Akademische Verlagsgemeinschaft München From Impuls to Impact

U.S. American neo-conservatism has generated tremendous feedback since 9/11 and the period that is known as Global War on Terror (GWOT). Neo-conservatism is widely believed to be the dominant interpretation of U.S. foreign policy since 11th September 2001. The assumption that 9/11 was a neo-conservative moment can be seen as an indicator for this equation. This particular and un-reflected linking of official foreign policy with neo-conservative standpoints is understood as a naturalistic fallacy. Such a change in communicative structures is an expression of the presence of certain culture specific background templates. The GWOT was articulated against this background which included elements of the U.S. American myth arsenal such as the Myth of the Frontier and its Savage War narrative. The GWOT appears to be a continuation of past dominant discourse patterns such as the Cold War in order to manage a crisis situation and create meaning and justification for political decisions.