https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/30/opinion/foreign-policy-leaders-bush.html
q2604
You are witnessing, first-hand, the demise of those in power [OLD GUARD].
Those who push simply have no grasp of reality.
Those who push simply do not understand warfare tactics.
nyt today:
They are in their 80s and 90s now, national security titans from years past when certain values were broadly shared, like the imperative of America’s global leadership and the nation’s commitment to democracy, diplomacy and the North Atlantic alliance.
And with George H.W. Bush gone, it’s hard not to wonder how the tenor of American foreign policy discourse will change as the leaders of this bipartisan old guard --- Republicans Henry Kissinger (95), George Shultz (98), James Baker (88), Colin Powell (81) and Richard Lugar (86); Democrats Madeleine Albright (81), Sam Nunn (80), William Perry (91) and Lee Hamilton (87) — also disappear from the scene.
In various ways, they have continued to try to shape national security policy even after leaving office. All are moderates reflecting varying realist, internationalist, pragmatic and political tendencies. They value America’s alliances, especially with Europe; believe in American strength but not winner-take-all dominance; support working within the United Nations and other multinational institutions; understand the sustained effort needed to build trust with friends and manage adversaries; include human rights and rule of law as part of the agenda; and recognize the limits of cozying up to despots. Some of these values --- particularly the last — were observed mainly in the breach when these officials held high office.