>the lack of strategic vision

The vision is that through liberal democracy we can achieve world peace.

Believe it or not, it doesnt matter. That is the core of US foreign policy and there are ~300M americans that believe that. Only leadership can really change that.

Also

> Can you imagine the hubris of trying to tell people in some remote village that the way men and women relate to each other has to change through a translator, because some tall buildings in a place they've never heard of got destroyed?

Religion and Military occupation do this, lets not pretend this doesnt work.

I find it interesting, you have some mix of realpolitik but you have a cynicism that takes away your ability to see reality.