One of the other characteristics of any establishment is an unwillingness to accept that they may just be wrong. As I pointed out only a few minutes ago, this has been a major obstacle to scientific innovation, and to change in organisations in general. Richard Standbrook over at SacredFacts points to a Vanity Fair article in which prominent neo-cons argue that their policy of military intervention to create a particular form of democracy has only failed because of a lack of planning, execution and commitment. Bush has become a scapegoat for that failure. Unfairly I think although I never thought I would ever say such a thing! The idea that their basic philosophy might be flawed, patronizing, patriarchal and (to be generous) careless of human life and cultural diversity does not appear to be on the agenda.