We'll Need to Lead from the Front Again

After President Obama's effort to let the forces of history defeat bad actors and his decision to let allies fend for themselves (euphemistically called "leading from behind"), America will have to face the fact that we either defend the West that we built after World War II, or watch foes continue to tear down that structure and take what they want, weakening the West (tip to Instapundit):

Having the kind of world we really want—safe, prosperous, democratic—is not fully achievable no matter what we do. And having a tolerable world involves working harder, spending more, and putting more skin in the game than we want. A different kind of statesmanship, harder-edged and less sentimental, is going to be needed. Pretending to have a Russia policy will no longer be enough; we will have to choose between the unpalatable alternatives of effectively blocking Russian moves or acquiescing in Russian wins. Brutal clarity rather than liberal pink cloud thinking is the rising force in international affairs.

I'm not sure what President-elect Trump has in mind, but at least we know the Karma Doctrine just won't do.