Dinesh D'Souza, author and fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, will give a lecture tonight titled "In Defense of American Empire," at 8 p.m. in Salomon 101.
D'Souza was one of the first editors of the cutting-edge conservative publication the Dartmouth Review during his years at Dartmouth College in the 1980s. He was senior domestic policy analyst at the White House from 1987-88 under President Ronald Reagan, and has done extensive research on higher education, civil rights, cultural issues and politics and the economy and society, according to D'Souza's Web site. He has published a number of books, including "The End of Racism," "Illiberal Education: The Politics of Race and Sex on Campus" and "What's So Great About America?"
In tonight's lecture, sponsored by the College Republicans, D'Souza will address post-Sept. 11 foreign policy from a broad perspective and will focus heavily on the topics of "What's So Great About America?" his most recent book, according to Christopher McAuliffe '05, president of the College Republicans.
D'Souza draws heavily on his experiences at Dartmouth and reflects on his perspective as an Indian immigrant to argue against affirmative action and for the global supremacy of Western institutions, McAuliffe said. D'Souza argues that the reality of the American dream and the United States' emphasis on individualism make it the easiest society for any minority to succeed.
D'Souza is known for his pro-global capitalism, pro-colonialist point of view, McAuliffe said. D'Souza defends Western culture and values to the rest of the world and believes that their spread across the globe is beneficial to all.
In "Two Cheers for Colonialism," one of the most controversial chapters in "What's So Great About America?," D'Souza writes that colonialism was degrading to those who were colonized, but that descendants of colonialist societies ultimately gain from the incorporation of Western institutions, law, education and ideals of opportunity into their lives.
McAuliffe said he chose to invite D'Souza because he was personally inspired by D'Souza's compelling arguments regarding the dominance of Western institutions. McAuliffe hopes that people will attend the lecture not only because D'Souza is a high-profile speaker but also because of his academic perspective. The lecture is free and open to the public.
