Neoconservatism refers to the political movement, ideology, and public policy goals of "new conservatives" in the United States, who are mainly characterized by their relatively interventionist and hawkish views on foreign policy, and their lack of support for the "small government" principles and restrictions on social spending, when compared with other American conservatives such as traditional or paleoconservatives. Public policy is a term used to describe the laws, decisions, regulations, etc. ... Hawkishness or Hawkism is an informal term used to describe a political stance of preparedness for aggression, by diplomatic and ultimately military means, against others to improve the standing of their own government, country or organization. ... Foreign Policy is a bimonthly American magazine founded in 1970 by Samuel P. Huntington and Warren Demian Manshel. ... Big government is a pejorative term generally used by political conservatives or advocates of laissez-faire to describe the government of their country as excessively large or inefficient, or as inappropriately involved in certain areas of public policy. ... Social issues in the United States as perceived by social justice advocates and other groups and commentators include an unequal educational system, poverty, high rates of crime and incarceration, and lack of access to quality health care. ... American conservatism is a heterogenous political movement that incorporates many different ideologies under the blanket heading of conservative. ... Paleoconservatism (sometimes shortened to paleo or paleocon when the context is clear) refers to a branch of American conservative thought that is often called Old Right. ...

The prefix "neo" can denote that many of the movement's founders, originally liberals, Democrats or from socialist backgrounds, were new to conservatism, but can also refer to the comparatively recent emergence of this "new wave" of conservative thought, which coalesced in the early 1970s from a variety of intellectual roots in the decades following World War II. It also serves to distinguish the ideology from the viewpoints of "old" or traditional American conservatism. American liberalism (also called modern liberalism) is a political current that claims descent from classical liberalism in terms of devotion to individual liberty, but rejects the laissez faire economics of classical liberalism in favor of institutions that promote social and economic equity. ... The Democratic Party, founded in 1792, is the longest-standing political party in the world (unless one considers the British Conservative Party to be an extension of the much older Tories). ... The color red and particularly the red flag are traditional symbols of Socialism. ... The 1970s in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1970 and 1979. ... Combatants Allied Powers Axis Powers Commanders {{{commander1}}} {{{commander2}}} Strength {{{strength1}}} {{{strength2}}} Casualties 17 million military deaths 7 million military deaths World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a mid-20th century conflict that engulfed much of the globe and is accepted as the largest and deadliest...

Modern neoconservatism is associated with periodicals such as Commentary and The Weekly Standard and some of the foreign policy initiatives of think tanks such as the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and the Project for the New American Century (PNAC). Neoconservative journalists, pundits, policy analysts, and politicians, often dubbed "neocons" by supporters and critics alike, have been credited with (or blamed for) their influence on U.S. foreign policy, especially under the administrations of Ronald Reagan (1981-1989) and George W. Bush (2001-present), and are particularly noted for their association with and support for the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. There are several senses for Commentary: Informed criticism. ... The Weekly Standard is an American conservative political magazine published 48 times per year. ... This article is about the institution. ... The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research is a think tank founded in 1943 whose stated mission is to support the foundations of freedom - limited government, private enterprise, vital cultural and political institutions, and a strong foreign policy and national defense. ... The Project for the New American Century, or PNAC, is a Washington, DC based think tank. ... Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was the 40th President of the United States (1981–1989) and the 33rd Governor of California (1967–1975). ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... Combatants United States, United Kingdom, other nations Iraq Commanders U.S commander Saddam Hussien Strength Casualties The 2003 Invasion of Iraq began on March 20 comprising United States and United Kingdom forces (98%), and several other nations. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The term "neocon," while increasingly popular in recent years, is somewhat controversial and is rejected by many to whom the label is applied. Others say it lacks any coherent definition, especially since many so-called neoconservatives vehemently disagree with one another on major issues.

Neoconservative: Definition and views

Usage and general views

The meaning of the term has changed over time. It was possibly first used circa 1970 by socialist author and activist Michael Harrington to characterize former leftists who had moved significantly to the right – people he derided as "socialists for Nixon." The "neoconservatives" thus described in this original sense tended to remain supporters of the welfare state, but had distinguished themselves from others on the left by allying with the Nixon administration over foreign policy, especially in their anti-communism, their support for the Vietnam War, and strident opposition to the Soviet Union. The color red and particularly the red flag are traditional symbols of Socialism. ... Edward Michael Harrington (February 24, 1928 – July 31, 1989) was an American socialist. ... Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913 – April 22, 1994) was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. ... There are three main interpretations of the idea of a welfare state: the provision of welfare services by the state. ... Anti-communism is the opposition to communist ideology, organization, or government, on either an ideological or pragmatic basis. ... The Vietnam War or Second Indochina War was a conflict between the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRVN, or North Vietnam), allied with the National Liberation Front (NLF, or Viet Cong) against the Republic of Vietnam (RVN, or South Vietnam), and its allies — notably the United States military in support of...

This support for the welfare state is not implied by the contemporary use of the term, which critics suggest implies support for an aggressive worldwide foreign policy, especially one supportive of unilateralism and less concerned with international consensus through organizations such as the United Nations. However, neoconservatives describe their shared view as a belief that national security is best attained by promoting freedom and democracy abroad through the support of pro-democracy movements, foreign aid and in certain cases military intervention. This is a departure from the classic conservative tendency to support friendly regimes in matters of trade and anti-communism even at the expense of undermining existing democratic systems. Author Paul Berman in his book Terror and Liberalism describes it as, "Freedom for others means safety for ourselves. Let us be for freedom for others." Unilateralism, (one+side-ism) refers to a doctrine or agenda which supports one-sided action. ... Main articles: League of Nations & History of the United Nations The term United Nations was coined by Franklin D. Roosevelt during World War II, to refer to the Allies. ... Paul Berman is a senior fellow at the World Policy Institute, a member of the editorial board of Dissent (magazine) and the author of A Tale of Two Utopias and In the latter he lays out his philosophy of the origins of modern totalitarianism, which goes as follows: 20th century...

In academia, the term "neoconservative" refers more to journalists, pundits, policy analysts, and institutions affiliated with the Project for the New American Century (PNAC) and with Commentary and The Weekly Standard than to more traditional conservative policy think tanks such as the Heritage Foundation or periodicals such as Policy Review or National Review. The term Pundit has multiple meanings: A pundit or pandit, in the culture of India, is a master of traditional religious poetry and/or traditional music. ... The Project for the New American Century, or PNAC, is a Washington, DC based think tank. ... Commentary Magazine is a publication of the American Jewish Committee, although the magazine is editorially independent and often takes very different views than the majority of that organizations membership. ... The Weekly Standard is an American conservative political magazine published 48 times per year. ... This article is about the institution. ... The Heritage Foundation, a think tank located in Washington, D.C., is an influential public policy research institute. ... Policy Review is one of Americas leading conservative journals. ... National Review (NR) is a conservative political magazine founded by author William F. Buckley, Jr. ...

According to Irving Kristol, former managing editor of Commentary and now a Senior Fellow at the conservative American Enterprise Institute in Washington and the Publisher of the hawkish magazine The National Interest, a neoconservative is a "liberal mugged by reality," meaning someone who has become more conservative after seeing the practical impact of liberal foreign and domestic policies. Irving Kristol (born 1920) is considered the founder of American neoconservatism. ... The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research is a think tank founded in 1943 whose stated mission is to support the foundations of freedom - limited government, private enterprise, vital cultural and political institutions, and a strong foreign policy and national defense. ...

Overview of Neoconservative views

Historically, neoconservatives supported a militant anticommunism, tolerated more social welfare spending than was sometimes acceptable to libertarians and mainstream conservatives, supported civil equality for blacks and other minorities, and sympathized with a non-traditional foreign policy agenda that was less deferential to traditional conceptions of diplomacy and international law and less inclined to compromise principles even if that meant unilateral action. Indeed, domestic policy does not define neoconservatism — it is a movement founded on, and perpetuated by an aggressive approach to foreign policy, free trade, opposition to communism during the Cold War, support for beleaguered liberal democracies such as Israel and Taiwan and opposition to Middle Eastern and other states that are perceived to support terrorism. Anti-communism is opposition to communist ideology, organization, or government, on either a theoretical or practical level. ... Social welfare can mean: the welfare or well-being of a society. ... See also Libertarianism and Libertarian Party Libertarian,is a term for person who has made a conscious and principled commitment, evidenced by a statement or Pledge, to forswear violating others rights and usually living in voluntary communities: thus in law no longer subject to government supervision. ... Conservatism or political conservatism is any of several historically related political philosophies or political ideologies. ... Civil Rights Movement in the United States, political, legal, and social struggle to gain full citizenship rights for African American and to achieve racial equality. ... The definition of a minority group can vary, depending on specific context, but generally refers to either a sub-group that does not form either a majority or a plurality of the total population, or a group that, while not necessarily a numerical minority, is disadvantaged or otherwise has less... Unilateralism, (one+side-ism) refers to a doctrine or agenda which supports one-sided action. ... Free trade is an economic concept referring to the selling of products between countries without tariffs or other trade barriers. ... Communism refers to a theoretical system of social organization and a political movement based on common ownership of the means of production. ... For the generic term for a high-tension struggle between countries, see cold war (war). ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... Terrorism is the unconventional use of violence for political gain. ...

Broadly sympathetic to Woodrow Wilson's idealistic goals to spread American ideals of government, economics, and culture abroad, they grew to reject his reliance on international organizations and treaties to accomplish these objectives. Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856 – February 3, 1924) was the 28th President of the United States (1913–1921). ...

In the domestic arena, neoconservatism can best be defined as a reaction to the perceived increase in permissiveness that has developed since the end of WW2 and which has accelerated since the 1960s. Conservatives have always held that the primary concern for any society should be its cohesion. Thus, they view the spread of socially liberal ideas and rising standards as a threat. The increasing affluence of the post war period, increaing acceptance of socially liberal ideas and the simultaneous decline of traditional engines of social cohesion, such as organised religion, the traditional family worried many on the right. Neoconservatism in this sens has its roots in the organicism of tradtional conservatism as does 'One Nation Conservatism'. However, where the One Nation Conservatives advocate modification of economic inequality and social condition to unite society, Neoconservatives see the solution to social degredation as 'authority in its various guises' (Political Ideologies: An Introduction, Third Edition, Andrew Heywood pp98).

Thus, the primary concern for Neoconservatives in domestic affairs are to restore authority and social disipline. Rising crime and 'anti-social behavior' are the result of a wider process of weakening authority in general. Remaining true to traditional Conservatism they beileve that people, being inherently imperfect, need security - the knowlegde of where they stand in society. This security is attainable via the exercise of, and adherence to, authority on a rountine basis; whether it be to the father in a family, the priest or minister at church or in wider society by judicial system and police force. The permissive values that the degredation of authority has in part been caused by, and in part been the result of, have resulted in an increasingly individualistic society in which each person defines their own social norms and morals. This is damaging, so believe Neoconservatives, becasue it encourages the alteration or destruction of traditional structures which according to traditional conservative ought to be preserved as, given their belief in the inherent imperfection of humanity, humans are scarcely capable of coming up with anything better on purpose. A permissive society is in freefall, providing none of the support for which it is suppost to exist.

There is a religious dimension to the Neoconservative movement, particularly in the US, as permissive society leads to both a weakening of the power of organised religion and increass the risk that people will adopt views and practices which are seen to be immoral, wrong or 'evil'. The 1970s and 80s saw the emergence of evangelical groups which articulated a message simular to that of Neoconservatism. Moral Majority, for example, drew support from Ronald Reagan and proclaimed that 'traditional values' were being forsaken and morally wrong practices were becomming commonplace. The 'new christian right' has campaigned against homosexuality, pornography, abortion, premarital sex and so forth. For the Neoconservatives, the issue is not so much that people will adopt wrong or incorrect views, but that they will simply adopt different views. This moral pluralism might be desirable for Liberals, who believe it to be part of the search of truth and process of learning and progress through which society develops, but for Neoconservatives it presents a threat to the basic cohesion of society as a society in which individuals can make all ther own decisions subject to no constraints of common values will be impossible to maintin.

