I must say that the Atlantic's thorough exploration of President Obama's realism in foreign matters was a most welcome read.
The article reveals a president who is, above all else, practical and clear headed. He views threats in very concrete terms:
ISIS, Al Qaeda and other international terrorist groups are a direct threat to American security, but not an existential clash of civilizations. The proper response to them is a combination of drone strikes, special forces, intelligence and law enforcement. Not mass invasion.
Our Middle Eastern 'allies' are terrible and it does not serve us well to get into the middle of their internal and sectarian disputes. Civil wars are terrible things, but not our problem. We should want an Iran that is a less dangerous enemy and that should be the limit of our involvement in their affairs.
Europe wants America to do all the work they should be doing themselves. President Obama says they should solve their own problems and when they do, we can be helpful.
We should welcome a stable, growing China into the international order. American interests are better placed by focusing on Southeast Asia, Latin America and Africa. The article notably didn't delve much into North Korea, but by observation the President has continued the long held American policy of leaving the matter to China and maintenance of the ability to crush the regime quickly if it spirals out of control.
Russia is a diminished power. We should only get involved when NATO allies or Japan come into conflict with them. Russia shows no appetite for such a conflict. As for whatever else they do along their borders... meh.
When asked to categorize his views, he named four basic boxes in which to place most American foreign policy. Isolationism he dismissed as undoable in the modern world. Liberal Interventionism in the McKinley, Wilson, Kennedy and George W Bush tradition he said was too costly and ultimately counter-productive. Internationalism in the Truman, Eisenhower and George H. W. Bush bold was something he was occasionally given to see as a necessity. But most of all he considers himself a realist in the FDR mold. Intelligent diplomacy must be at the top, military action should be careful and considered. But when military action is called for, it should be used decisively and 'right-sized' to the scope of the threat at hand.
Most importantly he dismisses the value of bellicose rhetoric.
I was also gratified that he considers his biggest failure to be Libya, as many of us were warning at the time. He said point blank that it was a mistake. The 'stupid shit' of his 'don't do stupid shit' policy.
At the end of the day, what his policy constitutes is a lack of any 'put it in a box' doctrine. Instead of being guided by high minded principles of people who will never bleed for their ideas, he takes things on a case by case basis. He says American leadership in the world is essential for our security and prosperity, but that diplomacy is the key to success. And when asked what was the most important threat to America in the future he was clear: climate change.
Bravo President Obama. Well done.