An apparently rational policy that justifies what your country does, or would like to do, to other countries.

Well specified foreign policies allow you almost infinite flexibility, or, in other words, allow you to do whatever you feel like doing to those foreign bastards and come out clean in front of the UN, while simultaneously winning your internal elections.

A masterstroke of foreign policy is the act of redefining someone, much like repurposing a tool: for example, the US brilliantly redefined Iran during the Gulf War.
The whole War on Drugs thing is a very handy tool for redefining your random Latin American nation, from useful liberty-loving ally to evil rogue state poisoning with its nasty white dusts the healthy American youth.

Consider also the fine semantic distinction between a strongman and a blood-thirsty dictator.

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