You mean it could be worse?
This article from Forbes is spot-on: A series of actions taken by the Obama administration have created an impression in Iran, the "Af-Pak" region, China and North Korea that Obama does not have the political will to retaliate decisively to acts that are detrimental to U.S. interests, and to international peace and security.Read the whole thing. It's actually asking whether Obama is another Jimmy Carter.
Among such actions, one could cite: the soft policy toward Iran: the reluctance to articulate strongly U.S. determination to support the security interests of Israel; the ambivalent attitude toward Pakistan despite its continued support to anti-India terrorist groups and its ineffective action against the sanctuaries of Al-Qaida and the Taliban in Pakistani territory; its silence on the question of the violation of the human rights of the Burmese people and the continued illegal detention of Aung San Suu Kyi by the military regime in Myanmar; and its silence on the Tibetan issue.
Its over-keenness to court Beijing's support in dealing with the economic crisis, and its anxiety to ensure the continued flow of Chinese money into U.S. Treasury bonds, have also added to the soft image of the U.S.
President Obama cannot blame the problem-states of the world--Iran, Pakistan, Myanmar and North Korea--if they have come to the conclusion that they can take liberties with the present administration in Washington without having to fear any adverse consequences. North Korea's defiance is only the beginning. One has every reason to apprehend that Iran might be the next to follow.
Glenn Reynolds adds:
Actually, I’m beginning to think that’s a best-case situation.You mean it could be worse? I guess it could if Obama is doing what he's doing to American foreign policy on purpose. And you know what? He probably is.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:59 AM
2 Comments:
As I said in the previous thread, Israel is in effect on its own. Why Israeli leaders keep running to Washington begging a hostile administration to bail them out is the $64,000 question of the century. Nothing Israel does, even evicting thousands of Jews from their homes in Yesha, will make the slightest difference in what America is not going to do about Iran. If America's leaders are blind to the danger, the pathetic groveling of Israel's leaders before Washington is even more contemptible.
As I write, I am sure that there is a radical reassessment going on in places like Israel, India, South Korea, Japan, Georgia, Ukraine, and Colombia with respect to relations with the US and political and military contingencies should America abandon her long-time strategic alliances in these regions. Obama is quickly proving himself to be an utterly unreliable ally who will consider throwing anyone (person or sovereign) under the bus for the sake of political expediency.
Obama's world views do closely mirror those of Jimmy Carter and his domestic agenda is most akin to that of a Robert Kennedy but he would do well to take to heart the sentiments of another Kennedy:
"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty."
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