info_outline
Was George H. W. Bush Truly a Realist? Understanding His Approach to International Diplomacy
10/13/2026
Was George H. W. Bush Truly a Realist? Understanding His Approach to International Diplomacy
We welcome Dr. Samuel Helfont to examine the foreign policy legacy of President George H. W. Bush. Conventional wisdom often frames Bush 41 as the quintessential realist practitioner. However, in his recent TNSR article, Dr. Helfont directly challenges this narrative. Drawing from archival records, National Security Council transcripts, and Bush’s personal diaries, Helfont argues that Bush’s foreign policy was deeply rooted in liberal internationalism, emphasizing international law, collective security, democratic development, and multilateral institutions. Our discussion explores how Bush exercised prudence with discipline across pivotal historic events, including the Gulf War, German unification, Lithuanian independence, and US-China diplomacy following Tiananmen Square. Guests: Dr. Samuel Helfont | Associate Professor of Strategy and Policy in the Naval War College program at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, and Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University Hosts: | Editor-in-Chief of the Texas National Security Review | Executive Editor of the Texas National Security Review Producer: | Digital and Technical Manager of the Texas National Security Review
/episode/index/show/hornsofadilemma/id/43280503
