In the third installment of our discussion on neoconservatism, Professor Salim Mansur examines the post-Soviet era, a period marked by complex dynamics and post-Cold War tensions. Rather than embracing Russia as a potential ally and a nascent democracy recovering from decades of communism and autocratic rule, the United States eventually came to cast it as a new “monster to destroy.”
This shift undermined America’s founding principle of rational isolationism with limited international engagement as it sought to maintain hegemony in an emerging multipolar world. The pivot fueled hostility both domestically and internationally, channeling billions into the military-industrial complex and perpetuating endless conflict.
Central to this narrative is the unwavering defense of Israel, which, alongside the focus on Russia, shapes American foreign policy. Crafted by neoconservatives and embraced by hawks across administrations since George H. W. Bush, this dual focus has defined U.S. global strategy. The neoconservative agenda, explicitly outlined in the Project for the New American Century (1997), drove NATO expansion and heightened tensions in the Middle East.
Ultimately, neoconservatism has betrayed America’s early ideals, costing countless lives, squandering vast fortunes, and tarnishing the reputation of a once-great nation.
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