Strauss, Basis for Bush Diplomatic Policy

Where does this new American conservatism from? According to an article in The New York Times on April 4, the late Leo Strauss, a political philosophy professor, has influenced President Bush`s diplomatic policy. The paper identified a number of Straussians such as Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul D. Wolfowitz, Chairman of the Defense Policy Board N. Perle, University of Chicago professor Allan Bloom, founding editor of The Weekly Standard William Kristol, and Executive Director of the Project for the New American Century Gary Schmitt.

Prof. Strauss believed that “to make the world safe for Western democracies, one must make the whole globe democratic, each country in itself as well as the society of nations," and asserted that "the only restraint is the tyrant`s fear of the West`s immense military power." Strauss`s belief was used to back justification for the war with Iraq.

Strauss`s political philosophy which claims western democracy`s superiority was spurned in the 1960`s and 1970`s because of the influence of the Vietnam war and moral relativism. "You have some of the best minds in our country," Mr. Bush declared in a speech at the American Enterprise Institute, referred to in some circles as the Straussian headquarters, and added that “my government employs about 20 of your kind."

Strauss` philosophy, however, has been seminally understood, as he never made mention of the superiority of certain religions but warned of the danger of occupying a foreign land as a solution, though emphasized the necessity of expanding western democracies, reported The New York Times.

Seung-Jin Kim sarafina@donga.com