Rus: I would be happy to participate and, believe it or not, I can argue the point of the idealist. I can argue the Wilsonian point of view quite effectively, I just don’t believe in it.
I think WWII is a very good case in point regarding idealism versus cynicism. The US and Britain regarded Nazi Germany as a bulwark against Soviet Bolshevism and only went to war when Hitler went too far and invaded Poland. Once hostilities commenced, the US and Britain allowed the Russians to literally bleed themselves and the Germans white before invading France in 1944. Given that the US suffered approximately 400,000 war dead and the Russians lost 28 million really underscores that point.
As far as Africa goes: There is nothing there from a commercially exploitable viewpoint, and that explains the lack of both US presence and US involvement. Trade follows the flag. Cynical, but true.
One topic I would be interested in following up on would be the state of the world following the US exit from Iraq. This would postulate a US defeat and a hurried departure; something along the lines of our exit from Vietnam in spring of 1975.
