I was living in Germany when Reagan was first elected. He had the reputation as a real fire breather and anti-Communist who wanted to confront (“engage” just doesn’t mean the same any more), the Soviet Union. I remember my landlord asking about how serious Americans were…that is, would we stick around or back off when the going got tough. There was no mention of “what if you piss off the Russians”, just would we back up our words. I heard similar questions from other Germans. I am afraid whether Americans will stick around or not is a question that shouldn’t be asked, but is, and, unfortunately, rightly so.