Realism is supporting the lesser of two evils. Idealism is saying "a pox on both your houses", standing aside and letting the bigger threat win, even if that is against our interests. Realism is why we sided with the Soviets against the Nazis. It is also why we sided with the Afghan mujahideen against the Soviets, even though only one of the sides was a product of the European Enlightenment. At best, the policy you've described is of idealism, and at worst it is one of appeasement, which is why ostrich-cons (i.e. people like Pat Buchanan who believe that the consolidation of East Asia under Imperial Japanese rule and of Europe under Nazi rule was no threat to American security) have, along with liberals, attempted to beautify it by redefining realism to mean appeasement.