Politics – and history – are beset by mythology. In the netherworld of America’s political subconscious, John F. Kennedy had nothing to do with starting the Vietnam War; Reagan never backed down from terrorism, least of all in Beirut; and the Cold War was fought by a remarkably amicable bipartisan consensus, with few arguments over missile defense, missile gaps, China, Vietnam, Chile, Nicaragua, Douglas MacArthur, or anything else.
These myths are unhelpful - not because they give credit where none is due, but because they prevent us from learning the right lessons from history. So in advance of Hillary Clinton’s formal campaign for president, let us put this one to bed right now: The Obama administration’s Russia reset never worked. Ever.
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