When ‘neocon’ became a slur

“How come you’re so wrong, my sweet neocon?” So asked Mick Jagger on his 2005 album “A Bigger Bang,” and it’s a question many have asked since the Iraq War began. Once a term applied to reform-minded social scientists writing in domestic policy journals like The Public Interest, since the Bush administration neocon is primarily a term of abuse applied to anyone deemed overly hawkish on foreign policy.

On this episode Gary Schmitt discusses his essay in The American Interest in which he traces the evolution of the term, and talks with us about whether neoconservatism is still a viable political philosophy today. We also discuss how the US should view ongoing tensions in Taiwan and Hong Kong, and Max rants about fast-casual restaurants.

Gary J. Schmitt is a resident scholar in strategic studies at AEI, where he studies national security and longer-term strategic issues affecting America’s security at home and its ability to lead abroad. In addition, Dr. Schmitt directs AEI’s Program on American Citizenship, which focuses on constitutional and civic issues.

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Related reading:

“Neocon as a slur”

Irving Kristol on The Neoconservative Persuasion

Sweet Neo Con by the Rolling Stones