The sunset years of the neocons - future of neoconservatism

0 Comments | Insight on the News, Dec 13, 1993 | by Michael Rust

Neuhaus says most neoconservatives agree that "the first thing is not politics. Politics is a function of culture, and at the heart of culture is morality, and at the heart of morality is religion." They are "people who believe the American experiment is premised upon a history of civilization that has its groundings in Athens and Jerusalem." One part of the great divide in American society believes that America's future "depends upon the continued assertion of these truths which are essentially moral truths, and on the other side are those who believes in a new religion of radical individualism beyond encumbered self -- in which there are, in fact, no moral truths, in which in fact the very notion of moral truths they consider oxymoronic."

A project Podhoretz is considering for his retirement, which will occur in 1995 when he marks his 35th year as editor of Commentary, is to complete his autobiographical trilogy. In 1968 he published Making It, which told of his rise as a successful literateur; in 1979 came Breaking Ranks, which recounted his journey to political heresy. Completing the autobiographical trilogy would be a book dealing with religion. By the time his latest work appears, however, the term neoconservative may be an anachronism. Podhorentz thinks that is not necessarily the case. "There is by now a history here," he says. "People who feel most comfortable, or have a greater sense of affinity with that tradition-- well, they call themselves young neocons even though they're not actually neo."

Some younger conservatives may find the persona established by Podhoretz, Kristol and other -- urban, intellectual, sophisticated, combative -- an attractive option. The original neoconservatives never felt comfortable with the label, but these younger writers, scholars and policy analysts may not be burdened by such concerns.

If the neoconservative pedigree lasts into the future, it will be another accomplishment for what in essence was a small, contentious group of intellectuals. But then, small numbers don't necessarily mean little influence. After all, notes Kristol, "there were only 12 apostles."