Compared to other U.S. conservatives, neoconservatives may be characterized by an aggressive moralist stance on foreign policy, a lesser social conservatism, and weaker dedication to a policy of minimal government, and, in the past, a greater acceptance of the welfare state, though none of these qualities are necessarily requisite. A moralist is a person for whom moral conduct, morality, and the correctness of moral thought are paramount. ... Foreign Policy is a bimonthly American magazine founded in 1970 by Samuel P. Huntington and Warren Demian Manshel. ... The neutrality of this article is disputed. ... In civics, minarchism, sometimes called minimal statism, is the view that the size, role and influence of government in a free society should be minimal - only large enough to protect the liberty of each and every individual, without violating the liberty of any individuals itself. ...

Distinctions from other Conservative movements

Most people currently described as "neoconservatives" are members of the Republican Party, but while neoconservatives have generally been in electoral alignment with other conservatives, have served in the same Presidential Administrations, and have often ignored intra-conservative ideological differences in alliance against those to their left, there are notable differences between neoconservative and traditional or "paleoconservative" views. In particular, neoconservatives disagree with the nativist, protectionist, and isolationist strain of American conservatism once exemplified by the ex-Republican "paleoconservative" Pat Buchanan, and the traditional "pragmatic" approach to foreign policy often associated with Richard Nixon, which emphasized pragmatic accommodation with dictators; peace through negotiations, diplomacy, and arms control; détente and containment — rather than rollback — of the Soviet Union; and the initiation of the process that led to ties between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the United States. The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party, although one early citation described it as the Gallant Old Party) [1], is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... The term Nativism is used in both politics and psychology in two fundamentally different ways. ... Protectionism is the economic policy of protecting a nations manufacturing base from the effects of foreign competition by means of very high tariffs on imported goods, restrictive quotas, or other means of reducing importation. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... The term paleoconservative (sometimes shortened to paleo or paleocon when the context is clear) refers to an American branch of conservative Old Right thought that is frequently at odds with the current of conservative thought as espoused by the Republican Party elite. ... Pat Buchanan Pat Buchanan (born November 2, 1938), is an American author, syndicated columnist, and television commentator. ... Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913 – April 22, 1994) was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. ...

Neoconservative writers have frequently expressed admiration for the "big stick" interventionist foreign policy of Theodore Roosevelt. Neoconservative foreign policy came to be defined by advocacy of a "rollback" of Communism, (an idea touted under the Eisenhower administration by John Foster Dulles), as against mere containment, the dominant U.S. policy from the beginning of the Cold War through the Carter administration. Influential periodicals such as Commentary, The New Republic, The Public Interest, and The American Spectator, and later The Weekly Standard have been established by prominent neoconservatives or regularly host the writings of neoconservative writers. Big stick diplomacy was the catch-phrase for describing U.S. President Theodore Roosevelts corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, which stated that the United States should assume international police power in the Western Hemisphere. ... Theodore Roosevelt (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919) was the 26th (1901–09) President of the United States. ... See rollback (data management) for the operation that returns a database to some previous state or Wikipedia:Rollback for the specific rollback function of Wikipedia. ... Dwight David Ike Eisenhower (October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American soldier and politician. ... John Foster Dulles John Foster Dulles (February 2, 1888 – May 24, 1959) was an American statesman who served as Secretary of State under President Dwight D. Eisenhower from (1953 - 1959). ... Containment refers to the foreign policy strategy of the United States in the early years of the Cold War. ... For the generic term for a high-tension struggle between countries, see cold war (war). ... James Earl Jimmy Carter, Jr. ... Cover from the August 30th, 2004 issue. ... The Public Interest is a conservative politics and culture journal founded by Irving Kristol in 1965. ... The American Spectator is a conservative-leaning U.S. monthly magazine covering news and politics, edited by R. Emmett Tyrrell Jr. ... The Weekly Standard is an American conservative political magazine published 48 times per year. ...

In foreign policy, critics argue that neoconservatives tend to view the world in 1939 terms, comparing the threat from adversaries as diverse as the Soviet Union, Osama bin Laden (and, more broadly, Islamofascism), and China to the threat then-posed by Nazi Germany and Japan, while American leaders such as Reagan and Bush stand in for Winston Churchill. In this analogy, leftists and others who oppose them, are cast either as Neville Chamberlain-style appeasers or as an Anti-American fifth column. For example, Donald and Frederick Kagan's book While America Sleeps argues, at book length, an analogy between the post-cold war United States and Britain's post-World War I reduction in its military and avoidance of confrontation with other major powers. 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Osama bin Laden in a photo from the 1990s Usāmah bin Muhammad bin `Awad bin Lādin (born March 10, 1957; Arabic: ), commonly known as Osama bin Laden, or Usama bin Laden, (Arabic: ), is the founder of the militant organization al-Qaeda. ... Islamofascism is a controversial term used by some commentators to refer to Islamist movements perceived to have neofascist or totalitarian characteristics, particularly groups like Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, The Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, and Hezbollah. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... The Right Honourable Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, best known as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. ... The Right Honourable Arthur Neville Chamberlain (18 March 1869 – 9 November 1940) was a British politician and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1937–1940. ... Appeasement is a strategic manoeuvre, based on either pragmatism, fear of war, or moral conviction, that leads to acceptance of imposed conditions in lieu of armed resistance. ... Anti-American sentiment is a hostility towards or disapproval of the government, culture, history, and/or people of the United States of America. ... A fifth column is a group of people who clandestinely undermines from within a larger group to which it is expected to be loyal, such as a nation. ... Donald Kagan (born 1932) is a Yale historian specializing in ancient Greece, notable for his four-volume history of the Peloponnesian War. ... In the aftermath of costly victory in World War I, the government of Great Britain downsized its military, avoided confrontations with powers large and small, and attended to domestic matters and quality-of-life issues. ... Clockwise from top: Trenches in frontline, a British Mark I Tank crossing a trench, the Royal Navy battleship HMS Irresistible sinking after striking a mine at the battle of the Dardanelles, a Vickers machine gun crew with gas masks and a Sopwith Camel biplane. ...

As compared with traditional conservatism and libertarianism, which sometimes exhibit an isolationist strain, neoconservatism is characterized by an increased emphasis on defense capability, a willingness to challenge regimes deemed hostile to the values and interests of the United States, pressing for free-market policies abroad, and promoting democracy and freedom. Neoconservatives are strong believers in democratic peace theory. Critics have charged that, while paying lip service to such American values, neoconservatives have supported undemocratic regimes for realpolitik reasons. This article does not cite its references or sources. ... The democratic peace theory or simply democratic peace (often DPT and sometimes democratic pacifism) is a theory in political science and philosophy which holds that democracies—specifically, liberal democracies—never or almost never go to war with one another. ... In historical context The factual accuracy of this section of this article is disputed. ... Realpolitik (German for realistic politics) is foreign politics based on practical concerns (political expediency) rather than theory or ethics. ...

The newly aggressive support for democracies and nation building is founded on a belief that, over the long term, it will reduce the extremism that is a breeding ground for Islamic terrorism. Neoconservatives have often postulated that democratic regimes are, on aggregate, less likely to instigate a war than a country with an authoritarian form of government. In support, they argue that there has been no war between democracies anywhere in the world since the War of 1812. Further, they argue that the lack of freedoms, lack of economic opportunities, and the lack of secular general education in authoritarian regimes promotes radicalism and extremism. Consequently, the Administration has advocated spreading democracy to regions of the world where it currently does not prevail, most notably the Arab nations of the Middle East. Nation-building refers to the process of constructing or structuring a nation using the power of the state. ... This page refers to the war between the United States of America and Great Britain. ... The Arab world The Arab world consists of twenty-three countries stretching from Western Sahara and Mauritania in the west to Oman in the east. ... A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ...

In addition, the neoconservative-influenced Project for the New American Century has called for an Israel no longer dependent on American aid through the removal of major threats in the region.

Neoconservatives also have a very strong belief in the ability to install democracy after a conflict - comparisons with denazification in Germany and Japan starting in 1945 are often made, and they have a principled belief in defending democracies against aggression. Despite the distance and practical difficulties and dangers involved, neoconservatives would generally support Taiwan against an attack from mainland China. Denazification (German: Entnazifizierung) was an Allied initiative to rid German and Austrian society, culture, press, economy, judiciary and politics of any remnants of the Nazi regime. ...

Shortcomings and criticism of the term "Neoconservative"

Relatively few of those identified as neoconservatives embrace the term.

Critics of the term argue that it lacks coherent definition, or that it is coherent only in a Cold War context, and note that many so-called neoconservatives vehemently disagree with one another on major issues, suggesting there is no coherent movement to be described. For the generic term for a high-tension struggle between countries, see cold war (war). ...

The fact that the use of the term "neoconservative" has rapidly risen since the 2003 Iraq War is cited by conservatives as proof that the term is largely irrelevant in the long term. David Horowitz, a purported leading neo-con thinker offered this critique in a recent interview with an Italian newspaper: For other uses of the term, see Iraq war (disambiguation) The 2003 invasion of Iraq (also called the 2nd or 3rd Persian Gulf War) began on March 20, 2003, when forces belonging primarily to the United States and the United Kingdom invaded Iraq without the explicit backing of the United... David Horowitz David Horowitz is a conservative author and political commentator. ...

Neo-conservatism is a term almost exclusively used by the enemies of America's liberation of Iraq. There is no "neo-conservative" movement in the United States. When there was one, it was made up of former Democrats who embraced the welfare state but supported Ronald Reagan's Cold War policies against the Soviet bloc. Today neo-conservatism identifies those who believe in an aggressive policy against radical Islam and the global terrorists.

Similarly, many other supposed neoconservatives believe that the term has been adopted by the political left to stereotype supporters of U.S. foreign policy under the George W. Bush administration. Others have similarly likened descriptions of neoconservatism to a conspiracy theory and attribute the term to anti-Semitism. Paul Wolfowitz has denounced the term as meaningless label, saying: Stereotypes are considered to be a group concept, held by one social group about another. ... This proposed logo for a U.S. government agency was dropped due to fears that its pseudo-Masonic symbolism would provoke conspiracy theories. ... The Eternal Jew: 1937 German poster. ...

[If] you read the Middle Eastern press, it seems to be a euphemism for some kind of nefarious Zionist conspiracy. But I think that, in my view it's very important to approach [foreign policy] not from a doctrinal point of view. I think almost every case I know is different. Indonesia is different from the Philippines. Iraq is different from Indonesia. I think there are certain principles that I believe are American principles – both realism and idealism. I guess I'd like to call myself a democratic realist. I don't know if that makes me a neo-conservative or not.

Jonah Goldberg and others have rejected the label as trite and over-used, arguing "There's nothing 'neo' about me: I was never anything other than conservative." Other critics have similarly argued the term has been rendered meaningless through excessive and inconsistent use. For example, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld are often identified as leading "neocons" despite the fact that both men have ostensibly been life-long conservative Republicans (though Cheney has been vocally supportive of the ideas of Irving Kristol). Such critics thus largely reject the claim that there is a neoconservative movement separate from traditional American conservatism. Jonah Jacob Goldberg (born March 21, 1969) is an American conservative commentator, probably best known for his contributions on politics and culture to National Review Online, where he is the editor-at-large. ... Richard Bruce Cheney (born January 30, 1941), widely known as Dick Cheney, is the 46th and current Vice President of the United States under President George W. Bush. ... Donald Henry Rumsfeld (born July 9, 1932) is an American politician and businessman who has served as the 21st Secretary of Defense of the United States since January 20, 2001, under President George W. Bush. ...

Other traditional conservatives are likewise skeptical of the contemporary usage term, and may dislike being associated with the stereotypes, or even the supposed agendas of the "neocons." Conservative columnist David Harsanyi wrote, "These days, it seems that even temperate support for military action against dictators and terrorists qualifies you a neocon." David Harsanyi is a conservative-libertarian columnist at The Denver Post [1]. In addition to a twice-weekly column, his writings on politics and culture have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Weekly Standard, National Review, New York Press, Christian Science Monitor, Jerusalem Post, Toronto Globe & Mail, The Hill, Associated...

