HISTORYHISTORY— PAST AND PERSPECTIVE

U.S.S.R. founder and former

commander of the Soviet Army AP Images Leon Trotsky, a Bolshevik revolutionary and Marxist intellectual

Neoconservatism’s Deadly Influence A look at the roots of and the reasons why this deadly movement must be rejected in favor of the true conservatism as envisioned by our Founders.

by John F. McManus respects from the conservatism of the didly presented the movement’s attitude Republican party. We … accepted the in a 1989 article appearing in Kristol’s A neoconservative is a liberal who New Deal in principle, and had little journal, The National Interest. Boldly has been mugged by reality. affection for the kind of isolation- calling for the integration of the United — ism that then permeated American States, Europe, and Japan, he yearned for a conservatism. “super-sovereign” that would be “ec- he above definition has joyfully and onomically, culturally, and politically he- repeatedly been cited by many de- There you have it: neoconservatism’s most gemonic in the world.” Not satisfied with T fenders of neoconservatism. They prominent adherent wants it to be linked such a novel creation, he further urged a consider their branch of political thought to Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal “new universalism [which] would require a benign movement even though its clout socialism and, because of its rejection of the conscious depreciation not only of has been recognized as dominant over the “isolationism,” to be further identified as American sovereignty but of the notion Bush administration. Kristol likely hopes a champion of meddling in the affairs of of sovereignty in general.” And he added: that everyone who learns of his quip will other nations. The opposite of isolation- “This is not as outrageous as it sounds.” emit a slight chuckle and remain con- ism, of course, is interventionism, a tactic Maybe not to a neoconservative, but a real vinced that neoconservatism is no threat favored by all neoconservatives. Earlier, conservative and especially a constitution- to the nation. in 1983, Kristol claimed that “a conser- alist wouldn’t hesitate for a moment in la- But Irving Kristol, who has willingly vative welfare state is perfectly consistent beling such ideas “outrageous.” accepted the title of “Godfather of Neo- with the neoconservative perspective.” conservatism,” earlier produced a more Old-line conservatives would justly label Neoconservatism’s Roots incisive definition of the movement he the phrase “conservative welfare state” a During the 1960s and into the 1970s, the helped to create. In his 1995 book Neo- classic oxymoron. By 1993, in a piece he “small but talented and articulate group” conservatism: the Autobiography of an authored for , the Kristol haughtily described sought a new Idea, he wrote: Godfather lauded Social Security, Medi- home for its ideology. Leftists to the core, care, food stamps, and Medicaid, even a most were followers of Leon Trotsky, the It describes the erosion of liberal faith cash allowance for the children of unwed revolutionary communist leader who was among a relatively small but talented mothers. Virtually any socialist program expelled from Russia following a power and articulate group … (which grad- can count on support from the neoconser- struggle with Stalin in the 1920s. They ually gained more recruits) toward vative camp. didn’t like Stalin, but they did like the style a more conservative point of view: As for interventionist meddling, neo- of communism advocated by Trotsky. In conservative but different in certain conservative can- his 1995 book Neoconservatism, Kristol

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proudly stated, “I regard myself as lucky to have been a young Trotskyite and I have not a single bitter memory.” As students of the communist movement well know, Trotsky broke with Stalin in 1927 merely over which tactics would best succeed in achieving the world domination each sought. Run out of Russia by his former partner in monstrous crime, Trotsky ended up in Mexico, never renounced his desire to communize or so- cialize the world, and went to his Maker when one of Stalin’s henchmen plunged an axe into his skull in 1940. The Trotsky link provides a key to un- derstanding neoconservatives. Writing in 1995 in the CFR journal Foreign Affairs The countercultural excesses of the New Left during the 1972 Democratic candidacy of Sen. about John Erhman’s The Rise of Neocon- George McGovern (center) encouraged neoconservatism’s godfather and others to move to servatism, reviewer John Judis confirmed the GOP. Pictured at McGovern’s right during a campaign stop in Little Rock, Arkansas, is a that “the other important influence on neo- youthful campaign worker named . AP Images conservatives was the legacy of Trotsky.... Many of the founders of neoconservatism anti-communist GOP conservatives who controls, and the use of America’s military including founder Irving seemed oblivious to the fact they were under UN auspices to build George H.W. Kristol … were either members of or close welcoming socialists and internationalists Bush’s “new world order.” (Though Bush to the Trotskyite left in the late 1930s and into their midst. never defined the term “new world order,” early 1940s.” Other important early lead- Neocons didn’t exert much influence it has long been known to mean socialism ers of the movement included Commentary during the Ford- and Carter-led 1970s, al- and world , the cardinal tenets Editor , his wife Midge though many more moved into the GOP. of neoconservatism.) Newly identifiable Decter, Ben Wattenberg, Edward Luttwak, They found they had a good friend in Ron- neocons in the first Bush administration , Carl Gershman, Michael ald Reagan when he courted them during included Defense Department leaders Ledeen, and Nathan Glazer. Among later his 1980 campaign and then gave several Dick Cheney, , and Rich- adherents could be found , of them administration posts when he tri- ard Perle. Delighted to be in charge of the William Bennett, , Daniel umphed. Long on pleasing rhetoric but world’s only remaining superpower, they Moynihan, Wall Street Journal editorialist short on comparable performance, Rea- set out to use America’s armed might to Robert Bartley, and Kristol’s son William, gan named Jeane Kirkpatrick ambassador force their brand of “democracy” on the who currently presides over The Weekly to the UN, and and Elliott world. Standard. Abrams were given posts in the Defense Buckley’s little-known preference for Many of the early neocons were Demo- Department. To a man, neocons joined the neocon agenda, both its foreign and crats. But in 1972, they were repulsed by Kristol in praising Reagan for being “the domestic policy elements, deserves men- the Democratic candidacy of George Mc- first Republican president to pay tribute to tion. In 1952, while he was serving in the Govern because of his isolationism and his Franklin D. Roosevelt.” CIA in what he later termed a “deep cover” embrace of the countercultural excesses assignment in Mexico, the widely accepted of the New Left (drugs, free love, radical More Neocon Successes leader of American conservatism wrote in feminism, homosexuality, etc.). What they No review of the rise of neoconservative Commonweal magazine of the need for saw propelled the early neocons to seek a prominence is complete without noting the “Big Government for the duration,” and for new home in the Republican Party. Irving role played by William F. Buck- Kristol explained that the South Dakota ley in bringing it about. In 1991, senator’s strident opposition to the Viet- Buckley sponsored an invitation- In a 1996 edition of The Essential nam War and willing acceptance of the only, three-day conference for two Neoconservative Reader, editor Mark New Left’s attack on traditional values dozen conservative Republicans. “signified that the Democratic Party was Enthusiastically described by Kris- Gerson jubilantly observed, “The not hospitable to any degree of neoconser- tol, the event saw attendees arrive neoconservatives have so changed vatism.” He wrote that he and a few others as conservatives first, but “by the arrived at the “obvious conclusion that we end of the meeting, a significant re- conservatism that what we now would have to try to find a home in the versal had occurred.... Most were identify as conservatism is largely Republican party.” Find a home they did! Republicans first and conservatives And they were giddily accepted, not only second.” They would now accept what was once neoconservatism.” by liberal Republicans but also by many increased taxation, more federal

