The Road to Iraq: Part 9
Neither the "Containment" foreign policies of the Kennedy and Johnson administrations nor the "Realpolitik" policies of the Nixon and Ford administrations were to the liking of the Straussians. While either of these policies might properly differentiate friends from foes, both allowed the continuation of the existence foes rather than their elimination through direct military action and replacement with suitable "changes in regimes".
During this period, however, a number of prominent Straussians did gain government experience. Paul Wolfowitz served on the staff of Senator Henry M. Jackson. In 1972, at the recommendation of Albert Wohlstetter, he served in the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (ACDA) under Fred Ikle. Wohlstetter, a professor at the Univeristy of Chicago, chaired the dissertation committees of both Wolfowitz and Zalmay Khalilzad, and Richard Perle dated his daughter. He was an inspiration for the movie "Dr. Strangelove".
Peter Rodman was a member of the National Security Council under both Nixon and Ford. Following the fall of Saigon, Richard Armitage was an advisor to the Department of Defense under Nixon and Ford.
It was also during this period that a number of prominent Straussians "fellow travelers" gained government experience. Richard Cheney worked under Donald Rumsfield in the Office of Economic Opportunity during the Nixon administration. When Rumsfield, later Gerald Ford's Chief of Staff, was named Secretary of Defense, Cheney became Chief of Staff. Cheney and Rumsfield were instrumental in urging Ford to replace CIA Director William Colby (for having revealed information on CIA activities to the Church Commission) with George H. W. Bush.
But, mostly, the Staussians took jobs in academia and Straussian think tanks, and waited for the right public face to come along.
During this period, however, a number of prominent Straussians did gain government experience. Paul Wolfowitz served on the staff of Senator Henry M. Jackson. In 1972, at the recommendation of Albert Wohlstetter, he served in the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (ACDA) under Fred Ikle. Wohlstetter, a professor at the Univeristy of Chicago, chaired the dissertation committees of both Wolfowitz and Zalmay Khalilzad, and Richard Perle dated his daughter. He was an inspiration for the movie "Dr. Strangelove".
Peter Rodman was a member of the National Security Council under both Nixon and Ford. Following the fall of Saigon, Richard Armitage was an advisor to the Department of Defense under Nixon and Ford.
It was also during this period that a number of prominent Straussians "fellow travelers" gained government experience. Richard Cheney worked under Donald Rumsfield in the Office of Economic Opportunity during the Nixon administration. When Rumsfield, later Gerald Ford's Chief of Staff, was named Secretary of Defense, Cheney became Chief of Staff. Cheney and Rumsfield were instrumental in urging Ford to replace CIA Director William Colby (for having revealed information on CIA activities to the Church Commission) with George H. W. Bush.
But, mostly, the Staussians took jobs in academia and Straussian think tanks, and waited for the right public face to come along.
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