Why the Right Loves Foreign Dictators (w/ Jacob Heilbrunn)
Mar 11, 2024
auto_awesome
Explore the right's century-long romance with foreign dictators from Kaiser Wilhelm to Mussolini. Discover the link between race science and fear of democracy, the pivot from Nazi revisionism to Cold War, and the consequences of neoconservatism. Unravel the distinction between authoritarianism and totalitarianism, and the potential disaster of a second Trump term.
Right-wing historical fascination with foreign dictators dates back to early 20th century, not just modern times.
The transition of the right from pre- to post-World War II ideologies led to staunch anti-communist sentiments.
Conservative admiration for authoritarian leaders persisted through the Cold War, reflecting a unique aspect of their foreign policy.
Deep dives
The Right's Historical Affinity with Foreign Dictators
The right has a long-standing historical fascination with foreign dictators dating back to figures like Franco, Mussolini, and Hitler, extending up to modern times with Putin and Orban. This fascination has been explored in various intellectual and political circles, highlighting how the right has embraced dictators as part of their foreign policy narrative.
The Evolution from Isolationism to Cold War Advocacy
The podcast delves into the transition of the right from isolationist views pre-World War II to strong support for a Cold War stance post-World War II. Figures such as Senator Joseph McCarthy and Lawrence Dennis exemplify this shift, where criticism of America's involvement in World War II transformed into staunch anti-communist sentiments during the Cold War.
Conservative Resistance During the Cold War
Amidst the Cold War era, certain conservative voices like Murray Rothbard and Harry Homer Barnes maintained their consistent critiques, questioning the U.S. foreign policy narrative and apprehensions towards the communist threat. Their ideological stance remained unaltered despite the prevailing anti-communist fervor.
Authoritarian Tendencies and Cold War Alliances
The podcast sheds light on how the right's admiration for authoritarian leaders extended into the Cold War context. Figures like Salazar, Trujillo, and support for regimes like apartheid in South Africa and Franco in Spain emphasized the right's affinity for strongman leadership and anti-communist alliances, marking a distinctive feature of their foreign relations narrative.
Conservative Movement's Affection for Authoritarian Regimes
The podcast delves into the conservative movement's historical alignment with authoritarian regimes worldwide. It highlights figures like Liepman, who, despite being a prominent conservative in the 1950s, criticized the movement's hostility towards minorities and involvement in controversial dealings. The discussion extends to the admiration of Pinochet, with National Review supporting him even after grave atrocities. The episode illuminates how conservative stances, such as those towards Pinochet and the American Chilean Council, reflect a concerning pattern of support for autocrats.
Neoconservative Legacy and Rise of Trump
Another focal point of the podcast involves examining the repercussions of the Iraq War and the subsequent discrediting of neoconservative foreign policies. The narrative explores how this shift created space for Trump's ascendancy and the resurgence of paleo-conservative ideals. By unraveling the ideological fractures within the Republican Party, the episode underscores how critiques of neoconservatives post-Iraq War played a pivotal role in reshaping the conservative landscape and paving the way for Trump's unconventional rise to power.
The right's romance with odious foreign dictators didn't start with Putin or Viktor Orbán, and their profound contempt for democracy long predates January 6. In his new book, America Last: The Right's Century-Long Romance with Foreign Dictators, Jacob Heilbrunn traces this tradition on the right—in many ways their most deeply rooted and enduring tradition in foreign affairs—back over a century to the embrace of Kaiser Wilhelm during World War I and envy of Mussolini to the present. In this discussion, Matt and Sam ask Heilbrunn about the connection between race science and fear of democracy in the early 20th century, what the right saw in Italian fascism, the machinations of the right's pivot from Nazi revisionism to the onset of the Cold War, Jeane Kirkpatrick and the supposed distinction between authoritarianism and "totalitarianism," the profound consequences of the failure of neoconservatism, the coming disaster of a second Trump term, and more.
