A President who is better than the electorate deserves? His unheralded foreign policy agenda will leave an enduring and proud legacy.
American Exceptionalism.
It seems barely a day goes by without ghouls from the past trolling our airways, pontificating about how the USA should conduct itself. These individuals are seemingly oblivious to the fact that they were responsible for misleading the nation into a war – leading to the destruction of any moral authority the USA may have had, or could have cultivated after 9/11.
Relatively likable villains, to my mind at least, like Condoleezza Rice have been received with rapt attention at virtually every college in the country, allowed to busily attempt to rewrite history, thus helping undermine the longer-term credibility of the country. We can lecture the Russians or the Chinese all we want, but all for naught, as the hypocrisy, exacerbated by mass cultural denial, is so overwhelming.
I wanted to like Gaddafi crush Rice. She was attractive in those knee-high leather boots, smart, and had broken through ceilings. But I suspect her pride at those career achievements was so great that she ditched her compass. Joining a team for 2000 – with foreign policy objectives belonging in the previous millennium – they were always doomed to fail. The fact that George Bush, Jr. was intellectually and psychologically unfit for the job was simply going to add Texan oil to the fire.
Within the context of the Bush foreign policy team, I still retain a grain of empathy for Bush (he was out of his depth) and Rice. I am not convinced either would have wanted to out Valerie Plame. I doubt that either would have been happy to actually wantonly alienate virtually every actual or potential ally. I doubt if either understood the negative consequences of ramming delusional and insulting American exceptionalism down collective overseas throats. Just because European foreign policy remains fractured and lethargic does not make the opposite, sans intelligence, correct.
What worse crime – than misleading a Democracy into a war?
We now know the country was misled into war. A couple of years after the war, in 2004, when the facts had been established, two thirds of Stupidparty disciples still believed the USA had been attacked by Iraq. Presidential aspirant Sarah Palin also did not have the intellectual curiosity to figure out this easily resolvable puzzle. What worse crime can there be against the nation than to mislead that nation into war? What worse crime against humanity? Those responsible are war criminals and some are traitors. For it is clear Scooter – fall guy – Libby did not act alone.
But in spite of that, they still get to talk – seemingly endlessly and on any platform they choose. And people listen, oblivious of the “poisonous tree.” However, the world is watching, and the world finds it difficult to be lectured to by war criminals, and finds it difficult to respect a country that treats crimes against humanity as irrelevant when Americans do it. Tony Blair should likewise be held accountable. By 2008 the USA was about as trusted as Russia
These numbers will only carry on improving – for reasons that will become apparent.
“Team America” makes its point
First, take the notion that without the USA we are all screwed. Putting aside the fact that energy policy is the root cause of Middle Eastern wars, such a message can find some sustenance; i.e., it can be debated.
Europe is not yet united/integrated enough to be a singular force for global stability.
But the debate about whether the US should be the World’s one man enforcer has been fundamentally altered by the unheralded policies of Obama. Perhaps Japan and other far East nations can be cajoled into becoming a better buttress against Chinese imperialism; in Libya the USA set the playing field but forced NATO to execute. Syria is another case in point, where the battle lines have not yet devolved into East/West conflict. The French took responsibility for dealing with Mali, and international efforts to pressure Iran appear well coordinated and might be bearing fruit.
Further Obama’s Further Obama’s central role in the successful attack on Iran’s ability to enrich Uranium in 2010, only came out in 2012. North Korea v Sony—North Korea loses the internet and an Obama official simply says “accidents will happen”. The US is evidently planning visible and invisible counter measures. Meanwhile the peoples of the West must make a vow to see the movie in question “the Interview”. While waiting to perform that duty, everyone should purchase “Team America” which also tackles North Korea. Evidently it just sold out on Amazon. Yes it has some gratuitous puppet sex, but puritans – it is time to get a life and be a patriot, in a manner that does not embarrass your homeland. Now that would be patriotic.
Obama is also acting on the infantile Cuban embargo— his secret trade craft on Cuba, China and Climate issues, Iran – beginning emerge. Is it really just a coincidence that after Putin had treated Obama with total contempt, that within months Oil prices had crashed threatening to bring Putin to his knees – all done with great patience, subtlety and deniability. Saudi Arabia is after all a CIA founded US protectorate and their agenda on oil prices are neatly aligned with the Western geopolitical agenda.
Conflict Map
*Why Isn’t Anyone Giving Obama Credit for Ousting Maliki?
