Stephen Walt

And because we have to break a lot of rules to do it, this policy makes a mockery of our claim to support a rules-based order and gives others an excuse to break the rules themselves.

Now to be clear, we believe the United States should support the advance of liberty abroad, but primarily by creating a society in our own country that others will admire and want to emulate, rather than one that they resent or fear.

And here's what I mean.

The United States and South Korea have been allies for 75 years.

Until the late 1980s, South Korea was a brutal military dictatorship that violently repressed pro-democracy forces and employed torture, forced labor, and occasional massacres to hold power.

It wasn't North Korea, but it was far from free.

Did the United States set out to overthrow it?

No.

Instead, it worked patiently to persuade South Korea that there was a better way.

We sheltered pro-democracy exiles like Kim Dae-jung and then arranged for his safe return to his home country.

And in 1987, South Koreans rose up on their own to demand an end to military rule.

Today, South Korea is the 10th largest economy in the world, and according to Freedom House, it is a healthier democracy than the United States itself.

The lesson is clear.

Restraint works.

Crusading doesn't.

Bottom line is that John Quincy Adams was right.

America can best defend its interests, promote freedom, and foster a stable world order by setting a good example and not by engaging in an endless search for some new monster to slay.

We should not be crusaders, but instead use our power with wisdom and restraint.

Thank you.

But it is very important to emphasize there's no evidence that Iran even knew about October 7th, much less caused it.