Henry Jackson Society
The Henry Jackson Society is a non-partisan association. The society's goals include the promotion of "democratic geopolitics".[1] The society is named after Henry M. Jackson, the late Democratic Senator from Washington State. Besides favoring labor unions, full employment, and welfare in domestic policy, Jackson was in foreign policy known for his opposition to communism and support of a strong military.
Inspired by Jackson, the society sponsors research on democratization and advocates the support of democracy movements internationally by democracies. The society supports the intelligent and proportional use of military power in specific situations: to end ethnic cleansing, to remove dictators after non-military methods have failed, and to prevent the breakdown of the rule of law. Its perspective has been described as Atlanticist. It supports the European Union and advocates a European Security and Defence Policy called "military interoperability".
Originating within the University of Cambridge, the organisation is now based in London. It is a registered charity in the United Kingdom.
History and political aims
The society was founded in March 2005 by academics and students at Cambridge (mostly affiliated with the Centre for International Studies), including Brendan Simms, Dr. Alan Mendoza, Marko Attila Hoare, Gideon Mailer, James Rogers and Matthew Jamison.[2] It organises meeetings with speakers in the House of Commons. The society advocates for an interventionist foreign-policy that promotes human rights and reduces suffering, by both non-military and military methods, when appropriate. .
In 2006, the society worked to raise the profile of the Ahwazi Arabs of Iran, who it claims are presently being oppressed by the Iranian regime.[3] The society's Executive Director, Dr Alan Mendoza, appeared as a guest on Iran's Press TV several times and has taken payment from the channel.
The organisation is a registered charity, The Henry Jackson Society: Project for Democratic Geopolitics[4] and fundraises via private donations and from grant-making organisations which support its work.
Supporters and influence
Its statement of principles has been publicly signed by
- Members of Parliament Michael Ancram, Michael Gove,[5] Edward Vaizey, David Willetts, Denis MacShane, Fabian Hamilton, Gisela Stuart,
- former MPs David Trimble, Jackie Lawrence, Greg Pope,
- former soldiers Tim Collins and Jonny Gray,
- as well as Sir Richard Dearlove — former head of the British Secret Intelligence Service, and presently Master of Pembroke College, Cambridge - and the American economist Irwin Stelzer. Its patrons include Richard Perle, William Kristol, James Woolsey (former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency), and Tsakhiagiyn Elbegdorj, President of Mongolia.
Statement of principles
The Henry Jackson Society:[6]
- Believes that modern liberal democracies set an example to which the rest of the world should aspire.
- Supports a ‘forward strategy’ – involving diplomatic, economic, cultural, and/or political means -- to assist those countries that are not yet liberal and democratic to become so.
- Supports the maintenance of a strong military, by the United States, the countries of the European Union and other democratic powers, armed with expeditionary capabilities with a global reach, that can protect our homelands from strategic threats, forestall terrorist attacks, and prevent genocide or massive ethnic cleansing.
- Supports the necessary furtherance of European military modernisation and integration under British leadership, preferably within NATO.
- Stresses the importance of unity between the world’s great democracies, represented by institutions such as NATO, the European Union and the OECD, amongst many others.
- Believes that only modern liberal democratic states are truly legitimate, and that the political or human rights pronouncements of any international or regional organisation which admits undemocratic states lack the legitimacy to which they would be entitled if all their members were democracies.
- Gives two cheers for capitalism. There are limits to the market, which needs to serve the Democratic Community and should be reconciled to the environment.
- Accepts that we have to set priorities and that sometimes we have to compromise, but insists that we should never lose sight of our fundamental values. This means that alliances with repressive regimes can only be temporary. It also means a strong commitment to individual and civil liberties in democratic states, even and especially when we are under attack.
The society's statement of principles have been changed from those first signed by supporters in Cambridge on 11th March 2005, to de-emphasise military methods and to more recognise the legitimacy of international organisations. The original versions were:[7]
- Supports a ‘forward strategy’ to assist those countries that are not yet liberal and democratic to become so. This would involve the full spectrum of ‘carrot’ capacities, be they diplomatic, economic, cultural or political, but also, when necessary, those ‘sticks’ of the military domain.
- Supports the maintenance of a strong military, by the United States, the countries of the European Union and other democratic powers, armed with expeditionary capabilities with a global reach.
- Believes that only modern liberal democratic states are truly legitimate, and that any international organisation which admits undemocratic states on an equal basis is fundamentally flawed.
Media coverage
- The Henry Jackson Society, The Guardian.
- Beth B. Alexander, 'Crying Wolf' over the neoconservatives, The Washington Times, November 22, 2004.
- David Clark, The neconservative temptation beckoning Britain's bitter liberals. For leftists divided by Iraq, tomorrow's launch of a rightwing political society could be a transforming moment, The Guardian, November 21, 2005.
- Ros Taylor, Inside the hawks' nest, The Guardian, November 22, 2005.
- Don't blame 'Scoop' for the neocons, The Guardian, November 23, 2005.
- Stephen Pollard, What’s left, right, centre and neocon all over. A new group shows that the old party political divides have broken down, The Sunday Times, November 27, 2005. (NB: Pollard is one of the signatories of the HJS's principles although this is not noted in the article.)
- James Heartfield, Humanitarian interventionists dig in, Spiked Online, December 16, 2005.
- Fran Kelly, New Life for Neoconservatism?, ABC Radio News (Australia), January 6, 2006.
- Gisela Stuart, Finding Neo. Gisela Stuart argues for a robust foreign policy, Progress, January/February 2006.
References
See also
External links