Idealistic Presidents Mugged by Reality

For anyone who read my formal book review on US foreign policy you will enjoy today’s NYT op/ed by the editor of Foreign Affairs. It basically says that the Bush doctrine has turned decidedly more pragmatic after a first term of lofty idealism. And this is nothing new in our presidential history. You start dedicated to moralistic foreign policy and then you are mugged by reality. I find idealism an important factor in decision making but pragmatism always wins in my book.