Wayne’s brand of toughness came to shape conservative views of American foreign policy.

Evidence

For veterans like Kovic, the disconnect between expectation and reality led to disillusionment. Many conservatives, however, continued to cling fiercely to the role of the military in defining American manhood and preserving American greatness. Those inspired by Wayne’s bravado came to see all of life as a war, and toughness as a virtue. This had repercussions on a personal level, and on a global one. Indeed, critics characterized American foreign policy in the 1960s and 1970s as afflicted with a “John Wayne syndrome.” — Kristin Kobes Du Mez, Jesus and John Wayne, 132

Categorization

• DEFINE: Introduces the ‘John Wayne syndrome’ — a specific, nameable cultural-political phenomenon worth keeping defined.
• XREF: connects to: John Wayne functioned as a political icon tying militant masculinity to conservatism. — Kristin Kobes Du Mez, Jesus and John Wayne: How White…, 127; Elite rejection of Wayne’s films reinforced conservative embattlement and resolve. — Kristin Kobes Du Mez, Jesus and John Wayne: How White…, 128
• yield-rescued: below the book’s yield-target cutoff, included anyway for connecting to: John Wayne functioned as a political icon tying militant masculinity to conservatism. — Kristin Kobes Du Mez, Jesus and John Wayne: How White…, 127; Elite rejection of Wayne’s films reinforced conservative embattlement and resolve. — Kristin Kobes Du Mez, Jesus and John Wayne: How White…, 128