Who do you think Biden and his retinue think of as one of the foundational thinkers of the American national project. Jon Locke? Thomas Jefferson? Maybe, if we are lucky, FDR? Hell, given their political inclinations Strom Thurmond is more likely. Maybe Henry Kissinger? Ancient, mostly irrelevant thinkers, or people with highly specific ideology to their time. No large materialist thinkers, no city builders.

I forgot exactly who said it or started it but last year at the start of the war one of the talking points from some people is the realization the difference between Kissinger and the neolibs in charge today is that Kissinger would not be stupid enough to make these mistakes and even double down on them.