During the 1970s, for example in a book on the movement by Peter Steinfels, the use of the term neoconservative was never identified with the writings of Leo Strauss. The near synonymity, in some quarters, of neoconservatism and Straussianism is a much more recent phenomenon, which suggests that perhaps two quite distinct movements have become merged into one, either in fact or in the eyes of certain beholders. Neoconservatism describes several distinct political ideologies which are considered new forms of conservatism. ... Leo Strauss Leo Strauss (September 20, 1899 – October 18, 1973), was a Jewish German-American political philosopher and Intellectual Historian. ...

Pejorative use

The term is frequently used pejoratively, both by self-described paleoconservatives, who oppose neoconservatism from the right, and by Democratic politicians opposing neoconservatives from the left. Recently, Democratic politicians have used the term to criticize the Republican policies and leaders of the current Bush administration. Look up pejorative on Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Paleoconservatism (sometimes shortened to paleo or paleocon when the context is clear) refers to a branch of American conservative thought that is often called Old Right. ... The examples and perspective in this article do not represent a worldwide view. ... The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... The examples and perspective in this article do not represent a worldwide view. ...

History and origins of neoconservatism

"New" conservatives initially approached this view from the political left, especially in reponse to key developments in modern American history. The examples and perspective in this article do not represent a worldwide view. ...

Great Depression and World War II

The Great Depression radicalized many immigrants, and introduced them to new and revolutionary ideas of socialism and communism. The forerunners of neoconservativism were generally liberals or socialists who strongly supported the Second World War, and who were influenced by the Depression-era ideas of former New Dealers, trade unionists, and Trotskyists, particularly those who followed the political ideas of Max Shachtman (A number of future neoconservatives such as Jeane Kirkpatrick, Richard Perle and Paul Wolfowitz were Shachtmanites in their youth, while others were later involved in the Social Democrats, USA, which was formed by Schachtman's supporters in the 1970s), although some leading neoconservatives have pointed out that by the time Shachtman had an influence on them inside the social-democratic movement, he had long since broken definitively with Trotskyism.[1] The Great Depression was a massive global economic recession (or depression) that ran from 1929 to approximately 1939. ... Socialism is an ideology with the core belief that society should exist in which popular collectives control the means of power, and therefore the means of production. ... Communism refers to a theoretical system of social organization and a political movement based on common ownership of the means of production. ... Look up liberal on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Liberal may refer to: Politics: Liberalism American liberalism, a political trend in the USA Political progressivism, a political ideology that is for change, often associated with liberal movements Liberty, the condition of being free from control or restrictions Liberal Party, members of... Socialism is an ideology with the core belief that society should exist in which popular collectives control the means of power, and therefore the means of production. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: New Deal The New Deal is the name given to the series of programs used by Franklin Delano Roosevelt with the goal of stabilizing, reforming and stimulating the United States economy in the Great Depression. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Trotskyism is the theory of Marxism as advocated by Leon Trotsky. ... Max Shachtman (September 10, 1904 - 1972) is best known as an American Trotskyist theorist. ... Jeane Jordan Kirkpatrick (born November 19, 1926) is an American conservative political scientist and member of the neoconservative movement. ... Richard Norman Perle (born September 16, 1941 in New York City), is an American political advisor who served the Reagan administration as an assistant Secretary of Defense and served on the Defense Policy Board Advisory Committee from 1987 to 2004. ... Paul Dundes Wolfowitz (born December 22, 1943) is an American academic and political figure. ... Shachtmanism was a form of Trotskyism associated with Max Shachtman. ... The Social Democrats USA (SDUSA) is a small coalition of intellectuals and trade unionists. ...

Opposition to Détente with the Soviet Union and the views of the the anti-Soviet and anti-capitalist New Left, which emerged in response to the Soviet Union's break with Stalinism in the 1950s, would cause the Neoconservatives to emerge as the first important group of social policy critics from the working class. Détente is French for relaxation. ... The New Left is a term used in political discourse to refer to radical left-wing movements from the 1960s onwards. ... Stalinism is a political theory, and the political and economic system implemented by Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union. ...

The original "neoconservative" theorists, such as Irving Kristol and Norman Podhoretz, were often associated with the magazine Commentary, and their intellectual evolution is quite evident in that magazine over the course of these years. Throughout the 1950s and early 1960s the early neoconservatives were anti-Communist socialists strongly supportive of the civil rights movement, integration, and Martin Luther King. Irving Kristol (born 1920) is considered the founder of American neoconservatism. ... Norman Podhoretz (born January 16, 1930) is considered to be a prominent neo-conservative thinker and writer. ... Commentary Magazine is a publication of the American Jewish Committee, although the magazine is editorially independent and often takes very different views than the majority of that organizations membership. ... // Events and trends This map shows two essential global spheres during the Cold War in 1959. ... The 1960s in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1960 and 1969, but the expression has taken on a wider meaning over the past twenty years. ... Civil Rights Movement in the United States, political, legal, and social struggle to gain full citizenship rights for African American and to achieve racial equality. ... Racial integration, or simply integration includes desegregation (the process of ending systematic racial segregation). ... Martin Luther King, Jr. ...

New Left

While initially, the views of the New Left became very popular among the children of hardline Communists, often Jewish immigrant families on the edge of poverty and including those of some of today's most famous neoconservative thinkers, some neoconservatives also came to despise the counterculture of the 1960s and what they felt was a growing "anti-Americanism" among many baby boomers, exemplified in the emerging New Left by the movement against the Vietnam War. The New Left is a term used in political discourse to refer to radical left-wing movements from the 1960s onwards. ... In sociology, counterculture is a term used to describe a cultural group whose values and norms are at odds with those of the social mainstream, a cultural equivalent of a political opposition. ... The 1960s in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1960 and 1969, but the expression has taken on a wider meaning over the past twenty years. ... A baby boom is defined as a period of increased birth rates relative to surrounding generations. ... The New Left is a term used in political discourse to refer to radical left-wing movements from the 1960s onwards. ... The Vietnam War or Second Indochina War was a conflict between the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRVN, or North Vietnam), allied with the National Liberation Front (NLF, or Viet Cong) against the Republic of Vietnam (RVN, or South Vietnam), and its allies — notably the United States military in support of...

It is sometimes said that the current neoconservative desire to spread democratic capitalism abroad, often by force, parallels the Trotskyist dream of world socialist revolution, and the influence of the Trotskyists perhaps left them with strong anti-Soviet tendencies, especially considering the Great Purges targeting alleged Trotskyists in Soviet Russia. The Great Purge is the name given to campaigns of repression in the Soviet Union during the late 1930s which included a purge of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. ...

Author Michael Lind argues that the neoconservatives are influenced by the thought of Trotskyists such as James Burnham and Max Shachtman, who argued that "the United States and similar societies are dominated by a decadent, postbourgeois 'new class'". He sees the neoconservative concept of "global democratic revolution" as deriving from the Trotskyist Fourth International's "vision of permanent revolution". He also points to what he sees as the Marxist origin of "the economic determinist idea that liberal democracy is an epiphenomenon of capitalism", which he describes as "Marxism with entrepreneurs substituted for proletarians as the heroic subjects of history." [2] No leading neoconservatives cite James Burnham as a major influence, and indeed he differed with them on many substantive issues.[3] Michael Lind is an American journalist and historian, currently the Whitehead Senior Fellow at the New America Foundation. ... Trotskyism is the theory of Marxism as advocated by Leon Trotsky. ... James Burnham (1905-1987) was a popular political theorist, activist and intellectual, known for his work The Managerial Revolution, published in 1941, which heavily influenced George Orwells Nineteen Eighty-Four. Burnhams theories are thought to have been influenced by Bruno Rizzis book La Bureaucratisation du Monde which... Max Shachtman (September 10, 1904 - 1972) is best known as an American Trotskyist theorist. ... The new class is a term to describe the privileged ruling class of bureaucrats and Communist party functionaries which typically arises in a Stalinist communist state. ... For the left communist Fourth International, see Communist Workers International. ... Marxism is the social theory and political practice based on the works of Karl Marx, a 19th century German philosopher, economist, journalist, and revolutionary, along with Friedrich Engels. ... Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Capitalism The page is about the economic system. ... Entrepreneur is a loanword from the French language that refers to a person who undertakes and operates a new venture, and assumes some accountability for the inherent risks. ... The proletariat (from Latin proles, offspring) is a term used to identify a lower social class; a member of such a class is called a proletarian. ...

Some writers maintain that Lind's claim of a connection between neoconservatism and Trotskyism is historically misleading, arguing that those neoconservatives who adhere to the concept of "global democratic revolution" have no demonstrable historical or ideological links to the Fourth International or Trotskyism,[4] and further pointing out those neoconservatives who actually were Trotskyites in their youth, such as Irving Kristol and Seymour Martin Lipset, have never adhered to said concept.[5] For the left communist Fourth International, see Communist Workers International. ... Trotskyism is the theory of Marxism as advocated by Leon Trotsky. ... Irving Kristol (born 1920) is considered the founder of American neoconservatism. ... Seymour Martin Lipset is a political sociologist and a senior fellow at the conservative Hoover Institution. ...

Finally, critics of Lind argue that there is no theoretical connection between Trotsky's "permanent revolution", which is concerned with the pace of radical social change in the third world, and neoconservative support for a "global democratic revolution", with its Wilsonian roots. Indeed, many see the use of the "Trotskyism" issue by Lind, and also by many paleoconservatives, as primarily polemical in nature, and not based on actual historical research. [6] Wilsonianism or Wilsonian are words used to describe a certain type of ideological perspectives on foreign policy. ... The term paleoconservative (sometimes shortened to paleo or paleocon when the context is clear) refers to an American branch of conservative Old Right thought that stands against both the mainstream tradition of the National Review magazine and the neoconservatives. ...

Irving Kristol

Image File history File links IrvingKristol. ... Image File history File links IrvingKristol. ... Irving Kristol (born 1920) is considered the founder of American neoconservatism. ...

Drift away from New Left and Great Society

As the radicalization of the New Left pushed these intellectuals farther to the right, they moved toward a more aggressive militarism, while also becoming disillusioned with the Johnson Administration's Great Society. Militarism expounds that the foundation of a societys security is its military capacity, and claims that the development and maintenance of the military to ensure that capacity is the most important goal for that society. ... Lyndon Baines Johnson ( August 27, 1908 – January 22, 1973), often referred to as LBJ, was an American politician. ... The Great Society was a set of domestic programs enacted in the United States on the initiative of President Lyndon B. Johnson. ...

Academics in these circles, many of whom were still Democrats, rebelled against the Democratic Party's leftward drift on defense issues in the 1970s, especially after the nomination of George McGovern in 1972. Many clustered around Sen. Henry "Scoop" Jackson, a Democrat derisively known as the "Senator from Boeing," but then they aligned themselves with Ronald Reagan and the Republicans, who promised to confront charges of Soviet "expansionism." The 1970s in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1970 and 1979. ... George McGovern. ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year that started on a Saturday. ... Henry M. Jacksons home Everett, Washington Henry Martin Scoop Jackson (May 31, 1912 – September 1, 1983) was a U.S. Congressman and Senator for Washington State from 1941 until his death. ... Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was the 40th President of the United States (1981–1989) and the 33rd Governor of California (1967–1975). ...

Michael Lind, a self-described former neoconservative, wrote that neoconservatism "originated in the 1970s as a movement of anti-Soviet liberals and social democrats in the tradition of Truman, Kennedy, Johnson, Humphrey and Henry ("Scoop") Jackson, many of whom preferred to call themselves 'paleoliberals.' When the Cold War ended, "many 'paleoliberals' drifted back to the Democratic center... Today's neocons are a shrunken remnant of the original broad neocon coalition. Nevertheless, the origins of their ideology on the left are still apparent. The fact that most of the younger neocons were never on the left is irrelevant; they are the intellectual (and, in the case of William Kristol and John Podhoretz, the literal) heirs of older ex-leftists." [7] For the victim of Mt. ... John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to as John F Kennedy, JFK, or Jack Kennedy, was the 35th President of the United States. ... Lyndon Baines Johnson (August 27, 1908–January 22, 1973), often referred to as LBJ, was an American politician. ... Hubert Horatio Humphrey II (May 27, 1911–January 13, 1978) was the 38th Vice President of the United States, twice served as a United States Senator from Minnesota and was mayor of Minneapolis, Minnesota. ... Henry Martin Scoop Jackson (May 31, 1912 – September 1, 1983) was a U.S. Congressman and Senator for Washington State from 1941 until his death. ... For the generic term for a high-tension struggle between countries, see cold war (war). ... William Kristol featured on BBC Newsnight William Bill Kristol (born December 23, 1952 in New York City) is an American political commentator and columnist. ... John Podhoretz, born April 18, 1961, is a commentator for a variety of conservative media sources, including the National Review, the Weekly Standard and ReganBooks. ...