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“large armies and air forces, atomic energy, central intelligence, war production boards and the attendant centralization of power in Washington — even with Truman at the reins of it all.” Even before Irving Kristol, Norman Podhoretz, and other neocon lu- minaries, and even before anyone had even heard the term neoconservative, Buckley was promoting its agenda. More than any other individual, Buckley succeeded dur- ing 50 years of clever duplicity in taking real conservatives away from their roots and into the grasp of the neocons.* In a 1996 edition of The Essential Neo- conservative Reader, editor Mark Gerson jubilantly observed, “The neoconserva- tives have so changed conservatism that what we now identify as conservatism is largely what was once neoconservatism. Pied piper: founder William F. Buckley led conservatives astray to a And in so doing, they have defined the thinly disguised liberal/internationalist ideology now known as neoconservatism. He is shown here when he ran for mayor of New York City in 1965. way vast numbers of Americans view the AP Images economy, their polity, and their society.” In that same year, veteran conservative eign aid, NAFTA, GATT (which became foreign policy. Instead, it represents columnist Sam Francis observed: the WTO), the Mexican bailout, the Ex- big-government welfare at home and port-Import Bank, the use of U.S. mili- a program of using our military might As the wound down, “ex- tary force to “democratize” the world, the to spread their version of American porting democracy” and opposing United Nations, and whatever else would values throughout the world. “isolationism” became the major take America away from limited govern- neoconservative foreign policy goals, ment and non-intervention. His vaunted In his speech, Paul condemned American reflected in their almost universal “Contract with America” was largely in- Enterprise leader Michael Ledeen’s 1999 support for NAFTA, the World Trade consequential fluff that kept the GOP from characterization of the attack on Pearl Organization, and United Nations relying on the Constitution. Buckley and Harbor as a “lucky” event that led our “peacekeeping” missions. the neoconservatives were delighted, and nation away from neutrality. Ledeen had the proud owner of National Review sa- actually longed for another such event Francis and Gerson, holders of complete- luted Gingrich as a “greatly gifted” leader. that could be used to entangle our nation ly contradictory views about the neocon There was little objection from the Clinton in more overseas adventures. Paul also takeover, were nevertheless in solid agree- White House. pointed to the Project for the New Amer- ment about its success. A steady stream of In 2003, one Republican congress- ican Century’s hope expressed in 2000 neocon policy began flowing from such man who has never been swept into the for “a Pearl Harbor event” that he said Washington-based think tanks as the Com- neoconservative camp addressed his col- “would galvanize the American people mittee on the Present Danger, American leagues in a speech entitled “Neoconned.” to support their ambitious plans to ensure Enterprise Institute, Project for the New Dr. Ron Paul noted that replacing the Clin- political and economic domination of the American Century, the National Endow- ton Democrats with the George W. Bush world.” ment for Democracy, and more. Republicans “has not made a difference.” Paul never accused neocons of support When the 1994 elections produced huge He attributed the lack of change to neo- for or knowledge of the 9/11 event, but he Republican victories, Irving Kristol con- conservatives who had “diligently worked stated very clearly that it has been used “to sidered the stunning GOP success a neo- their way into positions of power and promote an agenda that strict constitution- con triumph. He knew, as many others did influence.” Among the modern-day neo- alists and devotees of the Founders of this not, that GOP leader would cons he named were Richard Perle, Elliott nation find appalling.” be his ally. The Georgia Republican who Abrams, William Kristol, Michael Ledeen, After listing 17 neocon beliefs, each of was to become House Speaker had backed James Woolsey, Bill Bennett, Frank Gaff- which he rejects, the Texas congressman federal aid to education, land controls, for- ney, Dick Cheney, and Donald Rumsfeld. urged that those responsible for fastening The redoubtable Texan then summed up neoconservatism on America must be “ex- * See John F. McManus’ book William F. Buckley, the problem facing our nation: posed” and “their philosophy of pervasive Jr.: Pied Piper for the Establishment for the history government intrusion rejected.” Count of why Buckley became the favorite of liberals and Neoconservatism is not the phi- this author and this magazine in solid neocons. losophy of free markets and a wise agreement. ■

38 THE NEW AMERICAN • JANUARY 22, 2007