RIPON, Wis. – A new book by Lamont Colucci, professor of politics and government at Ripon College, dissects the dramatic shift in American foreign policy post-9/11 and examines the “Bush Doctrine” through the lens of history. The book will be a focal point of a presentation, Q&A and book signing by the author at 7 p.m. Sept. 11, 2008 in the Great Hall of Harwood Memorial Union.

Crusading Realism (University Press, 2008) asserts that American foreign policy during the Bush presidency did not occur in a vacuum, but is instead a natural outgrowth of the tensions, rivalries, and debates that have bedeviled American foreign policy for more than 200 years.

“This book had a single inspiration: the smoking twin towers,” says Colucci. “The event was a catalyst that created the single most important shift in American national security strategy in 50 years by returning us to our revolutionary war roots. The purpose of this book is to explain and illustrate this shift in what many have labeled the Bush Doctrine.”

Dr. Lamont Colucci has experience as a diplomat with the U.S. Department of State. His primary area of expertise is United States national security and United States foreign policy. At Ripon, he is also the coordinator for the newly established National Security Studies program and teaches courses on national security, foreign policy, intelligence, terrorism, and international relations. He is a contributing author of The Day That Changed Everything: Looking at the Impact of 9/11 at the End of the Decade. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a doctorate in politics from the University of London, and he was the 2007 recipient of Ripon's Severy Excellence in Teaching award.

Dr. Colucci’s presentation is free and open to the public.

From the Blurb:
Crusading Realism discusses the presidential dominance of American foreign policy and the religiosity and leadership style of President George W. Bush. Contrasting the post-9/11 Bush administration with its earlier incarnation and with that of its immediate predecessor, the development of a distinctive policy position founded on pre-emption, prevention, primacy, and the promotion of democracy is examined. The emergence of the Bush Doctrine from 2001-2003 is analyzed in relation to four distinct phases: its genesis, initial development, further evolution, and maturation. The Bush Doctrine in this period culminates in the decision to invade Iraq in the light of the heightened sense of threat occasioned by a 'toxic nexus' of trans-national terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, and rogue states. The standard accounts of neo-conservative coup are re-assessed and dismissed. Attempts to characterize the Bush Doctrine in terms of Realism, Idealism or other theories of international relations are considered, and the concept of Crusading Realism returns America to its political roots in the idea of natural law, the American Revolution, and the foundation of the Republic.

About Ripon College
Ripon College, founded in 1851, prepares students of diverse interests for lives of productive, socially responsible citizenship. Ripon’s liberal arts curriculum and residential campus create an intimate learning community in which students experience a richly personalized education. Ripon has consistently been recognized as a “best value” and “Best 368 College” by The Princeton Review, a “Best Buy in College Education” by Barron’s, a “Best Liberal-Arts College” by Washington Monthly, one of America's Best Colleges by Forbes, and is listed among the 160 best schools in the nation by Colleges of Distinction. For more information about Ripon College, visit www.ripon.edu.

Lamont Colucci