Senator Henry M. Jackson, influential neoconservative forerunner.

In his semi-autobiographic book, "Neo-conservatism", Irving Kristol cites a number of influences on his own thought, including not only Max Shachtman and Leo Strauss but also the skeptical liberal literary critic Lionel Trilling. The influence of Leo Strauss and his disciples on some neoconservatives has generated some controversy. Some argue that Strauss's influence has left some neoconservatives adopting a Machiavellian view of politics. See Leo Strauss for a discussion of this controversy. http://bioguide. ... http://bioguide. ... Henry Martin Scoop Jackson (May 31, 1912 – September 1, 1983) was a U.S. Congressman and Senator for Washington State from 1941 until his death. ... Leo Strauss Leo Strauss (September 20, 1899 – October 18, 1973), was a Jewish German-American political philosopher and Intellectual Historian. ... Lionel Trilling (July 4, 1905 – November 5, 1975) was an American literary critic, author, and teacher. ... Leo Strauss Leo Strauss (September 20, 1899 – October 18, 1973), was a Jewish German-American political philosopher and Intellectual Historian. ... Detail of the portrait of Machiavelli, ca 1500, in the robes of a Florentine public official Niccolò Machiavelli (May 3, 1469—June 21, 1527) was an Italian political philosopher during the Renaissance. ... Leo Strauss Leo Strauss (September 20, 1899 – October 18, 1973), was a Jewish German-American political philosopher and Intellectual Historian. ...

Left-wing roots of Neoconservative organizations?

Michael Lind argues that "The organization as well as the ideology of the neoconservative movement has left-liberal origins". He draws a line from the center-left anti-Communist Congress for Cultural Freedom to the Committee on the Present Danger to the Project for the New American Century and adds that "European social democratic models inspired the quintessential neocon institution, the National Endowment for Democracy." The International Association for Cultural Freedom (previously known as the Congress for Cultural Freedom) was an anti-communist political group best known for being revealed in 1967 as a covert operation of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. ... The Committee on the Present Danger (CPD) was an American bi-partisan, conservative, anti-communist, militarist lobbying group. ... The Project for the New American Century, or PNAC, is a Washington, DC based think tank. ... The National Endowment for Democracy, or NED, is non-profit organization which claims to help train people in democracy and manages money grants to that effect, which was founded in 1983. ...

The most thoroughgoing exposition on this phenomenon and its signifcance comes from Justin Raimondo. He explains the trajectory from Trotsky to Scoop Jackson thus: Justin Raimondo (November 18, 1951- ) is a libertarian author and the editorial director of the website Antiwar. ... Henry Martin Scoop Jackson (May 31, 1912 – September 1, 1983) was a Congressman and Senator for Washington State from 1941 until his death. ...

Shachtman split off from the main body of Trotskyism in 1940, forming the Workers Party, of which Burnham was briefly a member. However, Professor Burnham dropped out after a few months, and soon after announced that a new form of society – which he called managerial society – was inevitably displacing the old capitalist class, and that a new system, neither socialist nor capitalist, but purely managerial, was even at that moment completing its conquest of the earth. Burnham very quickly moved rightward and developed his anti-Stalinism into a fully-focused and even professional anti-Communism, moving into the orbit of William F. Buckley, Jr., and, as I have noted, becoming a founding editor of National Review, the flagship publication of the postwar American Right. He stubbornly maintained his devotion to the cause of socialism, but alongside it began to develop a strategic orientation that involved less revolutionary means to achieve it.

As the Workers Party began to move into the 1950s and beyond, they changed their name to the Independent Socialist League and buried themselves in the old Socialist Party, reconciling with the Social Democrats whom they had once disdained and burrowing into the unions, especially the teachers union in New York. They became a major force in the AFL-CIO on account of their hold on union offices, and the militant anti-Stalinism of the Trotskyist left, in the end, translated into a militant anti-Communism that owed more to Senator "Scoop" Jackson, of Washington, the hardline cold warrior Democrat, than to an orthodox interpretation of the Communist classics. Shachtman and his followers soon latched on to the senator as the exemplar of their foreign policy views, and it was through this connection – Shachtman supported Jackson's abortive presidential bid and planted his followers on staff – that the neocons made their first appearance in Washington. The Jackson connection was the first beachhead established by Shachtman and his followers in Washington, when they were still in the Democratic Party. Their party loyalties, however, as we have seen, were less than rock solid, and they readily moved into the Republican Party when both necessity and opportunity required it.

As Raimondo and others see it, the Shachtmanites, from Social Democrats USA and into the Reagan Administration onward, were acting on a totally orthodox Leninist trajectory of entryism, and a massively successful one at that. The vintage Leninist staple of the front group was particularly evident, from the Coalition for a Democratic Majority and the Committee on the Present Danger in the 1970s to the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies today. Any intellectual inconsistency in a merger with the Straussians - after all, both Trotsky and Strauss were firm believers in the power of an elite with esoteric knowledge to lead the masses - would therefore seem superfluous. Shachtmanism was a form of Trotskyism associated with Max Shachtman. ... The Social Democrats USA (SDUSA) is a small coalition of intellectuals and trade unionists. ... President Reagan, with his Cabinet and staff, in the Oval Office (February 4, 1981) Headed by U.S. President Ronald Reagan from 1981 to 1989, the Reagan Administration was conservative, steadfastly anti-Communist and in favor of tax cuts and smaller government. ... A front organization, also known as a front group (if it is structured to look like a voluntary association) or a front company or simply a front (if it is structured to look like a company), is any entity set up by and controlled by another organization. ... According to (last updated September 1989), Coalition for a Democratic Majority (CDM) was formed in 1972 by the late Senator Henry M. Scoop Jackson (D_Wash. ... The Committee on the Present Danger (CPD) was an American bi-partisan, conservative, anti-communist, militarist lobbying group. ... The 1970s in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1970 and 1979. ... // Mission and History The Foundation for the Defense of Democracies is a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. that conducts research and education on the war on terrorism. ...

Raimondo has therefore seconded the view of Seymour Hersh that neoconservatism is best understood as a cult: Seymour Hersh Seymour Myron (Sy) Hersh (born April 8, 1937) is an American investigative journalist and author who contributes regularly to The New Yorker on military and security matters. ... In religion and sociology, a cult is a cohesive group of people (often a relatively small and new religious movement) devoted to beliefs or practices that the surrounding culture or society considers to be far outside the mainstream. ...

The question we have to say to ourselves is, ok, so here's what happens, a bunch of guys, 8 or 9 neoconservatives, cultists – not Charles Manson cultists, but cultists – get in and it's not, with all due respect to Michael Moore, and you'll read it, his movie's fine, but it's not about oil, it's not even about protecting Israel, it's about a Utopia they have, it's about an idea they have. Not only about – democracy can be spread – in a sense, I would say Paul Wolfowitz is the greatest Trotskyite of our time, he believes in permanent revolution, and in the Middle East to begin, needless to say.

And so you have a bunch of people who've been for 10, 12 years have been fantasizing since the 1991 Gulf War on the way to resolve problems. And of course Israel will be a beneficiary and etc., etc., but the world in their eyes – this was Utopia. And so they got together, this small group of cultists, and how did they do it? They did do it. They've taken the government over. And what's amazing to me, and what really is troubling, is how fragile our democracy is. Look what happened to us.

Raimondo adds:

The exoteric creed of neoconservatism is fairly straightforward and widely advertised: it consists of devotion to capital-D Democracy the world over, the virtues of what it terms "democratic capitalism," and the special mission of the United States as not only the exemplar but also the exporter of freedom to the four corners of the earth. Liberty, Democracy, and the Rule of Law, all those Enlightenment values that embody the doctrine of liberalism in the classical sense of the term – including an ostensible devotion to free markets – all of these elements are essential components of what neocon godfather Irving Kristol calls the "neoconservative persuasion."

The esoteric – or inner doctrine – of neoconservatism is quite a different matter: like that of the Marxists and the followers of Ayn Rand, it is in many ways the exact opposite of the official creed. While "liberty" and "freedom" are the bywords of the neoconservative Right, the cult's philosophers – notably Leo Strauss – were and are advocates of rule by an elite. The ignorant masses, according to Strauss and his followers, are kept in thrall by various delusions – such as religion, ethics, and social conventions of one sort or another – that keep society together and that it is the duty of the philosophers to uphold. The people, in short, have to be ruled – and fooled – for their own good.''

Historians of political philosophy believe furthermore that there is a fundamental continuity of ideas from Trotsky to the present neoconservative movement. They point in particular to the French Turn, by which Trotsky advocated the belief in social democracy as a Leninist vanguard. This was indeed essentially the position for which Shachtman broke with Trotsky, and that position has remained throughout the essence of neoconservatism. Indeed, this view has only been embraced by neocon thinkers such as Paul Berman, Christopher Hitchens, and Stephen Schwartz. The French Turn refers to the policy advocated by Leon Trotsky as a plan of action for his followers at various stages throughout the 1930s. ... Paul Berman is a senior fellow at the World Policy Institute, a member of the editorial board of Dissent (magazine) and the author of A Tale of Two Utopias and In the latter he lays out his philosophy of the origins of modern totalitarianism, which goes as follows: 20th century... Christopher Hitchens Christopher Eric Hitchens (born April 13, 1949) is a British journalist, author, and literary critic. ... Stephen Schwartz (born 1948) is an American author and foreign policy pundit. ...

Reagan and the Neoconservatives

Jeane Kirkpatrick

During the 1970s political scientist Jeane Kirkpatrick increasingly criticized the Democratic Party, of which she was still a member, since the nomination of the antiwar George McGovern. Kirkpatrick became a convert to the ideas of the new conservatism of once-liberal Democratic academics. Jean Kirkpatricks official US government file portrait as ambassador to the United Nations. ... Jean Kirkpatricks official US government file portrait as ambassador to the United Nations. ... Jeane Jordan Kirkpatrick (born November 19, 1926) is an American conservative political scientist and member of the neoconservative movement. ... The 1970s in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1970 and 1979. ... Jeane Jordan Kirkpatrick (born November 19, 1926) is an American conservative political scientist and member of the neoconservative movement. ... The Democratic Party, founded in 1792, is the longest-standing political party in the world (unless one considers the British Conservative Party to be an extension of the much older Tories). ... George McGovern. ...

During Ronald Reagan's successful 1980 campaign, he hired her as his foreign policy advisor and later nominated her as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, a position she held for four years. Known for her anti-communist stance and for her tolerance of right-wing dictatorships (her criticism of which was often tempered, calling them simply "moderately repressive regimes"), she argued that US policy should not aid the overthrow of right-wing regimes if these were only to be replaced by even less democratic left-wing regimes. The overthrow of leftist governments was acceptable and at times essential because they served as a bulwark against the expansion of Soviet interests. Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was the 40th President of the United States (1981–1989) and the 33rd Governor of California (1967–1975). ... 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... Main articles: League of Nations & History of the United Nations The term United Nations was coined by Franklin D. Roosevelt during World War II, to refer to the Allies. ... State motto (Russian): Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь! (Transliterated: Proletarii vsekh stran, soedinyaytes!) (Translated: Workers of the world, unite!) Capital Moscow Official language None; Russian (de facto) Government Federation of Socialist republics/ Communist state Area  - Total  - % water Largest on the planet 22,402,200 km² ?% Population  - Total  - Density 3rd before collapse 293,047,571 (July...

