Hard Power of the "Realists" : Maginot Line, Singapore , Prince of Wales and Repulse

As long as we have 'realists', we will have bloody long bloody wars

Foreign Affairs 'realists' are men and women who don't give a toss about suffering humanity in general and who claim that humanity's bonds stop at artificially drawn-up national boundaries.

As a result, they say our concerns about our neighbour's difficulties should extend no further than to determining their national status ; if they are one of 'us' , then by all means defend them.

But if these suffering humans are foreigners , then only help them to the extent that it helps our "interests" (inevitably that really means economic interests) in their area - otherwise cast them adrift to their fate.