To declare oneself a conservative in American foreign policy is to enter immediately into a fractious, long-standing debate.
Should America retreat from the world, deal with the world as it is, or try to transform it in its own image? Which school of thought - traditionalist, realist, or non-conservative - is truest to the country's ideals and interests?
With the dramatic shift in American foreign policy since 9/11, these differences have been brought into stark relief, especially by the Bush administration's decision to go to war in Iraq.
This book brings together the most articulate and influential voices in the debate among conservatives over the tactics and strategy of America's engagement in Iraq.
Its contribution run the gamut from protests to second thoughts to full-throated endorsements, and represent a vivid sampling of the ideological currents likely to influence the Bush administration in its ongoing efforts in Iraq and the wider Middle East.
About the Author
Gary Rosen is Managing Editor of Commentary. He holds a PhD in political science from Harvard and is the author of American Compact : James Madison and the Problem of Founding . His articles and reviews have appeared in Commentary, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post.
Industry Reviews
'The ideas and controversies described in this striking book will go far to shape American foreign policy in the Bush years and beyond. Every serious student of American foreign policy needs to consult this fresh and comprehensive collection.' Walter Russell Mead, Kissinger Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, Council on Foreign Relations 'Valuable hindsight and foresight about the war in Iraq.' Former U.S. Secretary of State George P. Shultz 'A fascinating survey of state-of-the-art thinking on U.S. foreign policy, a lively debate between realists and neoconservatives, and an excellent intellectual guide for the perplexed.' Josef Joffe, Editor, Die Zeit and Abramowitz Fellow, Hoover Institution at Stanford 'This collection is an indispensable guide to the most intellectually interesting and politically important debate in the U.S. on the war in Iraq. It should be on the shelf of every analyst of contemporary American policy.' Anatol Lieven, Senior Research Fellow, New America Foundation 'Without a doubt The Right War? makes a valuable contribution both to intellectual history and to the battle of ideas that is still raging in the nation's op-ed pages. ... This debate is encapsulated in Mr. Rosen's timely, intelligently selected and highly recommended book.' Wall Street Journal (Europe) '... this book provides a fine overview of the battle betweeen pet ideological prejudices and concern for the common good that is currently playing itself out on more than one front where the American right is concerned.' International Affairs
