Unfortunately, we do need to return to that policy - because that is the only way militant political Islam will ever be defeated. We need to become more vicious, more ruthless than our enemy. We need to make it so bad for them that the mere thought of us will throw them into a paralyzing panic.
What do you think of the old policy of installing a strongman regime of their sworn enemies to rule over them and screw them morning, noon and night for the next few decades; flagrantly violating all norms of civilized behavior?
They get rode hard and whipped into line, and we don’t have to deal with hard nuclear warfighting strategic changes with the Chinese and Russians.