Michael Gerson, speechwriter and policy adviser to George W Bush, is reported as having said: His goals are deeply idealistic ... His methods are deeply realistic.
I think that means that his goals (say, ending tyranny and terrorism across the world) are unachievable, but that he's prepared to use immoral means (lying to the public, starting unjust wars, torturing suspects, that sort of thing) to achieve them. Can we have some deeply realistic goals (say, not getting enmeshed in a disastrous global war between United States forces and fundamentalist Islam, or reducing the national debt below five trillion dollars) and deeply idealistic methods (such as, um, not lying to the public, starting unjust wars, and torturing suspects) instead, please?
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