Customer Reviews

The Neoconservative Revolution: Jewish Intellectuals and the Shaping of Public Policy

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This book tells the story of how a group of secular, largely Jewish intellectual liberals were 'mugged by reality', and became conservatives, or rather neo- conservatives. The neo- conservatives are distinguished from the old - line Republican conservatives. It tells of how this group two of whose prominent figures were Irving Kristol and Norman Podhoretz moved to the center of American political life. And how they and their colleagues became important figures in forming both domestic ( Supply- side economics) and foreign policy.
This book is detailed and thorough, but somehow not very exciting. But it is a competent telling of an important chapter in modern American history.
A few interesting points.
William F. Buckley disassociated himself early from the 'lunatic anti- Semitic right' and this helped in his pushing Conservative thought to the center of American political life.
The neo- cons were very concerned to have realistic , practical workable social policies, and were tired of grandiose and empty promises of Liberalism.
Neo- cons like Kristol and Podhoretz felt a deep gratitude to America and were alienated by the Leftist hatefilled attacks on American policy.
The 'anti- Semitism' of the left did not begin yesterday or four years ago, but Podhoretz and others felt it strongly in the seventies.
The Conservative ' revolution' was achieved in good part through the alliance of the neo- cons with more veteran conservatives like Buckley.
America seems to have greatly benefited from the neo- con contribution to its political life.

This is an excellent account of an important political phenomenon by a sympathetic historian. No, the elders of Zion are not taking over the government. 80% of Jews still vote Democratic despite the fact that the right is significantly more supportive of Israel that the left. But the main focus is not Israel but America. Unlike paleoconservatives, neoconservatives are typically ex-liberals who split with the left first over foreign policy (because the left viewed commies benignly as liberals in a hurry rather than the totalitarians they are) and then over domestic cultural issues. As a non-Jew, I can attest that this work will resonate deeply with those who have spent too much of their lives under the spell of the sixties counterculture. Sanity now.