Fukuyama: The Ideas are Right, They Just Screwed It Up

In his NY Times Magazine article, Francis Fukuyama, a leading proponent of neoconservatism, seemed to renounce the neocon war in Iraq. However, while articulating a generally liberal foreign policy, he still clung to the ideas of neoconservatism. One thing that was correct is his call to avoid isolationism. It will be difficult with the amount of damage the Bush administration did to American credibility abroad, as well as to the belief many Americans held that foreign policy could accomplish the goal of benefitting American interests abroad. However, Fukuyama's essay reeked of a "don't blame me" mentality where he accuses the administration of misinterpreting the neoconservative message. He appears to still believe in the neoconservative ideology, while disagreeing with the Bush administration's tactics. While it is admirable to admit that the criticisms of the war in Iraq, made before the war even started, were valid, it does nothing to stop the death and destruction occuring on a daily basis as a direct result of an administration's policies which Fukuyama supported.