Irving Kristol, Architect of Neoconservatism, Dies at 89

The Washington Post ^ | September 18, 2009 | Adam Bernstein

[EveningStar]

Irving Kristol, 89, a forceful essayist, editor and university professor who became the leading architect of neoconservatism, which he called a political and intellectual movement for disaffected ex-liberals like himself who had been "mugged by reality," died Friday at the Capital Hospice in Arlington.

He spent much of his career in New York but had for the last two decades lived at the Watergate apartments in the District. He died of complications from lung cancer, said his son, William Kristol, the founder and editor of the conservative Weekly Standard magazine.

[GoldStandard]

Audit the Fed in the House (HR-1207) is up to 291.

Audit the Fed in the Senate (S. 604) is up to 28 now.

Hearing in committee start the morning of Friday, September 25, 2009. Barney Frank predicted it'd pass this October.

[1rudeboy]

Astounding. Neocons are in favor of higher taxes. Say, have you heard of Irving Kristol? He passed-away just recently . . . there's a WP article about it on FR somewhere. You should read it.
/sarc

[RAO1125]

Bull. Non-interventionism was THE Republican foreign policy when Comrade Kristol was still an open leftist. Ever hear of “Mr. Republican” Robert Taft? Guess not. Interventionism is the policy of such great conservatives like Woodrow Wilson and FDR.

[RAO1125]

Bull. Non-interventionism was THE Republican foreign policy when Comrade Kristol was still an open leftist. Ever hear of “Mr. Republican” Robert Taft? Guess not. Interventionism is the policy of such great conservatives like Woodrow Wilson and FDR. </s>

[ex-snook]

"Though the term (isolationist)is generally meant as an insult...yes. But it’s much more than that.

You are right. Isolationist is a pejorative coming from the WW II era. It is applied erroneously to those who are non-interventionist (meaning don't fight other people's wars for them).

When one considers that the USA spent the first half of the last century fighting in Europe and the last half fighting in the Pacific. We start this century fighting in the Near East with low war beats about South American and African enemies. We have troops in God knows how many countries setting trip wires throughout the world. Neither the sun or the moon sets on the involvement of the USA. We are not isolationist. God help us.

[RAO1125]

Tax policy becomes nearly irrelevant when you waste billions if not trillions of dollars that the country doesn’t have on big government foreign and domestic policy. claiming that the neos are somehow fiscally responsible because they favor tax cuts yet massive spending is like claiming to be fiscally responsible because you buy a brand new Ferrari and then say “Well, I bought off the dollar menu on the way over.”

[1rudeboy]

From the article (that you failed to read):

[Mr. Kristol] championed a steady focus on economic growth that gives "modern democracies their legitimacy and durability" but cautioned against running deficits. [emphasis added]

[RAO1125]

But borrowing billions from China to fight wars that do little to nothing for the US doesn’t count right? When I hear arguments from neos that “The ideas that Strauss and Irv Kristol had were never implemented correctly, that’s why Bush failed.” It reminds me, almost ver batim, of communists (ironic considering neoconservatism’s roots) who argue that Stalin, Mao, Castro, ect failed because they didn’t implement true Marxism.

[rabscuttle385]

It reminds me, almost ver batim, of communists (ironic considering neoconservatism’s roots) who argue that Stalin, Mao, Castro, ect failed because they didn’t implement true Marxism.

True idiocy is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

[rabscuttle385]

Tax policy becomes nearly irrelevant when you waste billions if not trillions of dollars that the country doesn’t have on big government foreign and domestic policy.

Deficit spending *is* tax policy. It is, however, a tax deferred to a future generation, whether paid directly through tax receipts or indirectly through inflation and monetization of the debt.

There is no such thing as a free lunch.

[SandWMan]

Thank you. “Non interventionist” would be the best term.

[1rudeboy]

When I hear arguments from neos that “The ideas that Strauss and Irv Kristol had were never implemented correctly, that’s why Bush failed.”

Seeing that your statement is a textbook example of "begging the question" (for all you fans of logical fallacies here), I'll wager you just made that up.

[rabscuttle385]

You mean, like McCain supporters?

McCain had supporters?

[Billthedrill]

RIP for a great man, about whom most of his critics understood very little.

[meadsjn]

The late IK (That's Irving, the guy who just finally croaked) said

“QUOTE: ‘Ever since I can remember, I’ve been a neo-something: a neo-Marxist, a neo-Trotskyist, a neo-liberal, a neo-conservative; in religion a neo-orthodox even while I was a neo-Trotskyist and a neo-Marxist. I’m going to end up a neo-that’s all, neo dash nothing.’”

You really don't like that your neo-con RINO heros admit that they are globalist commies, do you?

[randomhero97]

RIP for a great man, about whom most of his critics understood very little.

Please, enlighten us. If you want to talk about great let's talk about Irwin Schiff.

[randomhero97]

Sounds like his version of the left's race card: saying something automatically makes you racist/anti-semite.

Exactly. Criticize Israel in the least bit on this board and you are an anti-semite. Truly pathetic.

[Billthedrill]

You mind not stinking up a funeral thread? Schiff is, at least still alive.

[randomhero97]

You mind not stinking up a funeral thread? Schiff is, at least still alive.

You're right, sorry, everyone has their own heros and they are different person to person.

[wardaddy]

Shame...I like his son more than not.