The foreign-policy establishment is like that powerful uncle in the family. Nobody admits to knowing what he does exactly, but you have heard rumors. He has roughed up people in the past, maybe even worse, but you are assured that the people who got whacked totally deserved it. You’re a little bit torn about morality, but he is family and you don’t want to be a rat. Plus there are a lot of benefits: nobody fu*ks with you in the town, you get free drinks in bars etc. So you look the other way and life goes on…

Keep your enemies closer