Obama’s Foreign Policy Farce Exposed

Reminiscent of a Baghdad Bob performance, White House press secretary Jay Carney told the press on Friday that the violence occurring around the world at US embassies is “…in response not to United States policy, and not to, obviously, the administration or the American people, but it is in response to a video”.

This, of course, has to be the White House position because Obama told us he was “uniquely qualified” to bring stability to America’s relationships in the Muslim world. Many voters were fooled into believing that his charisma, alone, was enough to calm down Muslim fanatics and that his foreign policy of “throw away the stick and speak softly” was the answer. Worse than that, Obama fooled himself into believing it.

After one term of Obama’s foreign policy, the US has not only lost respect around the world, it has lost influence, credibility, and allies. In the Middle East, fear of US reprisal is no longer a concern for violence-prone fanatics who respect nothing but strength. Obama’s willingness to throw Israel, once a strong ally, under the bus is welcomed by most Middle East Arabs, but it is also a sign of weakness. That weakness is blood in the water for terrorist sharks, as is appeasement.

Iran has certainly taken advantage of Obama’s weakness and is fast approaching a viable nuclear weapon. Having arrogantly announced his intent of wiping Israel off the map, Armajinedad openly sneers at Obama and the UN, knowing there is nothing to fear from continuing his efforts. Without the “stick” of the US, the UN is even more useless than it has been. Israel, abandoned by Obama’s foreign policy, fully understands the danger and is on the verge of a military attack which will explode the Middle East.

Obama’s foreign policy farce is now being exposed, as were his other failed policies. He has nothing but to campaign on contraceptives, taxing rich people, abortion rights, gay marriage, and issues that prey on emotions. It would be very dangerous for voters to be fooled again.

David J. Hentosh

Obama’s “Soft” Power Has Failed

From Victor Davis Hanson at NRO

During the Bush administration we were advised about the failure of “hard” power…Obama was to be an antidote to Bush’s Texanism — an Ivy League sophisticate who…would leverage American interests.

…the GSA buffoonery, the Secret Service debauchery, the food-stamp scandal in the capital, Fast and Furious — project the image abroad of Third Worldism. The addition of $5 trillion in new debt…the annual $1 trillion deficits…lecturing others while we borrow for our consumption and redistribution…vast growth in borrowing to fund vast new U.S. entitlements, while we advise the EU to tighten its belt, is comic and seen so in Europe… encouragement to others to pump more oil…while putting our own resources off limits, comes off as cynical and hypocritical. A commander-in-chief, who cannot get political correctness right (Maldives for Malvinas), or thinks Austrians speak an Austrian language, does not radiate international cosmopolitanism, and seems unaware of soft-power niceties, from visiting Germany on the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall to avoiding trash talking into open mics with foreign dignitaries to mastering the arts of diplomatic gift-exchange…

We’ve lost financial leverage and respect, our allies do not assume predictability and reliability in U.S. foreign policy, and we do not have a president who projects international experience and culture or a familiarity with diplomatic protocols.

Read it here:  Where is the Soft Power?

DJH

Obama Administration Failure on Iran

The Obama administration has either been blind to Iran’s continuing escalation in aggression or still considers its original (campaign) policy of talking Iran out of stated intentions to be valid. Unable to focus on more than one problem at a time (and even doing that belatedly), the administration’s neglect has allowed Ahmadinejad to strut on the international stage like a serious world leader rather than the thug that he most certainly is.

Intelligence specialist Fred Fleitz writes in the Wall Street Journal that “U.S. intelligence leaders are mired in denial about Iran’s program to develop and build nuclear weapons… (and) unwilling to conduct a proper assessment of the Iranian nuclear issue”. The International Atomic Energy Agency has new information pointing to Iran’s military intentions of its nuclear program. This comes on the heels of Iran’s announcement of plans to build advanced centrifuge machines.

The French Foreign Ministry recently spoke out claiming that the Iranian nuclear program had “no credible civilian application. It also acknowledged that “This is a new violation of six security council resolutions and 10 resolutions by the council of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency”. (France taking a harder line than the US on Iran should keep all awake at night.) The impotency of international efforts to thwart Iran makes it imperative for the US to lead. That has not happened, and Iran now has the advantage.

Iran announced plans to expand its naval warships into the Atlantic as it has already done into the Mediterranean Sea. These warships will be equipped with cruise missiles having a range of 125 miles. Rockets fired at our troops in Iraq have now been shown to be coming from Iran, confirming long-held suspicions about Iran’s involvement with the Iraqi Shiite insurgents. Iran is also claiming to have successfully shot down US drones over its nuclear facilities. The saber is rattling louder and louder.

As the Obama administration focuses on re-election political issues, Iran continues to solidify its threats. Unfortunately, Iran’s intentions are much clearer than Obama’s and we are all in more danger.

David J. Hentosh

Obama Inexperience Rides Again

Obama’s lack of experience in international affairs has produced nothing good for the US. He toured the world, kowtowing and apologizing to nations unsupportive of the US while snubbing or insulting allies. His idealism dictated treating enemies and friends alike regardless of the effect it had on US interests. It produced nothing more than scorn for his political naivety and it weakened US influence around the world.

His leftist distaste for championing democracy caused him to fail to act decisively during the uprising in Iran in 2009. He had no clear message to send and, consequently, was deemed to be weak by Ahmadinejad. Since then, Iran has brazenly rattled its nuclear sword with impunity, knowing Obama will do nothing. Chavez in Venezuela has followed Ahmadinejad’s dictatorial lead, North Korea has become even more belligerent, and Russia and China have determined that Obama is no obstacle to their nefarious affairs.

Obama now seems confused by the events in Egypt and, once again, is displaying an inability to act decisively in America’s interests – or act at all. Perhaps he believes the Muslim Brotherhood’s laughable claim that Islamist rule in Egypt would pose no threat to the West because it would be more democratic and broad-based than President Hosni Mubarak’s dictatorship. Perhaps he just idealistically believes in the goodness of all men (except for conservatives) and is waiting patiently for that goodness to prevail.

The chances for a secular government in Egypt are diminishing rapidly. When there is chaos, those who are organized have the upper hand. Fanatic Islamists have been organizing for years and clearly want to reign in Egypt. Chances for any stabilization in the Middle East are dissolving.

It seems Obama fiddles while Egypt burns. Does experience still seem overrated?

David J. Hentosh