"The lack of pretense is almost insulting", that really hits the nail on the head.  The naked disdain shows that they think nothing can be done to them, and they might well be right-but it might also be a miscaluclation.  The GW Bush years are the essence of the abandonment of any pretense that anything other than naked force is of any avail, but the disasters are pretty obvious and the pressure is building.  The real problem is that we don't have any real fundamental options.

Biden, whom I like in some respects, is a clear hawk and a centrist.  His words on the Georgian crises don't display much appreciation for the history of that region, and the whole garbage about reclaiming leadership in the world, and all the things that Obama can do for us are really just nonsense.  We need to just get back to respectability, and we need to do much work getting our own house in order.  This will be just a start, and I'm not very happy with our standard-bearers, but they are worlds better than the other option.

"I said, 'Wait a minute, Chester, You know I'm a peaceful man...'" Robbie Robertson