While some trade-offs undoubtedly exist, the United States cannot just focus on a narrow subset of critical issues facing the world — particularly not if those are connected. If recent events demonstrate anything, it is that there is an international coalition of revisionists — an axis of evil, if you will — eager to replace what remains of the “rules-based international order” with barbarism and the principle of “might makes right.” Those forces are on the march in Ukraine, the Middle East, and can soon set fire to the Indo-Pacific.

For America and its allies, the only effective strategy is not to pick our battles carefully or exercise restraint. It consists of nipping our adversaries’ efforts in the bud wherever they stick out their heads — in Eastern Europe, in the Middle East, and in the Indo-Pacific. Being selective in responding is not a display of prudence nor of a nuanced understanding of the relative urgency. Instead, it signals weakness, thereby encouraging more bad behavior from our enemies.

Being the world’s policeman is expensive, of course. However, if there is a one thing worse than taking that role, it is for Americans to wake into a world that has no policemen — or into one that is policed by Iran’s mullahs, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping.

[I’d agree with that, but also with its flip side: supporting one does not necessarily mean that we can’t debate support for the others. Even as sympathetic as I am to the entire group discussed here, American resources are not unlimited and we do need to think in terms of priorities. The Israel question is easy, because Israel mainly needs us to refrain from interfering with what needs to be done in Gaza even when it gets ugly — and it will. — Ed]