That shift from military might to diplomacy
The New York Times hails Obama’s apparent shift away from the use of military might to the “art” of diplomacy;
At one level, the flurry of diplomatic activity reflects the definitive end of the post-Sept. 11 world, dominated by two major wars and a battle against Islamic terrorism that drew the United States into Afghanistan and still keeps its Predator drones flying over Pakistan and Yemen.
But it also reflects a broader scaling-back of the use of American muscle, not least in the Middle East, as well as a willingness to deal with foreign governments as they are rather than to push for new leaders that better embody American values. “Regime change,” in Iran or even Syria, is out; cutting deals with former adversaries is in.
For Mr. Obama, the shift to diplomacy fulfills a campaign pledge from 2008 that he would stretch out a hand to America’s enemies and speak to any foreign leader without preconditions. But it will also subject him to considerable political risks, as the protests about the Iran deal from Capitol Hill and allies in the Middle East attest.
“We’re testing diplomacy; we’re not resorting immediately to military conflict,” Mr. Obama said.
Well, the problem with this whole thing is that, in order to rely on diplomacy, Obama needs to negotiate from a position of strength, especially in that Bronze Age shithole in the middle east. Bush wasn’t “resorting immediately to military conflict” in Iraq. His “rush to war” took over a year after all of the sanctions, inspections, diplomacy failed and, in the end, Hussein didn’t really believe that we would invade Iraq. Twice. Bush’s father gave Hussein almost daily chances to un-ass Kuwait, but because of Vietnam and Beirut, Hussein didn’t think we’d have the cojones. And after Mogadishu, he thought the same of the Younger Bush.
Iran poked their finger in the West’s collective eye throughout the Iraq War and there were no consequences. They’ve continued in Syria and throughout the Middle East, not to mention continued their nuclear program while the West wrings it’s hands, and we’ve done nothing. Now we’re rewarding them for their bad behavior and we celebrate that we’re civilized. The guy who a few weeks ago planned on bombing Syria with no real evidence is suddenly civilized when it’s Iran – dangerous-ass Iran who is closer to nuclear weapons than the world cares to admit. The country that proliferates more terror to every corner of the world than any other country on the planet. The country most responsible for Assad remaining on the throne in Syria.
The only reason that Iran is at the negotiating table is because THEY think they’re negotiating from a position of strength, they think they hold all the cards, because we’re running away from Afghanistan as our sole strategy. We’re downsizing our military at a mind-numbing speed. We’re forgetting any lessons that we learned in the last decade of war. The things that worked are tossed aside as bad, because of who did them, rather than examined as to why they worked.
But, at least we lift our pinky finger while we’re sipping our tea.
Category: Barack Obama/Joe Biden, Terror War
“…the flurry of diplomatic activity reflects the definitive end of the post-Sept. 11 world…”
Sure. One question.
In which universe?
““Regime change,” in Iran or even Syria, is out;
cutting deals withappeasement of former adversaries is in.” In order for something to be a deal, there has to benefit to both parties. In the case of the alleged “foreign policy” of the Barrcade Regime, he never even asked for anything, much less bargained for anything.How can one be hailed over the other when he can’t do either one worth a shit?
Harrumph. There ain’t no diplomacy without the threat of might. Obama is a buddy fucking imbecile.
PS- you missed me, huh, Jonn? 😛
“His “rush to war” took over a year after all of the sanctions, inspections, diplomacy failed and, in the end, Hussein didn’t really believe that we would invade Iraq.”
It’s almost amusing how that continually gets glossed over by all the Big O cheerleaders in the MSM, isn’t it? In fact, if the the consequences didn’t have the real and likely potential to be dire, it’d be hysterical – in a slap-stick, Keystone cops kind of way.
In this bizarro world administration, a diplomatic success is giving in to all of the demands of those you are negotiating with. Obama has done this with Russia, with China and now with Iran. And somehow, with is complicit media lapdogs in tow, he spins this shit to make it look like victory. He is truly amazing, in a what the fuck just happened here? kind of way……
minor quibble – thought Mogadishu was on the Clinton watch, not Bush 43?
Now, a real demobilization win-win would be to get rid of some of those nasty old nukes we have that are so potentially destabilizing. How about waiting till the prevailing winds are from the north and unload ’em on, say, Tehran? Don’t want ti upset Turkey and Russia, now….
Yeah, David that is minor. You should have pointed out that Vietnam and Beirut didn’t happen during 41’s term, too. My point was that the United States didn’t have a history of fighting until the war is over, not that Bush had anything to do with Mogadishu.
Yet another NY Times fail
Like Jay Leno said, “You like the uranium you have? – then you can keep it.”
