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May 26, 2010
Obama's Foreign Policy Failures
Having perhaps the most naive president in U.S. history, Obama thought that if he apologized enough for past American actions, engaged our adversaries in dialogue, stuck by the internationalist agenda, and insulted our traditional allies, the world would bend to our will. The problem's we faced were due to American arrogance and cowboy Bush's unilateralism. Obama set out to right that wrong.
It hasn't worked. Victor Davis Hanson asks the relevant questions:
I do not think the word "reset" will be used much longer to characterize American foreign policy. Reset from what to what? After all, is Iran closer to getting a bomb or further away than it was a year and a half ago? Are terrorists more or less likely to attack and kill inside the United States? Is Syria now a more or a less helpful player in the Middle East? Is Israel safer or less safe, more or less a U.S. ally? Are Putin and Chávez now more helpful players on the world scene, in appreciation of Obama's olive branches? Does a North Korea or an Iran feel more or less emboldened to run risks in testing the status quo? Is China more or less provocative in the Pacific?
I think we know the answers to those questions.
Iran is closer to getting the bomb than ever. Just this month they struck a deal with Brazil on fuel storage, and the latter may even be working on it's own bomb. They can get away with this because both nations know full well they have nothing to fear from Obama. Obama's policy is to water down what UN sanctions there are.
We've had so many attempted terrorist attacks in and above the United States since Obama took over I can't even keep track. Some seem complacent because none succeeded. If they keep trying, one will.
Syria isn't helpful at all. They're still a conduit for arms to Hezbollah, and are hardly a constructive player in the so-called "peace process."
Obama insults Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu at the latter's recent visit to the White House, and all-in-all clearly doesn't care a whit for our ally's security.
Putin and Chávez work against us at every opportunity. Neither are cowed.
North Korea just sank a South Korean naval ship, so clearly they're not worried about Obama.
China hasn't slowed down their military buildup, and neither have they proven useful in taming North Korea.
Fortunately, as Hanson points out later in the piece, the American people aren't buying Obama's line any more. He and his party are going down in the polls. While anything can happen, with any luck we'll make enough inroads in Congress this year to stop more of Obama's legislation, and in 2012 make him a one-term president.
Posted by Tom at May 26, 2010 9:30 PM
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Comments
When have the North Koreans, Iran or Syria worried about who our president was?
Iran and Syria were training insurgents to bo into Iraq and kill American Soldiers. Other than some useless sanctions I can't think of anything that was done to punish these two nations. Had I been president Tehran and Damascus would be parking lots right now if I had enough proof.
Yet Bush, Reagan, Clinton and Obama have never seen fit to truly send these rogues a message.
I don;t really have a problem with the post Tom. Just the subterfuge that it's somehow all Obama's fault when the presidents before him had the same stratagies.
Posted by: Truth 101 at May 28, 2010 11:20 PM
It's certainly not all Obama's fault, that is correct. All American presidents have negotiated with the aforementioned nations to no avail, and all have kicked the can down the road. I went after Bush for his Iran policy, which as you say was all useless sanctions and international diplomacy. Obama said he'd do better and he's not, that's all.
Posted by: The Redhunter 
at May 30, 2010 7:05 AM
Hm, I would like to add that what we have seen of the Bush policy vis a vis Iran, that the anti-war rhetoric against OIF was so HUGE that the Bush admin was effectively hamstrung re a ballsy Iran policy. You guys all know that.
I think it is clearly a big mistake to see the foreign policies of Clinton, Bush and Obama as more or less equal. Bush is the ONLY one who tried a radical, different approach namely installing democracy per force in the hellhole that is the ME.
Posted by: Outlaw Mike at May 31, 2010 7:42 AM
