Ethical Realism: A Foreign Policy for Unity '08

One of the most conentious issues dividing America today is our role in the world. Many would have you believe the choices are either isolation (let's leave everyone alone so they won't hate us) or imperialism (they all hate us anyway, so let's take them over first). Of course, the real world is much more nuanced than that. But more importantly, there actually is a coherent way to think about morality and pragmatism in foreign policy, and it is called Ethical Realism. It is being promoted by the New America Foundation, and even some Democrats are jumping on board.

I believe that if Unity '08 is to achieve its goals, somebody needs to claim this sort of moral high ground. Perhaps the Unity '08 must remain too resolutely non-partisan to take such a stand, but I'd love to see some of the putative candidates do so. If not, perhaps we in the grass roots need to take the initiative...