived lives of leisure to pursue whatever memberships in elite social clubs and private schools. their interests may be. His ideas have been transformed into a This American ruling class is self- cogent ideology in which the media, perpetuating, maintaining its influence religion and government are used to through policy-making institutions subdue the masses while the real such as the National Manufacturing "nobles" follow their own will without Association, National Chamber of These power elites have been regard to the laws designed to control Commerce, Business Council, in operation for decades and lesser men. Strauss was likewise fond Business Roundtable, Conference of secrecy, as a necessity for control, Board, American Enterprise Institute, are set on nothing less than because if the lesser men found out Council on Foreign Relations an the total US military what was being done to them they other business-centred policy groups. . . would no doubt be upset. "The people C. Wright Mills, in his 1956 book The domination of the world. will not be happy to learn that there is Power Elite, documents how Worl only one natural right: the right of the War II solidified a trinity of power in superior to rule over the inferior, the the US, comprised of corporate, master over the slave, the husband military and government elites in a over the wife, and the wise few over centralised power structure motivated by class interests and the vulgar many." In On Tyranny, Strauss refers to this natural working in unison through "higher circles" of contact and right as the "tyrannical teaching" of his beloved ancients. agreement. Mills described how the power elite are those "who Leo Strauss, Albert Wohlstetter and others at the University of decide whatever is decided" of major consequence. Chicago's Committee on Social Thought receive wide credit for With the advent of the military-industrial complex after World promoting the neo-conservative agenda through their students War II, President Eisenhower observed in 1961 that an internal Paul Wolfowitz, Allan Bloom and Bloom's student Richard Perle. military-industrial power faction was consolidating its long-term Canadian cultural review magazine Adbusters defines neo- plans for the domination of America and, eventually, the world. conservatism as: "The belief that Democracy, however flawed, Eisenhower was in no position to fight these men, and history was best defended by an ignorant public pumped on nationalism records his feelings on the subject with the text of his short and religion. Only a militantly nationalist state could deter human farewell address: aggression...such nationalism requires an external threat and if "...This conjunction of an immense military establishment and one cannot be found it must be manufactured." a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The The neo-conservative philosophy emerged as a reaction to the total influence—economic, political, even spiritual—is felt in 1960s era of social revolutions. Numerous officials and every city, every Statehouse, every office of the Federal associates in the Reagan and George H. W. Bush presidencies government. We recognize the imperative need for this were strongly influenced by the neo-conservative philosophy: development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave John Ashcroft, Charles Fairbanks, Richard Cheney, Kenneth implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; Adelman, Elliot Abrams, William Kristol and Douglas Feith. so is the very structure of our society. Within the Ford administration there was a split between Cold "In the councils of government, we must guard against the War traditionalists seeking to minimise confrontations through acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, diplomacy and détente, and neo-conservatives advocating by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the stronger confrontations with the Soviet "Evil Empire". The latter disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. group became more entrenched when George H. W. Bush became "We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our CIA director. Bush allowed the formation of "Team B", headed liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for by Richard Pipes along with Paul Wolfowitz, Lewis Libby, Paul granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel Nitze and others, who formed the second Committee on the the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery Present Danger to raise awareness of the Soviet threat and the These power elites have been in operation for decades and are set on nothing less than the total US military domination of the world. 12 = NEXUS APRIL — MAY 2007 www.nexusmagazine.com