Comments on: FOREIGN POLICY IDEOLOGY http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/foreign_policy_ideology/ Online Journal of Politics and Foreign Affairs Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:06:53 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Matthew Stinson http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/foreign_policy_ideology/comment-page-1/#comment-9433 Matthew Stinson Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000 /?p=4296#comment-9433 I think you're right that many Realist-minded wonks supported the war, but Drezner was talking about big name Realist academics, who seemed uniformly against war with Iraq. In fact, it's hard to think of someone wedded to a particular IR paradigm who publicly supported the war. IR Liberals were aghast that the US would use force without UN sanction, while IR Realists were aghast that the US would explicitly cite regime change as a reason to go to war. And don't get me started on the IR Marxists . . . In fairness to Greg Djerejian, who Drezner was replying to, many non-academics use the term "realist" interchangeably with "hawks concerned with the national interest," which in turn refers to "realist" wonks like Rice, Scowcroft, Kissinger, Powell, etc. And as you note, at least some of them supported the war. I think you're right that many Realist-minded wonks supported the war, but Drezner was talking about big name Realist academics, who seemed uniformly against war with Iraq. In fact, it's hard to think of someone wedded to a particular IR paradigm who publicly supported the war. IR Liberals were aghast that the US would use force without UN sanction, while IR Realists were aghast that the US would explicitly cite regime change as a reason to go to war. And don't get me started on the IR Marxists . . .

In fairness to Greg Djerejian, who Drezner was replying to, many non-academics use the term "realist" interchangeably with "hawks concerned with the national interest," which in turn refers to "realist" wonks like Rice, Scowcroft, Kissinger, Powell, etc. And as you note, at least some of them supported the war.

]]> By: John Lemon http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/foreign_policy_ideology/comment-page-1/#comment-9434 John Lemon Wed, 31 Dec 1969 18:00:00 +0000 /?p=4296#comment-9434 Then again, to buy Drezner's argument you pretty much have to assume that individuals can be neatly pigeonholed into precise academic categories that we teach all of our students in International Relations 101. That is probably true for a number of pointy-headed academics whose careers are built around building a "big idea" around themselves. However, very few actual policymakers actually fall into a specific camp; the nature of the policymaking game requires one to make policy on a case-by-case basis. It is a good thing that most realist, neo-realist, post-neo-realists, post-raisin bran academics don't make policy. --- Then again, to buy Drezner's argument you pretty much have to assume that individuals can be neatly pigeonholed into precise academic categories that we teach all of our students in International Relations 101. That is probably true for a number of pointy-headed academics whose careers are built around building a "big idea" around themselves. However, very few actual policymakers actually fall into a specific camp; the nature of the policymaking game requires one to make policy on a case-by-case basis. It is a good thing that most realist, neo-realist, post-neo-realists, post-raisin bran academics don't make policy.

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