All too true. When barbarians, Muslims, or other enemies of the West get the upper hand in military power, civilization takes a step backward, sometimes for centuries. The decline of realism in American public life is an ominous trend that commonly leads to military budgets getting cut and a lessened emphasis on military effectiveness. I have no doubt that many of the people who are now outraged about our troop withdrawal from Syria will soon be demanding that the Pentagon’s spending be curtailed in favor of social programs.
Well, they were going to do that anyway. Funny how neither the society nor the poor ever benefit from "social programs".