Under this doctrine, known as the Kirkpatrick Doctrine, the Reagan administration initially tolerated leaders such as Augusto Pinochet in Chile and Ferdinand Marcos in the Philippines. As the 1980's wore on, however, younger, second-generation neoconservatives, such as Elliot Abrams, pushed for a clear policy of supporting democracy against both left and right wing dictators. Thus, while U.S. support for Marcos continued until and even after the fraudulent Philippine election of February 7, 1986, there was debate within the administration regarding how and when to oppose Marcos. The Kirkpatrick Doctrine was a political doctrine expounded by United States Ambassador to the United Nations Jeane Kirkpatrick in the early 1980s which attempted to justify U.S. support for right-wing, anti-Communist dictatorships in the Third World in the context of the Cold War. ... General Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte (born November 25, 1915) was head of the military government that ruled Chile from 1973 to 1990. ... Ferdinand Edralin Marcos (September 11, 1917–September 28, 1989) was the tenth President of the Philippines, serving from 1965 to 1986. ... February 7 is the 38th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In the days that followed, with the widespread popular refusal to accept Marcos as the purported winner, turmoil in the Philippines grew. The Reagan administration then urged Marcos to accept defeat and leave the country, which he did. The Reagan team, and particularly the Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs, Elliot Abrams, also supported the 1988 Chilean plebiscite that resulted in the restoration of democratic rule and Pinochet's eventual removal from office. Through the National Endowment for Democracy, led by another neoconservative, Carl Gershman, funds were directed to the anti-Pinochet opposition in order to ensure a fair election. 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The National Endowment for Democracy, or NED, is non-profit organization which claims to help train people in democracy and manages money grants to that effect, which was founded in 1983. ...

In this sense, the neoconservative foreign policy makers of the Reagan era were different from some of their more traditionalist conservative predecessors, and from the older generation of neoconservatives as well. While many of the latter believed that America's allies should be unquestionably defended at all costs, no matter what the nature of their regime, many younger neocons were more supportive of the idea of changing regimes to make them more compatible and reflective of U.S. values.

The belief in the universality of democracy would be a key neoconservative value which would go on to play a larger role in the post-Cold War period. Some critics would say however, that their emphasis on the need for externally-imposed "regime change" for "rogue" nations such as Iraq conflicted with the democratic value of national self-determination. Most neocons view this argument as invalid until a country has a democratic government to express the actual determination of its people.

For his own part, President Reagan largely did not move towards the sort of protracted, long-term interventions to stem social revolution in the Third World that many of his advisors would have favored. Instead, he mostly favored quick campaigns to attack or overthrow terrorist groups or leftist governments, favoring small, quick interventions that heightened a sense of post-Vietnam triumphalism among Americans, such as the attacks on Grenada and Libya, and arming right-wing militias in Central America, including backing the Contras seeking to overthrow the radical leftist Sandinista government of Nicaragua. Commonly, Central America is the region of North America located between the southern border of Mexico and the northwest border of Colombia, in South America. ... The Contras (from the Spanish term La Contra, short for movement of the contrarrevolucionarios, meaning counter-revolutionaries) were the armed opponents of Nicaraguas Sandinista Junta of National Reconstruction following the July 1979 overthrow of Anastasio Somoza Debayle and the ending of the Somoza familys 43-year rule. ... The Sandinista flag The Sandinista National Liberation Front (Spanish: Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional) is a leftist political party that ruled Nicaragua for roughly 12 years from 1979 to 1990. ...

Most importantly, Reagan took the opposite course from the neocons in relation to the Soviet Union under Mikhail Gorbachev, pursuing a conciliatory strategy toward disarmament and eventual liberalization as opposed to one of confrontation and rearmament. Reagan had made his most decisive break with the neocons in 1983 when he refused to remain engaged in the civil war in Lebanon and was at the same time generally indifferent to Israel. Many neocons became furious with Reagan for all of these reasons, most infamously, Norman Podhoretz came to liken him to Neville Chamberlain. Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachyov (Gorbachev) ▶ (help· info) (Russian: ; pronunciation: ) (born March 2, 1931), was leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991. ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Norman Podhoretz (born January 16, 1930) is considered to be a prominent neo-conservative thinker and writer. ... The Right Honourable Arthur Neville Chamberlain (18 March 1869 – 9 November 1940) was a British politician and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1937–1940. ...

In general, many neocons see the collapse of the Soviet Union as having occurred directly due to Reagan's hard-line stance, and the bankruptcy that resulted from the Soviet Union trying to keep up the arms race. They therefore see this as a strong confirmation of their worldview, in spite of the great extent to which it is rewritten history.

Neoconservativism under George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton

During the 1990s, neoconservatives were once again in the opposition side of the foreign policy establishment, both under the Republican Administration of President George H. W. Bush and that of his Democratic successor, President Bill Clinton. Many critics charged that the neoconservatives lost their raison d'être and influence following the collapse of the Soviet Union. Others argue that they lost their status due to their association with the Iran-Contra scandal during the Reagan Administration. The 1990s refers to the years 1990 to 1999; the last decade of the 20th Century, but in an economical sense The Nineties is often considered to span from the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 to the September 11 attacks in 2001. ... George Herbert Walker Bush (born in Milton, Massachusetts June 12, 1924) was the 41st President of the United States (1989–1993). ... William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe, III on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ... In the Iran-Contra Affair, United States President Ronald Reagans administration secretly sold arms to Iran, which was engaged in a bloody war with its neighbor Iraq from 1980 to 1988 (see Iran-Iraq War), and diverted the proceeds to the Contra rebels fighting to overthrow the leftist and...

Neoconservative writers were critical of the post-Cold War foreign policy of both George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, which they criticized for reducing military expenditures and lacking a sense of idealism in the promotion of American interests. They accused these Administrations of lacking both "moral clarity" and the conviction to pursue unilaterally America's international strategic interests. For the generic term for a high-tension struggle between countries, see cold war (war). ... Order: 41st President Vice President: Dan Quayle Term of office: January 20, 1989 – January 20, 1993 Preceded by: Ronald Reagan Succeeded by: Bill Clinton Date of birth: June 12, 1924 Place of birth: Milton, Massachusetts First Lady: Barbara Pierce Bush Political party: Republican George Herbert Walker Bush, KBE (born June... William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe, III on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ... Moral clarity is a catch-phrase associated with American political conservatives. ...

Particularly galvanizing to the movement was the decision of George H.W. Bush and then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Colin Powell to leave Saddam Hussein in power after the first Gulf War in 1991. Some neoconservatives viewed this policy, and the decision not to support indiginous dissident groups such as the Kurds and Shiites in their 1991-1992 resistance to Hussein, as a betrayal of democratic principles, although some neoconservatives, notably Dick Cheney, supported the action at the time. Order: 41st President Vice President: Dan Quayle Term of office: January 20, 1989 – January 20, 1993 Preceded by: Ronald Reagan Succeeded by: Bill Clinton Date of birth: June 12, 1924 Place of birth: Milton, Massachusetts First Lady: Barbara Pierce Bush Political party: Republican George Herbert Walker Bush, KBE (born June... The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is by law the highest ranking military officer of the United States military, and the principal military advisor to the President of the United States. ... Colin Luther Powell, (pronounced koh-lihn or call in, born April 5, 1937) was the 65th United States Secretary of State, serving from January 20, 2001 to January 23, 2005 under President George W. Bush. ... -1... C Company, 1st Battalion, The Staffordshire Regiment, 1st UK Armoured Division Combatants U.S.-led coalition Iraq Commanders General Norman Schwarzkopf, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell Saddam Hussein Strength Casualties The 1991 Gulf War also known as Persian Gulf War was a conflict between Iraq and... 1991 (MCMXCI) is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Kurds are one of the Iranian peoples and speak Kurdish, a north-Western Iranian language related to Persian. ... Shiʻa Islam (Arabic شيعى follower; English has traditionally used Shiite) makes up the second largest sect of believers in Islam, constituting about 30%–35% of all Muslim. ...

Within a few years of the Gulf War in Iraq, many associated with neoconservatism were pushing for the ouster of Saddam Hussein. On February 19, 1998, an open letter to President Clinton was signed by dozens of pundits, many identified with both neoconservatism and, later, related groups such as the PNAC, urging decisive action to remove Saddam from power. [8] C Company, 1st Battalion, The Staffordshire Regiment, 1st UK Armoured Division Combatants U.S.-led coalition Iraq Commanders General Norman Schwarzkopf, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell Saddam Hussein Strength Casualties The 1991 Gulf War also known as Persian Gulf War was a conflict between Iraq and... -1... February 19 is the 50th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe, III on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ... The Project for the New American Century, or PNAC, is a Washington, DC, USA based think tank. ...

Neoconservatives were also members of the blue team, which argued for a confrontational policy toward the People's Republic of China and strong military and diplomatic support for Taiwan. The blue team is an informal group within the United States that has argued that the Peoples Republic of China is the largest security threat to the United States. ...

Administration of George W. Bush

Thus, neoconservative thinkers were eager to implement a new foreign policy with the change in Administrations from Clinton to George W. Bush. Despite this, the Bush campaign and then the early Bush Administration did not appear to exhibit strong support for neoconservative principles, as candidate Bush stated his opposition to the idea of "nation-building" and an early foreign policy confrontation with China was handled without the vociferous confrontation suggested by some neoconservative thinkers. Also early in the Administration, some neoconservatives criticized Bush's Administration as insufficiently supportive of the State of Israel, and suggested Bush's foreign policies were not substantially different from those of President Clinton. George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States. ... This article or section should be merged with nation-building Nation building is the use of armed force in the aftermath of a conflict to underpin an enduring transition to democracy. ...

China spy plane incident

The Bush Administration was criticized by some neoconservatives for their non-confrontational reaction during the U.S.-China spy plane incident. On April 1, 2001, a U.S. Navy EP-3E spy plane collided with a Chinese J-8 fighter over the South China Sea, killing the Chinese pilot and forcing the EP-3E to make an emergency landing on the Chinese island of Hainan, where the twenty-four members of the American crew were held and interrogated for eleven days while their plane was searched and photographed by the Chinese. The Bush Administration conducted diplomacy and then issued an apology to the Chinese Foreign Ministry for intruding into Chinese airspace and for the death of the Chinese pilot.[9] President Reagan's former Assistant Secretary of Defense, Frank Gaffney, wrote in an article in National Review Online that President Bush "should use this occasion to make clear to the American people that the PRC is acting in an increasingly belligerent manner. Mr. Bush needs to talk about these threats as well as his commitment to defend the American people, their forces overseas and their allies."[10]. J-8IIM On April 1, 2001, a United States Navy EP-3E was intercepted by Peoples Liberation Army Air Force J-8 fighter jets about 70 miles (110 km) off the Chinese island of Hainan. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... The Lockheed EP-3E Orion Aries II is a turboprop-based signals reconnaissance aircraft, operated by the United States Navy. ... J-8IIM J-8 or Jian-8 (NATO reporting name Finback) is a Peoples Republic of China-built fighter aircraft. ... The South China Sea, showing surrounding countries and neighbouring seas and oceans The South China Sea is a marginal sea, part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from Singapore to the Strait of Taiwan of around 3,500,000 km². It is the largest sea body after the five... The EP3 crew lands in Hawaii. ... Frank J. Gaffney Jr. ...

