--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: most discussions of George W. Bush’s…" description: "\"“most discussions of George W. Bush’s foreign policy focus on the supposed innovation of a small group of neoconservative intellectuals in asserting th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a4/greg-grandin-37800_american-military_most-discussions-of-george-w-bush-s-fore_2292874.jpg" --- # most discussions of George W. Bush’s foreign policy focus… ![“most discussions of George W. Bush’s foreign policy focus on the supposed innovation of a small group of neoconservative intellectuals in asserting the right to unilateral preemptive military action both to defend national security and to advance American ideals. But neither the neocons’ dire view…” quote by Greg Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a4/greg-grandin-37800_american-military_most-discussions-of-george-w-bush-s-fore_2292874.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a4/greg-grandin-37800_american-military_most-discussions-of-george-w-bush-s-fore_2292874.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2a4/greg-grandin-37800_american-military_most-discussions-of-george-w-bush-s-fore_2292874.jpg) > ““most discussions of George W. Bush’s foreign policy focus on the supposed innovation of a small group of neoconservative intellectuals in asserting the right to unilateral preemptive military action both to defend national security and to advance American ideals. But neither the neocons’ dire view of a crisis-ridden world that justifies the use of unilateral and brutal American military power nor their utopian vision of the same world made whole and happy by that power is new. Both have been fully in operation in Washington’s approach to Latin America for over a century. The history of the United States in Latin America is cluttered with “preemptive” interventions that even the most stalwart champions of U.S. hegemony have trouble defending.”” [Greg Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-grandin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Grandin argues that US interventions in Latin America have long used preemptive justifications, showing a pattern of unilateral power rather than novel neocon ideas. **In simple terms:** US has a history of preemptive actions in Latin America, not just recent neocon ideas. Key Takeaway Recognize recurring intervention patterns. Themes history foreign policy intervention Mood analytical historical Type political critical When to use this quote - Latin America - US foreign policy - military strategy Key Concepts imperialism preemptive doctrine Questions to Reflect On - What motivates repeated preemptive interventions? - How can policy shift toward multilateralism? A Different Perspective Focusing on history may overlook evolving geopolitical contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-military/) [Cybersecurity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cybersecurity/) [Hegemony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hegemony/) [Latin america](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/latin-america/) [National security](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/national-security/) [Small Group](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/small-group/) ## Related quotes > [The neoconservative ideology supports American financial and military-political imperialism or hegemony.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-craig-roberts/the-neoconservative-ideology-supports-american-financial-and-military/) [Paul Craig Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-craig-roberts/) > [No matter the good news anywhere else, these nuke-hungry rogue states will provide grounds for bad-mouthing Bush foreign policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-lowry/no-matter-the-good-news-anywhere-else-these-nuke-hungry-rogue-states/) [Rich Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-lowry/) > [A neoconservative is a liberal who's been mugged by reality. 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Between 1985 and 1992, over two thousand government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-grandin/in-chile-everything-from-kindergarten-to-cemeteries-and-community/) [Greg Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-grandin/) > [“IT WOULD BE tempting to read the story of Fordlandia and Belterra as a parable of arrogance,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-grandin/it-would-be-tempting-to-read-the-story-of-fordlandia-and-belterra-as/) [Greg Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-grandin/) > [“Another visitor described them as “midget hells, where one lies awake and sweats the first half of the night, and frequently between midnight and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-grandin/another-visitor-described-them-as-midget-hells-where-one-lies-awake/) [Greg Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-grandin/) > [“All told, U.S. allies in Central America during Reagan's two terms killed over 300,000 people, tortured hundreds of thousands, and drove millions into exile.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-grandin/all-told-u-s-allies-in-central-america-during-reagan-s-two-terms/) [Greg Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-grandin/) > [“Unlike European empires, ours was supposed to entail a concert of equal, sovereign democratic American republics, with shared interests and values, led but not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-grandin/unlike-european-empires-ours-was-supposed-to-entail-a-concert-of/) [Greg Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-grandin/) > [“But the most profound irony is currently on display at the very site of Ford’s most ambitious attempt to realize his pastoralist vision. 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But neither the neocons’ dire view of a crisis-ridden world that justifies the use of unilateral and brutal American military power nor their utopian vision of the same world made whole and happy by that power is new. Both have been fully in operation in Washington’s approach to Latin America for over a century. 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