Aach, we are already in election campaign season. A time when reason and realism fly out the window, leaving behind a disorderly cacophony of rhetoric, much of which is aimed at positioning a candidate. The foreign-policy and national security rhetoric in this campaign season, largely on the Republican side, is an obvious appeal for primary votes, but it has little to do with explaining global realities or real foreign-policy and national security challenges and opportunities.

It will be a hard chore to sort through this rhetorical swamp for the next 18 months, until the next president is inaugurated. Most of it needs to be drained into the septic tank of history — that is to say, ignored. But that will be hard. Position papers will fly; surrogate representatives for the candidates will pontificate at issue fora; accusations and debate points will be scored.

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