September 11, 2001

View of the burning WTC from the water, with the Statue of Liberty in the foreground on 911

Following the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and The Pentagon, however, the influence of neoconservatism—at least as it is understood to mean a muscular stance toward foreign policy threats—in the Bush administration appears to have found its purpose in the shift from the threat of Communism to the threat of Islamic terrorism. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... This article is about the World Trade Center complex in New York City; see this article for the many other buildings around the world that have also been called world trade centers. The twin towers, photographed from the west The World Trade Center in New York City was a complex... The Statue of Liberty (dedicated on October 28, 1886), in full Liberty Enlightening the World, is an allegorical statue, given to the United States by the French Third Republic in the late 19th century, standing at the mouth of the Hudson River in New York Harbor as a welcome to... The September 11, 2001 attacks (also referred to as 9/11) were a series of coordinated suicide attacks upon the United States of America carried out on Tuesday, September 11, 2001, in which hijackers took control of four U.S. domestic commercial airliners. ... The September 11, 2001 attacks (also referred to as 9/11) were a series of coordinated suicide attacks upon the United States of America carried out on Tuesday, September 11, 2001, in which hijackers took control of four U.S. domestic commercial airliners. ... The World Trade Center in New York City (sometimes informally referred to as the WTC) was a complex of seven buildings designed by American architect Minoru Yamasaki and leased by Larry Silverstein from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey around a central plaza, near the south end... A pre-9/11 view of The Pentagon, looking east with the Potomac River and Washington Monument in the distance. ... Islamist terrorism, sometimes called Islamic terrorism, is terrorism that is carried out to further the political and religious ambitions of a segment of the Muslim community. ...

Neoconservative identification with the State of Israel's struggle against terrorism was furthered by the September 11 terrorist attacks, which served to create a perceived parallel between the United States and Israel as democratic nations under the threat of terrorist attack. Moreover, some neoconservatives have long advocated that the United States should emulate Israel's tactics of pre-emptive attacks, especially Israel's strikes in the 1980s on nuclear facilities in Libya and Osirak, Iraq. Terrorism is the unconventional use of violence for political gain. ... The September 11, 2001 attacks (also referred to as 9/11) were a series of coordinated suicide attacks upon the United States of America carried out on Tuesday, September 11, 2001, in which hijackers took control of four U.S. domestic commercial airliners. ... The 1980s, in its most obvious sense, was the decade between 1980 and 1989. ... Osirak, also spelled Osiraq, was a 40 MW light water nuclear materials testing reactor (MTR) in Iraq. ...

"Bush Doctrine"

The Bush Doctrine, promulgated after September 11th, incorporates both the idea of considering nations that harbor terrorists as enemies of the United States, as well as the view that pre-emptive military action, unilateral if necessary, is justified to protect the United States from the threat of terrorism or attack. The doctrine also states that the United States "will be strong enough to dissuade potential adversaries from pursuing a military build-up in hopes of surpassing, or equalling, the power of the United States." The Bush Doctrine refers to the set of revised foreign policies adopted by the President of the United States George W. Bush in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. ...

This doctrine can be seen as the abandonment of a focus on the doctrine of deterrence (in the Cold War through Mutually Assured Destruction) as the primary means of self-defense, although some note that preemptive strikes have long been a part of international and American foreign policy, as exemplified by the unilateral U.S. blockade and boarding of Cuban shipping during the Cuban Missile Crisis. (See preemptive war.) Mutually assured destruction (MAD) is the doctrine of military strategy in which a full scale use of nuclear weapons by one of two opposing sides would result in the destruction of both the attacker and the defender. ... Self defense refers to actions taken by a person to defend onself, ones property or ones home. ... The Cuban Missile Crisis was a very tense confrontation between the Soviet Union and the United States over the Soviet deployment of nuclear missiles in Cuba. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Preventive war. ...

Neoconservatives won a landmark victory with the Bush Doctrine after September 11th. Thomas Donnelly, a resident fellow at the influential conservative thinktank, American Enterprise Institute (AEI), which has been under neoconservative influence since the Reagan Administration, argued in "The Underpinnings of the Bush doctrine" that The Bush Doctrine refers to the set of revised foreign policies adopted by the President of the United States George W. Bush in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. ... This article needs cleanup. ... The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research is a think tank founded in 1943 whose stated mission is to support the foundations of freedom - limited government, private enterprise, vital cultural and political institutions, and a strong foreign policy and national defense. ...

"the fundamental premise of the Bush Doctrine is true: The United States possesses the means—economic, military, diplomatic—to realize its expansive geopolitical purposes. Further, and especially in light of the domestic political reaction to the attacks of September 11, the victory in Afghanistan and the remarkable skill demonstrated by President Bush in focusing national attention, it is equally true that Americans possess the requisite political willpower to pursue an expansive strategy."

Image:Rperle.jpg Richard Perle File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

In his well-publicized piece "The Case for American Empire" in the conservative Weekly Standard, Max Boot argued that "The most realistic response to terrorism is for America to embrace its imperial role." He countered sentiments that the "United States must become a kinder, gentler nation, must eschew quixotic missions abroad, must become, in Pat Buchanan's phrase, 'a republic, not an empire'," arguing that "In fact this analysis is exactly backward: The September 11 attack was a result of insufficient American involvement and ambition; the solution is to be more expansive in our goals and more assertive in their implementation." The Weekly Standard is an American Conservative political magazine published 48 times per year. ... Max Boot (born 1971, Moscow, Soviet Union) is an author and military historian noted for his support of a strong U.S. leadership role in the world. ... Pat Buchanan Pat Buchanan (born November 2, 1938), is an American author, syndicated columnist, and television commentator. ...

President Bush has expressed praise for Natan Sharansky's book, The Case For Democracy, which promotes a foreign policy philosophy nearly identical to neoconservatives'. President Bush has effusively praised this book, calling it a "glimpse of how I think".[11] Natan Sharansky (Hebrew: נתן שרנסקי, Russian: Натан Борисович Щаранский; born January 20, 1948) is a notable former Soviet anticommunist, Zionist, Israeli politician and writer. ... The Case for Democracy is a foreign policy manifesto written by former Soviet political prisoner and current Israeli Member of the Knesset (MK), Natan Sharansky. ...

Paul Wolfowitz

As of 2005, the most prominent supporters of the neoconservative stance inside the Administration are Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Government portrait of Paul Wolfowitz (Defense Dept. ... Government portrait of Paul Wolfowitz (Defense Dept. ... Paul Dundes Wolfowitz (born December 22, 1943) is an American academic and political figure. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Richard Bruce Cheney (born January 30, 1941), widely known as Dick Cheney, is the 46th and current Vice President of the United States under President George W. Bush. ... Condoleezza Rice, (born November 14, 1954), is the 66th and current United States Secretary of State, and the second in the administration of President George W. Bush. ... Donald Henry Rumsfeld (born July 9, 1932) is an American politician and businessman who has served as the 21st Secretary of Defense of the United States since January 20, 2001, under President George W. Bush. ...

At the same time, there have been limits in the power of neoconservatives in the Bush administration. The former Secretary of State Colin Powell (as well as the State department as a whole) was largely seen as being an opponent of neoconservative ideas. However, with the resignation of Colin Powell and the promotion of Condoleezza Rice, along with widespread resignations within the State department, the neoconservative point of view within the Bush administration has been solidified. While the neoconservative notion of tough and decisive action has been apparent in U.S. policy toward the Middle East, it has not been seen in U.S. policy toward China and Russia or in the handling of the North Korean nuclear crisis. Colin Luther Powell, (pronounced koh-lihn or call in, born April 5, 1937) was the 65th United States Secretary of State, serving from January 20, 2001 to January 23, 2005 under President George W. Bush. ... Colin Luther Powell, (pronounced koh-lihn or call in, born April 5, 1937) was the 65th United States Secretary of State, serving from January 20, 2001 to January 23, 2005 under President George W. Bush. ... Condoleezza Rice, (born November 14, 1954), is the 66th and current United States Secretary of State, and the second in the administration of President George W. Bush. ... North Korea, officially the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK; Korean: Chosŏn Minjujuŭi Inmin Konghwaguk; Hangul: 조선민주주의인민공화국; Hanja: 朝鮮民主主義人民共和國), is a country in eastern Asia, covering the northern half of the peninsula of Korea. ...

Impact of 2003 Iraq War on Neoconservative philosophy and influence

Neoconservatism and charges of "Appeasement"

Neoconservative proponents of the 2003 Iraq War likened the conflict to Churchill's stand against Hitler. In a major turnaround within the conservative movement, some prior practitioners of realpolitik such as United States Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld[12], who had supported Saddam Hussein as part of the Reagan Administration's opposition to the Iranian Revolution, now employed idealistic rhetoric that likened Hussein to Stalin and Hitler. President George W. Bush singled out Iraq's dictator as the "great evil" who "by his search for terrible weapons, by his ties to terrorist groups, threatens the security of every free nation, including the free nations of Europe." Combatants United States, United Kingdom, other nations Iraq Commanders U.S commander Saddam Hussien Strength Casualties The 2003 Invasion of Iraq began on March 20 comprising United States and United Kingdom forces (98%), and several other nations. ... The Right Honourable Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, best known as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. ... Realpolitik (German for realistic politics) is foreign politics based on practical concerns (political expediency) rather than theory or ethics. ... Seal of the United States Department of Defense The United States Secretary of Defense is the head of the United States Department of Defense, concerned with the armed services and The Secretary is appointed by the President with the approval of the Senate, and is a member of the Cabinet. ... Donald Henry Rumsfeld (born July 9, 1932) is an American politician and businessman who has served as the 21st Secretary of Defense of the United States since January 20, 2001, under President George W. Bush. ... Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was the 40th President of the United States (1981–1989) and the 33rd Governor of California (1967–1975). ... Protestors take to the street in support of Ayatollah Khomeini. ...

In the writings of Paul Wolfowitz, Norman Podhoretz, Elliott Abrams, Richard Perle, Jeane Kirkpatrick, Max Boot, William Kristol, Robert Kagan, William Bennett, Peter Rodman, and others influential in forging the foreign policy doctrines of the Bush administration, there are frequent references to the appeasement of Hitler at Munich in 1938, to which are compared the Cold War's policies of détente and containment (rather than rollback) with the Soviet Union and the PRC. Paul Dundes Wolfowitz (born December 22, 1943) is an American academic and political figure. ... Norman Podhoretz (born January 16, 1930) is considered to be a prominent neo-conservative thinker and writer. ... Elliot Abrams Elliott Abrams (born January 24, 1948), a lawyer, is a member of the administration of President George W. Bush. ... Richard Norman Perle (born September 16, 1941 in New York City), is an American political advisor who served the Reagan administration as an assistant Secretary of Defense and served on the Defense Policy Board Advisory Committee from 1987 to 2004. ... Jeane Jordan Kirkpatrick (born November 19, 1926) is an American conservative political scientist and member of the neoconservative movement. ... Max Boot (born 1971, Moscow, Soviet Union) is an author and military historian noted for his support of a strong U.S. leadership role in the world. ... William Kristol featured on BBC Newsnight William Bill Kristol (born December 23, 1952 in New York City) is an American political commentator and columnist. ... Robert Kagan (born 1958) is an American neoconservative scholar and political commentator. ... William John Bennett (born July 31, 1943) served as United States Secretary of Education from 1985 to 1988. ... Appeasement is a strategic manoeuvre, based on either pragmatism, fear of war, or moral conviction, that leads to acceptance of imposed conditions in lieu of armed resistance. ... Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (April 20, 1889 – April 30, 1945, standard German pronunciation in the IPA) was the Führer (leader) of the National Socialist German Workers Party (Nazi Party) and of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. ... Munich: Frauenkirche and Town Hall steeple Munich (German: München (pronounced listen) is the capital of the German federal state of Bavaria. ... -1...

While more conventional foreign policy experts argued that Iraq could be restrained by enforcing No-Fly Zones and by a policy of inspection by United Nations inspectors to restrict its ability to possess chemical or nuclear weapons, neoconservatives considered this policy direction ineffectual and labeled it appeasement of Saddam Hussein. A no-fly zone is a territory over which aircraft (or unauthorized aircraft) are not permitted to fly. ... Main articles: League of Nations & History of the United Nations The term United Nations was coined by Franklin D. Roosevelt during World War II, to refer to the Allies. ... Chemical warfare is warfare (and associated military operations) using the toxic properties of chemical substances to kill, injure or incapacitate the enemy. ... The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, 1945, rose some 18 km (11 mi) above the hypocenter. ...

Practical impact of the 2003 Iraq War on Neoconservative influence

The war that the Bush administration continues to fight in Iraq can be considered a fair test of the practical validity of neoconservative thinking and principles. If the war in Iraq is successful in stabilizing Iraq and the Middle East, then the neoconservative ideas will have achieved a victory. If, however, the war in Iraq further destabilizes the Middle East or leads to a new regime which funnels oil revenues to terrorists then the neoconservative ideas will have been dealt a serious blow.

