This Day (An America 250 History Show) How We Got The "War On Terror" (2002) [Part 2]
Jan 29, 2026
A deep dive into the rise of neoconservative influence on early 2000s U.S. policy. They trace how wartime World War II language like 'axis' and 'evil' reshaped public rhetoric. The conversation follows the phrase's political reception, its role as a stepping stone to conflict in Iraq, and the long-term effects on surveillance and Islamophobia.
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Roots Of Neoconservative Foreign Policy
- Neoconservatism grew from former liberals rejecting the Great Society and antiwar pessimism.
- They pushed a muscular, democracy-spreading U.S. foreign policy that migrated into the GOP.
Religion Framed The Moral Case
- Bush's open faith and Christian-national imagery helped moralize the Iraq-era project.
- Speech changes like “evil” heightened theological framing for geopolitical aims.
Bible Verses On War Briefings
- Journalist Robert Draper found Rumsfeld briefings to Bush featuring Bible verses over combat photos.
- Those images show how religious symbolism saturated daily war decision-making.