Realism, taken to its logical end, is non-interventionist

Again, the above statement could easily be taken to be the rambling of a hippy.  However, it is anything but.  It is a more realistic statement than anything we have seen come out of the American press about the conflict in the Middle East since its beginning.  And until America makes the difficult choice to cease viewing the world in terms of value judgments and “good vs. evil” and instead is able to understand that realism entails understanding the base motivations of individuals, the conflict in the Middle East will find no end.

Would an American withdrawal from the region lead to a perfect, harmonious world?  No, of course it would not.  But the question is rather one of costs vs. benefits, and after viewing the equation through the lens of true realism, it is my opinion that an American withdrawal would bring about far more benefits that it would costs.

Elliot Engstrom is a 2010 graduate of Wake Forest University, where he majored in French with a double minor in history and journalism, and a member of the University of Georgia School of Law Class of 2013. Aside from his schoolwork and contributions to the Daily Caller, he writes for Young Americans for Liberty, Learning From Dogs, and Rethinking the State.