U.S. President George W. Bush's progressive critics used to call themselves members of the "reality based community." The phrase was first popularized by Ron Suskind in a lengthy criticism of Bush's so-called war on terror. Bush and his team were blinded by the moral certainties of ideology, whereas their critics understood the world as it is.
Reading through President Barack Obama's new 2015 National Security Strategy, I think it's time to resurrect the phrase, because this document bears very little relation to reality, at least in the Middle East.
A reality-based national security strategy might go something like this: "In my presidency, forces have been unleashed in the Middle East that have disrupted the American-led world order forged in the aftermath of World War II. While it's possible that an infusion of American troops could deter Sunni and Shiite extremists, I was elected twice with a promise to end wars, and I doubt the American people have the stomach for this kind of commitment. So we are just going to have to accept a less stable Middle East, where leaders and citizens who share and cherish our values will be under constant threat and in perpetual retreat."
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