Rubio further contends, like George W. Bush, that the promotion of American “values” will reliably work to extend American interests. What this means in practice is three things: 1) an added dose of hypocrisy to any American foreign policy decision in which there are no liberal counterparties, like, say, forming an anti-ISIS coalition in the Middle East; 2) an exaggeration of the importance and revolutionary potential of liberal political movements around the globe; and 3) an enticement to potential rebels, of whatever stripe, to falsely dress their bid for power in the rhetoric of Western liberalism and the colors of the American flag, in the hope of receiving American aid or, better yet, air support.

Rubio’s vision is a recipe for expanding the budget of the Pentagon, over-extending an already war-wearied military class, broadening NATO’s membership and its mission through sheer belligerence, and involving the United States more deeply in a region where it has shown no ability to create peace.

Rubio’s vision is for a Great Society gone global, in which everyone is taken care of by Uncle Sam. If he or anyone else seriously tries to implement this vision, we will get precisely what Bush gave us: economic and diplomatic exhaustion.