DLC's New Democratic Credo a tame response to the right?

The Project for the New American Century (PNAC) is a neoconservative think tank based in Washington D.C. that is committed to "rallying support for American global leadership". Its members include Dick Cheney, Jeb Bush, Steve Forbes, Donald Rumsfeld, and Paul Wolfowitz. I was directed to their site after discussing with a friend the DLC's New Democratic Credo. While the group has been mostly defunct since 2005, the Project's Statement of Principles (written in 1997 [well ahead of 9/11/01]) is quite scary, and presents a much more aggressive, but frighteningly relevant, set of ideals for the future success of the nation. I made a point in class about the DLC's use of the phrase, "lead the world toward greater political freedom," as opposed to the current buzz-phrase "spread freedom and democracy" You won't find any such gentle language in the PNAC's statement. They (as expected) hearken back to the Reagan era for inspiration:

"We seem to have forgotten the essential elements of the Reagan Administration's success: a military that is strong and ready to meet both present and future challenges; a foreign policy that boldly and purposefully promotes American principles abroad; and national leadership that accepts the United States' global responsibilities."

What bothers me most about this attitude is the general acceptance of the US as a ruling body and moral standard for the rest of the globe. The needs, desires, and beliefs of those peripheral nations we are supposedly helping seem to be ignored.  Check out the Statement of Principles for a greater idea of where much of today's political idiom is coming from.

What do you all think?

You can check out the PNAC website here: http://www.newamericancentury.org

and more specifically, their Statement of Principles here: http://www.newamericancentury.org/statementofprinciples.htm

-Ian Staub