One of Those Words, You Were Never Sure About: Neocons

stock here: it’s the little hats again……Plus the ilks of Bolton, A-Eye

A neocon, short for neoconservative, refers to a political ideology that emerged in the United States, especially influential from the 1970s onward. Though originally rooted in liberal anti-communism, neoconservatism evolved into a distinct school of foreign policy hawkishness, combined with moderate to conservative social and economic views.

🧠 Core Beliefs of Neoconservatism

1. Interventionist Foreign Policy
   Strongly favor using U.S. military power to promote democracy and protect American interests abroad

Supported the Iraq War, Afghanistan intervention, and other military actions

See the U.S. as a global enforcer of liberal democratic values

2. American Exceptionalism
   Believe the U.S. has a moral duty to lead the world

Favor a unipolar world with U.S. dominance rather than multipolarity or isolationism

3. Pro-Israel Stance
   Nearly all neocons are strongly pro-Israel

See Israel as a key democratic ally in the Middle East

4. Skeptical of Multilateralism
   Distrustful of international bodies like the UN, EU, or International Criminal Court

Prefer unilateral or coalition-of-the-willing action over broad global consensus

5. Domestic Policy: Moderate to Conservative
   Support free-market capitalism, but more willing than libertarians to use government for moral or strategic ends

Often support welfare reform, tax cuts, and school choice

Socially more moderate than religious conservatives, though still value traditional norms

👥 Famous Neocons
Name Role
Irving Kristol “Godfather” of neoconservatism
Bill Kristol Editor of The Weekly Standard
Paul Wolfowitz Architect of the Iraq War under Bush
Richard Perle Defense policy advisor, “Prince of Darkness”
Elliott Abrams Diplomat under Reagan, Bush, Trump
John Bolton Former National Security Advisor

🔄 Origins
Many early neocons were former liberals or leftists who shifted right due to:

Disillusionment with 1960s counterculture

Rise of the New Left and anti-Americanism

Softness on communism during the Cold War

Irving Kristol famously defined a neocon as a “liberal who was mugged by reality.”