EP 84: Paul Wolfowitz on Fighting Dictators, Encouraging Freedom, & his Problem w/ the Term &quo

My guest is Paul Wolfowitz, former President of the World Bank, Deputy Secretary of Defense, and Ambassador to Indonesia. Today the world’s most famous neoconservative will tell us why he doesn’t like the term neocon. He'll talk about how his hatred of dictators and the teachings of Leo Strauss have shaped his own political philosophy, and how that has led to a lifelong passion for promoting freedom and combatting corruption as the first step to ending global poverty and preventing wars. Ambassador Wolfowitz will discuss both U.S. conflicts in Iraq and how Saddam Hussein's cynical manipulation of Iraqi Islamists may have inadvertently lead to ISIS. He will discuss his time as Ambassador to Indonesia and how that country might be a good template for democracy and reform in the Muslim world. He’ll share some great advice he once got from Secretary of State George Schultz and voice his concerns over the Iran nuclear deal and North Korean missile tests.

Special thanks to the Milken Institute for hosting this interview during the 2016 Milken Global Conference. Visit www.milkeninstitute.org to learn more. If you enjoyed today’s episode, then you can keep up with Paul Wolfowitz's work and writings at www.aei.org. You can also follow the American Enterprise Institute on Twitter at @AEI.