Review excerpts:
So what is neoconservatism, or what was it? Kristol is one of those few enterprising intellectuals who have so successfully identified themselves with an "ism" that they confuse their personal impulses, alliances and maneuvers with the elaboration of a coherent view of the world. If neoconservatism no longer exists, it is partly because Kristol failed to uphold it consistently himself, while keeping possession of the brand name and thereby, so to speak, confusing the market. In the end, he has lapsed into a conservatism that has nothing "neo" about it. He has dissolved his schismatic "tendency" for the greater good of a larger political movement. A Marxist would appreciate that.
Paul Starr is coeditor of The American Prospect and professor of sociology at Princeton University. Irving Kristol is a senior fellow at AEI.
