[BurrsWogdon]

For Empire:

It may be well and good to push the perimeter of the empire with an outpost in Afghanistan (which borders China and contains potential resources critical to technology which is in turn critical to the empire's martial dominance). Just as well that the empire has an advisory military presence in another border-country (Mongolia), even if a modest one. Also fine the enduring scale of deployment deployment of Pacific Command. Empires expand for the sake of domestic security.

How, on the other hand, could it be productive to pretend modesty in foreign policy. Enemies don't believe it, friends don't need to hear it, and citizens find it confusing. A symptom of this wastefulness is the scant popular energy harnessed by assassinating the prime enemy of the empire. It is also not helpful to displace a respected and qualified military with much despised contractors in Iraq.

America is not moved by its entitlement bureaucracies. Only the unaware can think that these are anywhere as nice as they sound in theory. The American military -as an institution- has been thoroughly exploited for patriotic spirit, but it is still, by far, the institution most respected. This is perfectly understandable. The branches of government are generally held in contempt. The various bureaus, at best, are conceived of as a necessary evil. Yet, as the empire craves a source of a sense of solidarity, the President mockingly suggests that a space program is something best left to the private sector. And his opponents mock a candidate who proposed the next frontier of colonization. On the basis of what? Debt? As though if the economic growth required to avoid collapse -considering the entitlement recipients uniformly refuse to sacrifice- is actually achieved, money spent on a space program will be an issue! Aside from the military, NASA is probably the best institution with which to generate nationalism. And not for its battle against climate change. Announcing that the empire has been saved from climate will be about as inspiring as talk of jobs saved. But space power?!!

This said, Newt has shown glimpses of his grasp of domestic issues with respect to the common "good". On gun control for example. And with respect to health care.

While the puppets of the Heritage Foundation and Center for American Progress joust desperately, with flabby, rehearsed principles, for power, Newt demonstrates dynamism. I suppose he understands empire. He is a student of history. The empire doesn't need another think tank puppet. An empire needs a leader. And not the limp and confusing sort it has now. If we are honest about what America is, and put aside ideals, then the reasonable course -among the options- would be Gingrich, wouldn't it?. Institutional inertia will take this empire only so far. As for the other candidates, their bases (those who fund their sponsoring foundations) will not allow them to consider either social initiatives or power projection long enough to have an honest dialogue about what must be done, given the state of the nation as it actually exists. From the standpoint of an "Imperial Presidency", a candidate must be free to be circumspect. The current office-holder is very one-dimensional.