I'm ready to puke. All of this text and not one single word about American sovereignty. Not one single word about how one of these "21st century realities" is a large, well-armed collection of Islamofascists who desire to see all infidels wiped from the aforementioned "globe". Not one single word about the "21st-century reality" of Iran, Syria, and Hamas coming to power, and what they might do with a nuclear weapon.
Globalist, thy name is Hagel. I'm glad we won't have to hear this as his inauguration speech, largely because I believe the American people recognize that Hagel does not possess the "realistic, hopeful, and visionary" lens he speaks of.
Someday the people of NE should realize that they've been had and throw him out. I remember when he was first elected, as I was living there. He just appeared from the beltway and ran for Senate. He represents some cabal more than he repreents NE.
A hallmark of a Liberal is that they conjure up well-intentioned programs (ie, the Great Society) without reference to whether they worked. Thomas Sowell aptly described this as using self-congratulation as the basis for social policy. Self-congratulation is even worse as the basis for foreign policy (ie, Jimmy Carter).