His current Spengler column for PJ Media demolishes the nation-building hubris of the Bush-era neocons. Goldman derides the neocon anger at Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) for highlighting their continued defense of the indefensible. He writes:
The Bushies who blundered so badly – occupying Iraq, pushing for the West Bank elections won by Hamas, supporting the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt against the Egyptian military – are still fighting for what is left of their reputations. And their greatest fear is that a Republican leader will come along untainted by their mistakes, and able to admit what we Republicans should have admitted years ago: the Bush administration made some big mistakes.Sad recent history demonstrates conclusively that the U.S. is not adept at nation-building. It is something a people must do for themselves and the process is often unpleasant. Our foreign adventures should be limited to supporting nations who support us, and punishing opposition when it goes beyond mere words.
The neo-cons will not (and cannot) take on the conservative foreign policy sages who don’t believe in their fairy-dust approach to nation-building. (snip) The American electorate does not have oracular powers, but it is not entirely stupid, either. Americans revolted against the sacrifices demanded of it in pursuit of nation-building abroad, and were right to do so.
