All three of [Obama's] choices — Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton as the rival turned secretary of state; Gen. James L. Jones, the former NATO commander, as national security adviser, and Robert M. Gates, the current and future defense secretary — have embraced a sweeping shift of priorities and resources in the national security arena.The shift would create a greatly expanded corps of diplomats and aid workers that, in the vision of the incoming Obama administration, would be engaged in projects around the world aimed at preventing conflicts and rebuilding failed states …. “a rebalancing of America’s national security portfolio” after a huge investment in new combat capabilities during the Bush years.
Investing actual buckaroonies in the capacity to do things other than kill folks and blow stuff up? Now there’s an interesting idea! Matt Yglesias calls this “Good news.” I’ll say!
