May 08, 2008

Fred Kaplan's Daydream Believers

It's a good book on why US foreign and national security policies have gone off the rails in recent years. The core point seems to be this (p.192):

The great divide in thinking about American foreign policy today is not so much between Realists and Neoconservatives; it's between realists (with a small r) and fantasists. The split lies not in what is desirable over the long run but in what is possible here and now.

In telling the story of the (at least temporary) triumph of the fantastists Kaplan recounts the dangerous influence of Wohlstetter and his followers, Reagan's push for SDI, our bizarre policies relating toward North Korea, Rumsfeld's prioritization of transformation above all, and of course the Bush administration's policies toward the Middle East. It's a disheartening tale, but one filled with valuable and informative detail. And one that's in the end somewhat hopeful. US decision makers may finally be back on the road toward being reality-based.

Posted by armand at May 8, 2008 10:35 AM | TrackBack | Posted to Books


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