Sorry, I only used this entry to save the link at first...
From Eric Alterman's blog (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7127721/#050308):
"He [Wolfowitz] says when he gets together with real Straussians he becomes impatient with the level of abstraction of the discussion. He does not think Strauss is in any way important to the conduct of U.S. foreign policy."
Somehow I think this is half-true, half-false on Wolfowitz's part. There is no Straussian conclusion regarding U.S. foreign policy that couldn't be reached by the school of thought known as "realism" in IR theory. That having been said, it looks like "realism" has been thoroughly explored by political philosophers such as Thucydides, Hobbes, Machiavelli - not merely begun as a school of thought on their part, but completely understood one way or another. Hmmm. I should mention that I personally do not use Strauss when talking about foreign policy, though. There are bigger things on the agenda, usually.
&
"I asked him if he read Juan Cole. He made a munched up face like his sushi had gone bad. He said that yes, he had read him, but did not do so much, because of all the-I forget his exact words, but I’m thinking “awful crap” -through which he had to slog in order to get the information that Cole presented."
Hahahahahahahahahaha. No further comment.
&
"I [Eric Alterman] said it was about time the Bush administration found a replacement for General Zinni and wouldn’t Paul make a perfect choice to be its Special Envoy to the Middle East peace process. One of the main reasons I decided Wolfowitz was of a fundamentally different character than the rest of these guys was the way he braved the rude boos and jeers from a demonstration of right-wing Jews by speaking to them of the need to respect and address the causes of Palestinian suffering. Given the obvious influence he enjoys with the president and all of his advisers, the natural trust of Israel he gets from his pedigree, and the fact that he did what he did so publicly, he would be, I think, not only acceptable to “moderate” Palestinians and almost every stripe of Israeli, but also to the powerful Israel lobby in Washington."
Well, well.
"He [Wolfowitz] says when he gets together with real Straussians he becomes impatient with the level of abstraction of the discussion. He does not think Strauss is in any way important to the conduct of U.S. foreign policy."
Somehow I think this is half-true, half-false on Wolfowitz's part. There is no Straussian conclusion regarding U.S. foreign policy that couldn't be reached by the school of thought known as "realism" in IR theory. That having been said, it looks like "realism" has been thoroughly explored by political philosophers such as Thucydides, Hobbes, Machiavelli - not merely begun as a school of thought on their part, but completely understood one way or another. Hmmm. I should mention that I personally do not use Strauss when talking about foreign policy, though. There are bigger things on the agenda, usually.
&
"I asked him if he read Juan Cole. He made a munched up face like his sushi had gone bad. He said that yes, he had read him, but did not do so much, because of all the-I forget his exact words, but I’m thinking “awful crap” -through which he had to slog in order to get the information that Cole presented."
Hahahahahahahahahaha. No further comment.
&
"I [Eric Alterman] said it was about time the Bush administration found a replacement for General Zinni and wouldn’t Paul make a perfect choice to be its Special Envoy to the Middle East peace process. One of the main reasons I decided Wolfowitz was of a fundamentally different character than the rest of these guys was the way he braved the rude boos and jeers from a demonstration of right-wing Jews by speaking to them of the need to respect and address the causes of Palestinian suffering. Given the obvious influence he enjoys with the president and all of his advisers, the natural trust of Israel he gets from his pedigree, and the fact that he did what he did so publicly, he would be, I think, not only acceptable to “moderate” Palestinians and almost every stripe of Israeli, but also to the powerful Israel lobby in Washington."
Well, well.