Furthermore, if the Iraq War is successful in establishing a robust and self-sustaining liberal democracy in Iraq, then the influence of neoconservative thinking on the Republican party will likely solidify or possibly even increase. But if the war in Iraq is drawn-out, requiring an excessive expenditure of American lives and money, and establishes a weak or ineffective Iraqi government unable to control terrorism, then the influence of neoconservatives within the Republican party will likely be greatly diminished in the future.

Neoconservatives are perhaps closer to the mainstream of the Republican Party today since the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon than any competing faction, especially considering the nature of the Bush Doctrine and the preemptive war against Iraq.

Criticism of neoconservatism

Neoconservatives have often been singled out for criticism by opponents of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, many of whom see this invasion as a neoconservative initiative. Combatants United States, United Kingdom, other nations Iraq Commanders U.S commander Saddam Hussien Strength Casualties The 2003 Invasion of Iraq began on March 20 comprising United States and United Kingdom forces (98%), and several other nations. ...

Jacobinism, Bolshevism

The "traditional" conservative Claes Ryn has argued that neoconservatives are "a variety of neo-Jacobins." Ryn asserts that true conservatives deny the existence of a universal political and economic philosophy and model that is suitable for all societies and cultures, and believe that a society's institutions should be adjusted to suit its culture, while Neo-Jacobins In the context of the French Revolution, a Jacobin originally meant a member of the Jacobin Club (1789-1794). ...

are attached in the end to ahistorical, supranational principles that they believe should supplant the traditions of particular societies. The new Jacobins see themselves as on the side of right and fighting evil and are not prone to respecting or looking for common ground with countries that do not share their democratic preferences. (Ryn 2003: 387)

Further examining the relationship between Neoconservatism and moral rhetoric, Ryn argues that

[Neo-Jacobinism] regards America as founded on universal principles and assigns to the United States the role of supervising the remaking of the world. Its adherents have the intense dogmatic commitment of true believers and are highly prone to moralistic rhetoric. They demand, among other things, "moral clarity" in dealing with regimes that stand in the way of America's universal purpose. They see themselves as champions of "virtue." (p. 384).

Thus, according to Ryn, neoconservatism is analogous to Bolshevism: in the same way that the Bolsheviks wanted to destroy established ways of life throughout the world to replace them with communism, the neoconservatives want to do the same, only imposing free-market capitalism and American-style "liberal democracy" instead of socialism. Leaders of the Bolshevik Party and the Communist International, a painting by Malcolm McAllister on the Pathfinder Mural in New York City and on the cover of the book Lenin’s Final Fight published by Pathfinder. ...

Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, former chief of staff to U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, had the following to say in a December, 2005 interview with the German weekly Der Spiegel: "They are not new conservatives. They're Jacobins. Their predecessor is French Revolution leader Maximilien Robespierre."[13] Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson (US Army, retired) was the chief of staff to United States Secretary of State Colin Powell. ... Colin Luther Powell, (pronounced koh-lihn or call in, born April 5, 1937) was the 65th United States Secretary of State, serving from January 20, 2001 to January 23, 2005 under President George W. Bush. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Photo of the cover of the first issue of Der Spiegel (1/1947) Der Spiegel (German for The Mirror) is Germanys biggest and most influential weekly magazine, published in Hamburg, with a circulation of around one million per week. ... Portrait of Maximilien Robespierre Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre (IPA //), (6 May 1758, Arras – 28 July 1794, Paris) is one of the best known leaders of the French Revolution. ...

Conflict with Libertarians

There is also conflict between neoconservatives and libertarian conservatives. Libertarian conservatives are distrustful of a large government and therefore regard neoconservative foreign policy ambitions with considerable distrust. See also Libertarianism and Libertarian Party Libertarian,is a term for person who has made a conscious and principled commitment, evidenced by a statement or Pledge, to forswear violating others rights and usually living in voluntary communities: thus in law no longer subject to government supervision. ...

Disagreement with Business Lobby, fiscal conservatives

There has been considerable conflict between neoconservatives and business conservatives in some areas. Neoconservatives tend to see China as a looming threat to the United States and argue for harsh policies to contain that threat. Business conservatives see China as a business opportunity and see a tough policy against China as opposed to their desires for trade and economic progress. Business conservatives also appear much less distrustful of international institutions. In fact, where China is concerned neoconservatives tend to find themselves more often in agreement with liberal Democrats than with business conservatives. Indeed, Americans for Democratic Action - widely regarded as an "authority" of sorts on liberalism by both the American left and right alike - credit Senators and members of the House of Representatives with casting a "liberal" vote if they oppose legislation that would treat China favorably in the realm of foreign trade and many other matters. Americans For Democratic Action (ADA) was formed in January 1947, when Eleanor Roosevelt, John Kenneth Galbraith, Reinhold Niebuhr, Hubert Humphrey and 200 other activists. ...

Friction with "Paleoconservatism"

The disputes over Israel and domestic policies have contributed to a sharp conflict over the years with "paleoconservatives," whose very name was taken as a rebuke to their "neo" brethren. There are many personal issues but effectively the paleoconservatives view the neoconservatives as interlopers who deviate from the traditional conservative agenda on issues as diverse as states' rights, free trade, immigration, isolationism, the welfare state, and in some cases abortion and homosexuality. All of this leads to their conservative label being questioned. In American politics and constitutional law, states rights are guaranteed by the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution (i. ... Free trade is an economic concept referring to the selling of products between countries without tariffs or other trade barriers. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Welfare has four main meanings. ... Since its inception, the word homosexuality has acquired multiple meanings. ...

Neoconservatism, Judaism, and "Dual Loyalty"

Some opponents of neoconservatives have sought to emphasize their interest in Israel and the relatively large proportion of Jewish neoconservatives, and have raised the question of "dual loyalty". A number of critics, such as Pat Buchanan, have accused them of putting Israeli interests above those of America. In turn these critics have been labeled as anti-Semites by many neoconservatives (which in turn has led to accusations of professional smearing, and then paranoia, and so on). // The word Jew (Hebrew: יהודי transliterated: Yehudi) is used in many ways, but generally refers to a follower of Judaism, a child of a Jewish mother, or someone of Jewish descent with a connection to Jewish culture or ethnicity; and often a combination of these attributes. ... Dual loyalty occurs when citizens of one state, in which cultural or religious affiliation with another country is strong, have a loyalty to the other country which equals or exceeds their loyalty to their home country. ... Pat Buchanan Pat Buchanan (born November 2, 1938), is an American author, syndicated columnist, and television commentator. ...

Some neofascist conspiracy theorists such as David Duke have attacked neoconservatism as advancing 'Jewish interests.' Classic anti-Semitic tropes have often been used when elaborating this view, such as the idea that Jews achieve influence through the intellectual domination of national leaders. Similarly, during the run-up to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, left-wing magazine AdBusters published a list of the "50 most influential neocons in the United States", noting that half of these were Jewish. [14] The terms Neo-Nazism and Neo-Fascism refer to any social or political movement to revive Nazism or Fascism, respectively, and postdates the Second World War. ... David Duke David Ernest Duke (born July 1, 1950) is a former Louisiana State Representative and former leader of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) in the United States. ... Brand America Flag Adbusters is a political magazine, founded by Kalle Lasn and Bill Schmalz that is published in Vancouver, British Columbia by the Media Foundation. ...

Many prominent neoconservatives are not Jewish, among them Michael Novak, Jeane Kirkpatrick, Frank Gaffney, and Max Boot. Furthermore, neoconservatives in the 1960s were much less interested in Israel before the June 1967 Six Day War. It was only after this conflict, which raised the specter of unopposed Soviet influence in the Middle East, that the neoconservatives became preoccupied by Israel's security interests. They promote the view that Israel is the US's strongest ally in the Middle East as the sole Western-style democracy in the region, aside from Turkey (George W. Bush has also supported Turkey in its efforts to join the European Union). Michael Novak (born September 9, 1933) is a conservative Roman Catholic American philosopher and diplomat. ... Jeane Jordan Kirkpatrick (born November 19, 1926) is an American conservative political scientist and member of the neoconservative movement. ... Frank J. Gaffney Jr. ... Max Boot (born 1971, Moscow, Soviet Union) is an author and military historian noted for his support of a strong U.S. leadership role in the world. ... The 1960s in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1960 and 1969, but the expression has taken on a wider meaning over the past twenty years. ... June is the sixth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with a length of 30 days The month is named after the Roman goddess Juno, wife of Jupiter and equivalent to the Greek goddess Hera. ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The 1967 Arab-Israeli War, also known as the Six-Day War or June War, was fought between Israel and its Arab neighbors Egypt, Jordan, and Syria. ...

Commenting on the alleged overtones of this view in more mainstream discourse, David Brooks, in his January 6, 2004 New York Times column wrote, "To hear these people describe it, PNAC is sort of a Yiddish Trilateral Commission, the nexus of the sprawling neocon tentacles." In a similar vein, Michael Lind, a self-described 'former neoconservative,' wrote in 2004, "It is true, and unfortunate, that some journalists tend to use 'neoconservative' to refer only to Jewish neoconservatives, a practice that forces them to invent categories like 'nationalist conservative' or 'Western conservative' for Rumsfeld and Cheney. But neoconservatism is an ideology, like paleoconservatism and libertarianism, and Rumsfeld and Dick and Lynne Cheney are full-fledged neocons, as distinct from paleocons or libertarians, even though they are not Jewish and were never liberals or leftists." [15] Lind argues that, while "there were, and are, very few Northeastern WASP mandarins in the neoconservative movement", its origins are not specifically Jewish. "...[N]eoconservatism recruited from diverse 'farm teams,' including liberal Catholics (William Bennett and Michael Novak..) and populists, socialists and New Deal liberals in the South and Southwest (the pool from which Jeane Kirkpatrick, James Woolsey and I [that is, Lind himself] were drawn)." [16] David Brooks, conservative commentator for the New York Times and other publications. ... January 6 is the 6th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The New York Times is an internationally known daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed in the United States and many other nations worldwide. ... The Project for the New American Century, or PNAC, is a Washington, DC, USA based think tank. ... Yiddish (ייִדיש, Jiddisch) is a Germanic language spoken by about four million Jews throughout the world. ... The Trilateral Commission is a private organization, founded in 1973 at the initiative of David Rockefeller, of over 300 private citizens from Europe, Japan, and North America to promote closer cooperation between these three areas. ... Michael Lind is an American journalist and historian, currently the Whitehead Senior Fellow at the New America Foundation. ... Donald Henry Rumsfeld (born July 9, 1932) is an American politician and businessman who has served as the 21st Secretary of Defense of the United States since January 20, 2001, under President George W. Bush. ... Richard Bruce Cheney (born January 30, 1941), widely known as Dick Cheney, is the 46th and current Vice President of the United States under President George W. Bush. ... Lynne Cheney Lynne Ann Vincent Cheney (born August 14, 1941) is the wife of Vice President Richard B. Cheney. ... Populism is a political philosophy or rhetorical style that holds that the common persons interests are oppressed or hindered by the elite in society, and that the instruments of the state need to be grasped from this self-serving elite and used for the benefit and advancement of the... Socialism is an ideology with the core belief that society should exist in which popular collectives control the means of power, and therefore the means of production. ... Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: New Deal The New Deal is the name given to the series of programs used by Franklin Delano Roosevelt with the goal of stabilizing, reforming and stimulating the United States economy in the Great Depression. ... The U.S. Southern states or The South, known during the American Civil War era as Dixie, is a distinctive region of the United States with its own unique historical perspective, customs, musical styles, and cuisine. ... The Southwestern United States or simply the Southwest is a region of the United States that is drier in weather than the adjoining Southern United States and Western United States; the population is less dense and, with moderate Mexican and American Indian components, more ethnically varied than neighboring areas. ... Jeane Jordan Kirkpatrick (born November 19, 1926) is an American conservative political scientist and member of the neoconservative movement. ... Robert James Woolsey, Jr. ...