I have said it before and I will again. Obama hates America and the Constitution. He will give it all away, in the name of diplomacy, before he is done. Iran is and has been the biggest threat to the world’s security for decades and he wants to appease them in the name of diplomacy instead of showing strength and telling them where to go shit. I see another Nobel Peace Prize in the making. He is failing America and one of our closest and only allies in the mideast, Israel. I hope Israel keeps their word to not allow Iran to get enough weapons grade material to make a bomb without them intervening. Israel has stated clearly that America can stand with us or we will stand alone but they will not allow this threat to go on. Iran exports more terrorists than Carter has liver pills, all over the globe. How does Obama call this one sided “agreement” a success? Meanwhile, we have John “I got my Silver Star” Kerry saying the Monroe Doctrine is gone and a thing of the past. So let’s just open up the western hemisphere to Iran and let them help some of the South American dictators get nukes also. I thought Carter was a bad President but I believe Jimmy Carter loved his country, as poorly as he led it though. But Obama wants the US to retire from being a world power. He and his administration and his ass kissers in the Pentagon are reducing our military to scary levels as hard and fast as they can go. Obamacare is the worst fiasco this nation has EVER seen. I mean, I thought Johnson’s Great Society was full of shit but Obama’s ACA is light years ahead of it in stupidity and ruin to the best health care system in the world. Sorry for the long rant. Just getting off a long graveyard shift and doing my morning review of TAH and this jumped out at me. God help America…Please.
@12. “I hope Israel keeps their word to not allow Iran to get enough weapons grade material to make a bomb without them intervening.”
That’s like a drowning man keeping his word that he’ll grab the life preserver. Israel cannot allow Iran to go nuke. Unfortunately, they may not be able to wait for The Emperor to leave office–which means that if other ME countries coordinate to attack Israel, the US will not aggressively seek to prevent it.
@13 Air Cav I hope and pray you are wrong. I mean about the US stepping in to defend our longtime ally and only friend in the mideast, Israel. I afraid you are correct though. I think Great Britain at this point and considering the no balls, turd we have in the White House, would come closer to stepping in to help Israel than we would. It would be a great shame to this nation if we didn’t. I am a believer in the Bible and that part of America’s blessings have come from our long time support of Israel and if we fail to keep our commitment, then I believe we will see the demise of America as a world power or worse. But even if you leave out my religious beliefs, we have made strong commitments to Israel since it was formed as a nation and we need to stand by them. This is where I believe the President, as a Muslim sympathetic person, will fail Israel and our nation the greatest. I do pray for God to preserve and protect America and Israel, in spite of the man warming the chair in the Oval Office.
Well, Sparks, I hope I’m wrong too. And religious beliefs have nothing to do with this, at least as far as I am concerned. Human decency demands that Israel be free from such a serious and devastating threat to its existence. I remember the Camp David Accords. I was in the Army in ’73 when we were put on alert for sudden movement to the ME. I have no idea why The cEmperor treated the Israeli PM so rudely when he was here but it’s clear why Israel wasn’t invited to Geneva when her potential fate was being decided.
The leadership of this nation has not fought a war with a passion toward winning, and winning soon; since WW-II. They’ve dillied and dallied, and cost needless lives, but they are dead set against “just winning the damned war and coming home”.
Seeing Iran as a valid negotiating entity is laughable. They didn’t and won’t give up anything. Whatever they come away with is pure win to them.
@15 I do not disagree. As I said, leaving my religious beliefs aside and looking at this from a purely sectarian point of view, Israel has EVERY right to exist, be free and be free of threats to their sovereignty. That is every nations right so long as they are good citizens of the world community. I was just pointing out that from either of my perspectives, the President and his administration are messing up by the numbers when it comes to our relationship with Israel. The “agreement” with Iran is a big finger in the eye to Israel.
Peace through superior firepower comes to mind. The left will never learn
@18 Well put. That has been, or was, our philosophy for many years. Now it is, we won’t rattle our sabres but we can sure talk a blue streak up the wall. The President’s message to the American people is, “we’re not happy, till you’re not happy”.
Jonn – we haven’t fought till a war is over since ’45 unless you want to count life-fire FTXs like Panama and Grenada. The concept of “beat ’em till they’re down, then beat ’em till they STAY down” has long since left us.
The current administration’s allegiance is to the muslim nations of the middle east, not to Israel. If Israel is attacked on Obama’s watch, they’re on their own. It’s just that simple.
@12 – amen. He hates this country, thinks nothing of our military, and wants to bring us down. Im ok with the conspiracy theorist tag… but I do believe that has always been his goal…