In a letter to the editor of The New Republic ("The Real World," TNR, 8/9/04) Christopher Preble, John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt point out that the neoconservatives, in their zeal to impose democracy in the Middle East, ignored nationalism "the most powerful political ideology in the world." The end result, the authors warn, has made the United States' terrorism problem worse, not better. Kaplan, in his response, claimed that his article "amounts to a brief against imposing democracy by force."

Let the readers decide. For the next few weeks, the Coalition for a Realistic Foreign Policy will host a discussion surrounding these and other articles.

We encourage you to read and comment, and to suggest other articles or blog postings that can shed light on this crucial debate over the direction of U.S. foreign policy.

Please note: This is a moderated forum, and all submissions will be reviewed before posting online. Please include a working e-mail address with your submission.