Related Publications and Institutions

Institutions

• American Enterprise Institute
• Bradley Foundation
• Project for the New American Century
• Foundation for the Defense of Democracies

The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research is a think tank founded in 1943 whose stated mission is to support the foundations of freedom - limited government, private enterprise, vital cultural and political institutions, and a strong foreign policy and national defense. ... The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is a large and influential right-wing foundation with about half a billion US dollars in assets. ... The Project for the New American Century, or PNAC, is a Washington, DC based think tank. ... // Mission and History The Foundation for the Defense of Democracies is a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. that conducts research and education on the war on terrorism. ...

Publications

• Commentary
• Weekly Standard

Conservative magazines that regularly feature neoconservative ideas. Commentary Magazine is a publication of the American Jewish Committee, although the magazine is editorially independent and often takes very different views than the majority of that organizations membership. ... The Weekly Standard is an American Conservative political magazine published 48 times per year. ...

• Front Page Magazine
• The National Interest
• National Review
• Policy Review
• The Public Interest

FrontPageMag. ... The National Interest is a prominent quarterly international affairs journal, founded in 1985 by Irving Kristol and currently published by the Nixon Center. ... National Review (NR) is a conservative political magazine founded by author William F. Buckley, Jr. ... Policy Review is one of Americas leading conservative journals. ... The Public Interest is a conservative politics and culture journal founded by Irving Kristol in 1965. ...

References in Popular Culture

• The Rolling Stones' song "Sweet Neo Con", from the A Bigger Bang album (2005), is critical of American Neoconservatism, with implied references to the Iraq War, Halliburton, George W. Bush, and Condoleezza Rice.

• The Offspring's 2003 album, Splinter, included the song "Neocon". The song's lyrics, though defiant, are vague. However, it is generally assumed to be referring to George W. Bush, since The Offspring have been critical of him (both vocally and lyrically) in the past.

The Rolling Stones are a British rock group who rose to prominence during the 1960s. ... Sweet Neo Con is a protest song by the The Rolling Stones from the 2005 album A Bigger Bang. ... A Bigger Bang is the long awaited follow-up to The Rolling Stones 1997 studio album Bridges to Babylon and was released in 2005. ... The Iraq war or war in Iraq, is both an informal and formal term for military conflicts in Iraq that began with the invasion of 2003 by the multinational coalition of American, British, and other forces. ... Halliburton Energy Services NYSE: HAL is a multinational corporation based in Houston, Texas. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States. ... Condoleezza Rice, (born November 14, 1954), is the 66th and current United States Secretary of State, and the second in the administration of President George W. Bush. ... The Offspring is an American punk band from Orange County, California that originally formed in 1984, consisting of vocalist and rhythm guitarist Dexter Holland, lead guitarist Kevin Noodles Wasserman, bassist Greg K. and Atom Willard on drums. ... ‹ The template below has been proposed for deletion. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States. ...

See also

• Group Wilders
• List of people described as neoconservatives
• Neoconservatism and neoliberalism in Canada
• Quotations about neoconservatism from Wikiquote
• Neoliberalism

The Group Wilders (Groep Wilders) is a right-wing conservative Dutch political group that was started in August 2004 after Geert Wilders left the Peoples Party for Freedom and Democracy (a liberal party) after a disagreement about the political direction. ... This is a list of prominent public figures frequently referred to as neoconservatives. ... Neoconservatism and neoliberalism are labels given to a strains of political thought in Canadian politics, that began in the 1980s and rose to prominence in the 1990s, especially in Ontario, Western Canada and the federal government. ... Wikiquote logo Wikiquote is a sister project of Wikipedia, using the same MediaWiki software. ... For the related liberal individualist philosophy, see Libertarianism. ...

References

• John Dean, Worse Than Watergate: The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush (Little. Brown, 2004) ISBN 031600023X (hardback) -- Deeply critical account of neo-conservatism in the administration of George W. Bush.
• Mark Gerson, ed., The Essential Neo-Conservative Reader (Perseus Publishing, 1997) ISBN 0201154889 (paperback) or ISBN 0201479680 (hardback)
• Jim Hanson, The Decline of the American Empire, (Praeger Publishers, 1993) ISBN 0275944808
• Halper, Stefan & Clarke, Jonathan, America Alone: The Neo-Conservatives and the Global Order (Cambridge University Press, 2004) ISBN 0521838347
• Robert Kagan et al., Present Dangers: Crisis and Opportunity in American Foreign and Defense Policy (Encounter Books, 2000) ISBN 1893554163.
• Irving Kristol, Neo-Conservatism: The Autobiography of an Idea. (Ivan R. Dee Publisher, 1999) ISBN 1566632285
• Michael Lind, "A Tragedy of Errors", The Nation, February 23, 2004, 23-32.
• Tod Lindberg, "Neoconservatism's Liberal Legacy." Policy Review, 127 (2004): 3-22.
• James Mann, Rise of the Vulcans: The History of Bush's War Cabinet. (2004) Viking. ISBN 0670032999 (cloth)
• Joshua Muravchik, "The Neoconservative Cabal", Commentary, September, 2003
• Michael C. Ruppert, Crossing the Rubicon: The Decline of the American Empire at the End of the Age of Oil, New Society Publishers, 2004. ISBN 0865715408
• Claes G. Ryn, America the Virtuous: The Crisis of Democracy and the Quest for Empire. Transaction Publishers, 2003. ISBN 0765802198 (cloth).
• Peter Steinfels. The Neoconservatives: The Men Who Are Changing America's Politics. (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1979.) ISBN 0671226657.
• Leo Strauss , Natural Right and History. (University of Chicago Press, 1999) ISBN 0226776948.
• Leo Strauss , The Rebirth of Classical Political Rationalism. (University of Chicago Press, 1989) ISBN 0226777154.
• Joseph Wilson, The Politics of Truth. (2004) Carroll & Graf. ISBN 078671378X.
• Bob Woodward, Plan of Attack. (2004) Simon and Schuster. ISBN 074325547X.
• Irwin Stelzer (ed), Neoconservatism, Atlantic Books 2004

John Dean, May 7, 1972. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... Robert Kagan (born 1958) is an American neoconservative scholar and political commentator. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... Irving Kristol (born 1920) is considered the founder of American neoconservatism. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... The Nation is the name of several newspapers, periodicals or magazines in different countries, including: The Nation, an Irish Nationalist newspaper founded by Thomas Davis and Charles Gavan Duffy in the 1840s. ... February 23 is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Michael Ruppert is the Editor/Founder of From The Wilderness, a newsletter and website dedicated to revealing political cover-ups. ... This page refers to the year 1979. ... Leo Strauss Leo Strauss (September 20, 1899 – October 18, 1973), was a Jewish German-American political philosopher and Intellectual Historian. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Leo Strauss Leo Strauss (September 20, 1899 – October 18, 1973), was a Jewish German-American political philosopher and Intellectual Historian. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Joseph C. Wilson IV was a United States career foreign service officer and later a diplomat between 1976 and 1998. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein Robert Upshur Bob Woodward (born March 26, 1943) is one of the best-known journalists in the United States, thanks largely to his work in helping uncover the Watergate scandal that led to President Richard Nixons resignation, in a historical journalistic partnership with Carl... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Irwin M. Stelzer (born 1932) is an American economist. ...

Further reading

• The NeoCon Reader, edited by Irwin Stelzer, ISBN 0802141935
• Neoconservatism: the Autobiography of an Idea, Irving Kristol, ISBN 0028740211
• The Neoconservative Vision, Mark Gerson, ISBN 1568331002.
• Neocon Middle East Policy: The 'Clean Break' Plan Damage Assessment, edited by Grant F. Smith, ISBN 0976443732

Irwin M. Stelzer (born 1932) is an American economist. ...

External links

• Irving Kristol: The Neoconservative Persuasion
• Max Boot: What the Heck Is a 'Neocon'? An attempt to deny, in sharp contrast to Kristol, the very existence of neoconservatism
• Paul Gottfried: What’s In A Name? The Curious Case Of “Neoconservative”
• Justin Raimondo: The Imperial Delusion Talk by a leading old right opponent of the neocons
• Ben Ross: George Bush's Philosophers Left-liberal account of neoconservatism's origins
• Michael Lind: A Tragedy Of Errors Leading account of the history and origins
• Left-wing account of the Neocon development and influence- The Philosophy of Leo Strauss: Oligarchs with Myths
• Alan Wald, History News Network: Debate with Michael Lind on neoconservatism and Trotskyism
• Bill King: Neoconservatives and Trotskyism Challenges the view that there is a relation between the neocons and Trotskyism
• Logos Spring 2004 Issue: Confronting Neoconservatism. Several articles on the different aspects of neoconservatism.
• Irwin Stelzer: Nailing the neocon myth.
• Bill Steigerwald: So, what is a 'neocon'?
• RightWeb - critical analysis and biographies of important neoconservatives.
• Neo-Con a neoconservative blog
• Gorin, Julia, "Blame It on Neo," Opinion Journal. September 23, 2004 - "Just because we call ourselves "neocons," it doesn't mean you can."
• "The State Department's extreme makeover", an October 4, 2004 article in salon.com by an anonymous "veteran Foreign Service officer currently serving as a State Department official" and predicting a neoconservative surge in any second George W. Bush administration.
• Claes G. Ryn, "The Ideology of American Empire". Orbis 47 (2003), 383-397. A longer and more scholarly traditional conservative critique.
• The Christian Science Monitor, "Neoconservatism: Empire Builders."
• Donnelly, Thomas, "The Underpinnings of the Bush Doctrine," AEI Online. February 1, 2003.
• Eden, Amid, "Now it's Trotsky's fault?" - A sceptical look at the existence of a Trotskyist - Neoconservative link.
• Zmirak, J.P., "America the Abstraction," A conservative critique of neoconservatism.
• American Jewish Committee, A "Cabal" of Neoconservatives
• European Legal Site, United States Neoconservatives
• Neocon 101
• Robert J. Lieber, Chronicle of Higher Education The Left's Neocon Conspiracy Theory
• The Christian Science Monitor, "Q&A: Neocon power examined." (Max Boot discusses the extent of neoconservative influence with The Christian Science Monitor.)
• Jim Lobe: Attacking Neo-Cons From the Right (Review of America Alone: The Neo-Conservatives and the Global Order, a critique by two center-right authors)
• Daniel McKivergan, Deputy Director of PNAC: September 11 Commission Staff Report
• Zachary Selden, Director of the Defence and Security Committee of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly: Neoconservatives and the American Mainstream
• Ben Jelloun, Mohammed, Swans.com: Wilsonian Or Straussian Post-Cold War Idealism? (A postcolonial-Nietzschean view)
• Schema-root.org: neoconservatives current news feeds for prominent neoconservatives
• Wes Vernon, China Plane Incident Sparks Re-election Drives of Security-minded Senators, April 7, 2001.
• Khurram Husain, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: "Neocons: The Men Behind the Curtain"
• Video: Hijacking Catastrophe (Documentary featuring Noam Chomsky, Chalmers Johnson, Tariq Ali, and many more critics speaking about the neoconservative agenda and the climate of action the neoconservatives have promoted in America.)
• Confessions of an Economic Hit Man (John Perkins on how the neoconservative movement uses globalization to interact economically, politically and militarily with countries of less standing; a Democracy Now! hour-long interview.)
• The Fraud of Neoconservative "Anti-Communism" by Dr. Max Shpak

September 23 is the 266th day of the year (267th in leap years). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 4 is the 277th day of the year (278th in Leap years). ... Screenshot of Salon. ... February 1 is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Project for the New American Century, or PNAC, is a Washington, DC, USA based think tank. ... The NATO flag NATO 2002 Summit in Prague The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), sometimes called North Atlantic Alliance, Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for defence collaboration established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, D.C., on April 4...

Neoconservatism and American area studies

• Mongols knocking on the ivory tower gates - articles about "self-censorship" and neoconservative overt control in the United States national area studies program: "The Terror of Controversy" by Michael P. Gallen (American), "The Clashes Within Civilization" by Christopher Schwartz (American) and "A Cultural Revolution in the American Academy?" by Ma Haiyun (Chinese)