Officials have an obligation to look beyond the current news cycle, and especially to understand that policy aimed at Syria, for example, engages policy toward Russia, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, and Israel. As a result, it is profoundly difficult to develop policies that enjoy support at every excruciating phase of their implementation.
政府官员必须摆脱眼前利益的羁绊去理解叙利亚政策，比方说与俄罗斯、伊拉克、黎巴嫩、埃及和以色列保持必要接触。因此，制定在所有痛苦的实施阶段都能受到支持的政策是非常困难的。明智的政策并不一定受到公众欢迎（这是真理，但同时也是老生常谈）。