Barbara Kay has written professionally about issues on the non left since the 1960s. We might want to say she had a 'front-row seat', but that would be wrong. Her writing went beyond simple observation. She helped shape conservative opinion in Canada for half a century.
Barb wrote a piece on Norman Podhoretz, when he passed in December. She mentions reading everything he had ever written: books and articles; editorials in his role as senior editor of Commentary Magazine, everything.
Podhoretz was one of the brilliant Jews from New York who left the 1960's liberalism and discovered conservatism. Irving Kristol, the 'godfather of neoconservatism', said neoconservatives were "liberals who have been mugged by reality."
Of course, most neocons weren't Jews; they included a broad swath of Catholic and Protestant thinkers. But the Jews stood out, in part, because they brought their bellicose, New York attitude into right-wing politics. They applied revolutionary zeal from their former communist and Trotskyite experience to conservatism. They transformed the old conservatism of the American Republican party into something new in North America: neoconservatism.
After the Iraq war, neoconservatism became a term of derision. It became re-interpreted as nothing but a blend of zionism -- Christian and Jewish -- with hawkish foreign policy.
This redefinition was a profound mistake. It dismisses a whole political mindset, while at the same time shielding it from serious discussion. Like so many other words silenced by political correctness, neoconservatism can no longer be critiqued for its strengths and weaknesses.
We need to celebrate the brilliance of Podhoretz and Irving Kristol, while also critiquing where neoconservatism failed. Neoconservative thought remains a central part, perhaps even the embodiment, of modern political conservative opinion.
If we want to understand how best to apply conservatism to current issues, we need to dig deep into the neocon mindset.
Please let me know what you think!
Barbara Kay: 60 years ago, Norman Podhoretz's writing led me to conservatism
AI Summary
In this episode, Shawn Whatley engages in a thought-provoking discussion with Barbara Kay, a renowned columnist and author. They delve into the origins, evolution, and nuances of neoconservatism, exploring the influential works of Norman Podhoretz and Irving Kristol. Barbara shares her insights on conservatism, its philosophical underpinnings, and its enduring relevance in today's political landscape. They also touch on various contentious issues such as the limitations of human nature, the impact of anti-Americanism, and the evolution of liberalism. Tune in for a deep dive into the intellectual journey that shapes conservative thought.
00:00 Introduction to Neoconservatism
00:09 Defining Conservatism and Classical Liberalism
01:32 Meet Barbara Kay
01:40 Norman Podhoretz: A Legacy in Neoconservatism
02:10 The Jewish Connection to Neoconservatism
02:54 Barbara Kay's Tribute to Norman Podhoretz
05:27 Podhoretz's Intellectual Journey
07:32 The Role of Intellectuals in Conservatism
10:14 Neoconservatism and Universalism
17:32 The Balance Between Universalism and Particularism
32:02 The Importance of Moral Clarity
36:54 Modern Neoconservatism and Its Challenges
39:10 The Banality of Evil and Rationalization
40:29 Calvinism and the Rejection of Scholasticism
41:38 Jewish Perspectives on Evil
43:01 Conservatism and Human Nature
48:38 Neoconservatism and Its Critiques
01:06:04 The Role of Education in Society
01:10:18 Concluding Thoughts on Conservatism and Hope
Feb 17 20261 hr and 16 mins