Eisenhower, George H.W. Bush, and Reagan all occupied the space in between the extremes of foreign policy. Their foreign policies took into account the world as it was and reacted to it by making us stronger and self-reliant. Their foreign policy realism rejects the Wilsonian vision of re-creating the world in our image or the utopian vision of nation building. Our government has trouble running the post office. What makes it think it can somehow be successful building nations abroad? Foreign policy realism also rejects the idea that we are the world’s policemen.
