The World That Is vs. the World That Should Be

We've all seen it with foreign policy. We should have been cooler to Iran, we shouldn't be that eager to work with Saudi Arabia. We should do this with China and be super cool dudes here. We shouldn't have interfered in this action thirty some odd years ago. We should have supported this guy over that guy who turned out to be a gigantic shitbag murdering tyrant. There is a world that is, and the world that should be. You can live in whichever one you like, but you have to pick one and you don't get to bitch and complain when reality smacks you hard in the face for living in a fantasy world.It's quite easy today to pick and choose how our foreign policy should have played out fifty years ago, hell even ten years ago...maybe even dun dun duhhhhh a year ago, but the truth is foreign policy is and always will be a gamble. The world that should be is a pipe dream, it's a world where everyone gets along and doesn't try to start shit with each other and hold grudges like a petty teenager who thinks that being the most popular in guy/girl in high school is equivalent to creating some sort of acne medicine fueled dynasty.That's the world that should be. But it isn't the world that is. The world that is, has brought both perceived and very real threats to our nation. Sometimes we've acted properly and within reason. Other times, and sadly more often than not, we've gambled wrong and we've had to deal with the blowback. So has the rest of the world. Which puts us where we are today.Should we get into a war with Iran? No. Will we? Not sure. Should we get into a war with China, Russia, Venezuela or North Korea? Again no. But will we? Maybe...Depends on how diplomacy works out. But the options we've listed are strong possibilities based on the decisions that both WE and THE OTHER COUNTRIES have made. America doesn't exist in a vacuum and truth be told, we'd be happy to see everyone deescalate. But just as much as we're not, neither are the other guys. We're not trying to justify our aggression or justify anyone else's for that matter, but at this point, since nobody is going to wipe the slate clean, it is what it is and that's the world we live in.It's unfortunate that the world that is, is so violent. It's unfortunate that we've made mistakes in foreign policy, and it's unfortunate that we'll make others in the future, not really sure what the answer is at this point. Maybe a WW3 scenario where the U.S. kicks everyone's ass then we all wipe the slate clean is the best answer. Start from scratch if you will. Or maybe we just continue with an uneasy peace accompanied by numerous low-intensity small scale proxy wars for the next 300 years. Which would be more merciful? That's a question you'll have to decide for yourself.