In San Francisco, a city famous for its anti-war ideology and counterculture resonance, leading voices of the conservative movement rarely stop by to offer their opinions on the divisive issue of American politics.
Norman Podhoretz, an author, political scientist and one of the architects of the neoconservative movement, bucked that trend Monday, Oct. 22 when he spoke at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco to an estimated 300 people.
Podhoretz, a vocal proponent of President George W. Bush’s policies in the Iraq War, was in San Francisco to promote his latest book, “World War IV: The Long Struggle Against Islamofacism.”
The Brooklyn native, who holds a bachelor’s degree from the Jewish Theological Seminary and a master’s degree from Cambridge University in England, is the editor-at-large of Commentary, a monthly magazine known for its conservative opinions.
His talk Monday was sponsored by the Taube Center for Jewish Life, the Koret Foundation and the Republican Jewish Coalition.
Other than a vocal protest by one man during the question-and-answer session that came after Podhoretz’s 45-minute speech, the crowd at the JCC responded in positively to the 77-year-old Jewish neo-conservative.
The lone adverse reaction came after a questioner posited that U.S. forces attacked the wrong country in the Middle East, and that the intelligence buildup to the war was predicated on misinformation. When Podhoretz said he disagreement with the basic premise of the question, a man shouted from the back row that the “administration lied.” That outburst was greeted by a chorus of hisses and boos from fellow audience members.
Most of Podhoretz’s speech mirrored the foundation of his latest book, which draws parallels between the current war on terrorism and the 42-year-long Cold War, which he considers to be the third World War.
Like the Cold War, Podhoretz believes the war against “Islamofascism” is a “ferocious war of ideas” that will take decades to resolve. He also believes that if the political process proves unsuccessful, then military action, including pre-emptive strikes against rogue Middle East countries, is a necessary cause.
“The paradoxical faith of the Islamofascists is more dangerous and difficult to defeat than the Nazis and Soviets, who never managed an attack on our soil,” said Podhoretz, who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor given to a U.S. citizen, in 2004.
“Islamofascism is the latest mutation of a totalitarian regime that is dedicated to the destructions of the foundation we cherish,” he continued. “The long road to democratization in the Middle East is the only way to assure the complete safety of America.”
Podhoretz compared Bush’s policies in the Middle East to former President Harry Truman’s doctrines of containment concerning the expansion of the Soviet Union during the Cold War. According to Podhoretz, Bush’s controversial strategies will soon garner the positive reception now accorded to Truman’s policy, which initially was greeted with skepticism from both sides of the political spectrum.
During his speech Podhoretz consistently avowed his faith in the progress of the Iraq War. He also affirmed that, although no weapons of mass destruction were ever found, there were still “17 other good reasons” to depose Saddam Hussein.
Podhoretz also endorsed military action in Iran, and said that the current U.S. administration will act proactively to ensure that Iranian head-of-state Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has stated in the past his desire to “wipe Israel off the map,” will not get his hands on nuclear technology.
“Practically everyone in the world agrees it would be a calamity if Iran possessed nuclear technology — the only argument is how do we stop them,” Podhoretz said. “I believe Bush will take military action before his presidency ends. I think as Americans and as Jews concerned for Israel, we should be united in our opposition to Iran ever attaining nuclear capability.”