THE CORONAVIRUS | NEMESIS OF THE NEOCONS

Trump did nothing to loosen the grip of the neocons on America established like a vice after 9/11. In fact, until recently he had one to either side of him, Bolton and Pompeo, with another behind him, Pence. Now there is only Pompeo. Pence is more religious nutball than neocon however, though given the chance he too would tap the same kind of warmongering ‘America First, Last & Always’ types for his people if Trump were to fall victim to Covid-19.

The thing to constantly remember about Trump is that he has no geopolitical insight to call upon.

He may have some newly acquired Fox News sound-bytes to base his latest views on, but that’s about it. He appeared to have geopolitical nous and that is very definitely the operative word, ‘appeared’. Whether it was Breitbart people, Steve Bannon himself, the result of focus groups or any other entity it was very definitely decided that Trump must appear to have a world view and a clear one and equally important it must be opposite to any expressed by Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton.

You surely know Trump is not an intellectual and not a reader, it is common knowledge at this point that he gets bored with detail at briefings and instead gets his talking points from off-the-wall sources on Fox News or Twitter. You can totally discount anything Trump has said about Putin and Russia. There is nothing behind it save some shallow notion and the knowledge that neither Clinton or Obama would have said it. The man is the living example of the old saying, “Empty Vessels Make The Most Noise”.

After the exposure of the attack upon and invasion of Iraq many thought this would discredit the neocon project. Far from it. They never even flinched. The project to eliminate each and every threat to America as perceived by them was just as vital and alive as ever. Post 9/11 this was a project that COULD never end. If it ended America would be at risk from those nations not upended and transformed. Therefore there was never going to be an end that didn’t destroy all seven nations on the initial list and any others that opposed the USA in any way whatsoever.

So, now along comes Covid-19. It decimates the nations of the West, the virtual collapse of which is only just beginning. No matter how much money those states throw at the problem it won’t stop what’s coming, the decay from within, the massive and overwhelming problems that come with mass unemployment, bankruptcies, foreclosures and endless social conflicts that are set to rip the guts out of them.

Covid-19 is the only factor that has the potential to stop the neocons in their tracks. Currently, with his rising number of attacks on China for his own reasons of attention diversion Trump is also playing into the hands of the neocons who are desperate to continue their op.

The neocons see that it is now do or die. They are now firmly on the back foot. Everything has suddenly become massively more complicated for them and they have no clear road through except via Trump’s war on China.

Pompeo, the most prominent neocon since Dick Cheney is right on board and weaponizing every possible issue regarding China. Hong Kong will be used again and again, the Uighurs, Chinese spies, copyright issues, currency manipulation, student snooping. It only needs some CIA-fomented incident in Tibet to bring that issue into play once more.

For the neocons things have become complex just when they need them to be black and white... and totally simple. Good and evil. Right and wrong. Just as they were when good old George W, Bush was president. They need believable lies. They need accusations that can be made to stick if all arms of the state including corporate media can be lined up to incessantly promote them as Biblical truths.

The coronavirus pandemic will most certainly weaken the economy of the USA. However, you will surely have seen how much new money has just been poured into the Military Industrial Complex inside the new bill ostensibly to alleviate the effects of the virus. America is being geared up for war. Even though it has a larger military and military budget than almost the combined strength of all others put together trillions more are being used, not to provide Medicare for All, but Military for Ever.

Nevertheless, as the USA and UK inevitably descend to a most remarkable penury as their incompetence regarding the virus and the impossibility of dealing with it effectively due to their loathing for planning... the neocons and those desperate to keep the West top dog are going to have one helluva job maintaining their regime change agenda as time goes on.

If China and Russia increasingly strengthen their bond combining mutually protective measures... if China rises once again and gets her economy rolling toward full speed ahead... if the West hits every bump and hole in the road as I expect... if infections and fatalities reduce the USA and UK to continual economic and societal misery... then I foresee the neocons finding it impossible to see ANY pathway toward their goals.

Nothing will stop them. They may even contemplate and recommend a tactical nuclear strike, or strikes in their desperation.

But, if trends continue as they are and if there is no vaccine found any time soon and if western economies collapse past a certain tipping point... then I expect we will indeed see the coronavirus being the potentially permanent nemesis of the neocons.