The Return of History?

As an historian, I continually chafe at the "doomsday" rhetoric and the lack of historical perspective that infuse much of contemporary reporting. Whether you agree with Robert Kagan's particular argument, I appreciate his emphasis on how much of our current international situation is both consistent with long-standing American actions and with most "great-power" rivalries throughout recent centuries.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/07/end_of_dreams_return_of_histor.html

And, at the other extreme, I appreciate hearing from the actual people on the ground, in this case, General Petraeus, about what's going on.

http://hughhewitt.townhall.com/Transcript_Page.aspx?ContentGuid=484182dc-bf7c-42a7-ac74-9e270a9ef0f2