Obama is modest by nature, does not blow his own horn, yet he should, especially in the toxic environment created by Stupidparty, and by the absurdly minute attention span of the electorate in general. The determination to remove Maliki is already bearing fruit—but hardly anyone cares, having already moved on to the next non story or misunderstood crisis. Even when there is good news—congress is totally ill equipped to know what to do about it because Congress has other priorities designed to benefit their puppet masters.
Regarding Putin’s aggression, why over react when there is an obvious peaceful strategy—make the Russian Oligarchs suffer financially and now with the collapsing price of oil (deh! deh! for the last 30 years deh! – since Jimmy Carter was ignored in 1977) the Russian economy already on the verge of shrinking as result of Putin’s expensive and prideful agenda, is now on course to implode with a collapsing ruble panicking consumers do ditch their treacherous currency in droves.
Yes —Putin might get more desperate, more aggressive—but his efforts will logically be a Zero Sum effort—as like in everything else money wins (in this case a military capability dwarfed by the US). Now of course, a newly minted ever stupider Congress will work hard to derail any progress, because of their irrational hatred of anything Obama and inability to engage in non-Myth-based thinking. But such populist bigotry will diminish as Obama’s final term runs it’s course. But meanwhile Obama get to put another nail into the coffin of Stupidparty bluster:
“Last year, as we were doing the hard work of imposing sanctions along with our allies, as we were reinforcing our presence with front line states, Mr. Putin’s aggression it was suggested was ‘a masterful display’ of ‘strategy and strength.’ That’s what I heard from some folks,” Obama said. “Well, today, it is America that stands strong and united with our allies, while Russia is isolated with its economy in tatters. That’s how America leads – not with bluster, but with persistent, steady resolve.”
The US handling of the FIFA scandal as been masterful and this event alone will seriously mitigate Putin’s grand designs for Ukraine etc. The reasons of this and how Obama has been out playing Putin at chess (since Obama finally lost patience with Putin’s deceptions) are explained in detail here.
That the Stupidparty in Congress (backed by some Democrats overly influenced by Israeli lobbying) had come close to scuppering those Iranian outreach efforts was a stunning example of how the USA is on the brink of becoming a pariah. Stupidparty’s pathetic and near treasonous invitation to Netanyahu to speak before Congress will undoubtedly back fire, strengthening Obama’s hand in his negotiations with Iran and likely lead to an erosion of Stupidparty’s new found hero Netanyahu’s ability to continue to forge a right wing coalition in the Knesset – a trend that is abhorred round the world – by every one except Stupidparty and the more extreme Jewish elements. (updated…) and so these proceeding comments have proved prescient – because in July 2015 the world is informed of a Iranian Nuclear deal. Of course the Stupidparty traitors will try and torpedo this and if successful would turn the US into an international pariah. Jeb!!! before he was a aware of any details, blasts the deal. But having Zero knowledge has never been a liability for any Bush kid -so why bother gathering knowledge in the first place. These comments are amply supported here and here.
Right now the West has a unique opportunity to pressure both Iran and Russia. Falling oil prices give a huge boost to the Wests Geo Political interests, (not to mention being a boost to Western Consumers at a pivotal point in the Keynesian inspired economic recovery). What is so tragic is that the vast majority of people refuse to understand how this boon should be handled from a domestic tax revenue perspective – and this collective brain freeze tempts me to throw up my hands and conclude that mankind (the developed nations at-least) deserves to fry themselves into extinction. In this instance the voters get the politicians they deserve.
There are real advantages to having a really smart and very decent human being – who understands other cultures – as America’s representative. As a multi-cultural individual I know that he is not some freaking idiotic jingoistically prattling on about American exceptionalism—the rest of the world picks up on this, and that is why Obama remains hugely popular overseas. having a President not being held in contempt by other Countries certainly helps America’s foreign policy. As the New York Times reports:
The amity between the two leaders was palpable from the start as Mr. Modi broke with protocol to greet Mr. Obama at the airport with a warm handshake and hug. During their later public appearance, Mr. Modi referred to the president as “Barack” and thanked him for his “deep personal commitment” to their friendship. In a toast at a state dinner Sunday evening, Mr. Obama returned the favor, calling Mr. Modi “my partner and friend.”
Mr. Modi’s reference to Mr. Obama by his first name drew notice. “It’s never been done before in India, to my knowledge,” said Baijayant Panda, an Indian lawmaker. “This is clearly sending signals to a lot of people, a lot of heads of government that matter.”
President Obama even got some movement from India on climate change – quite an achievement considering the USA has very little moral authority on the issue – especially since the Stupidparty stubbornly refuses to accept any Science on the matter, which turns the USA in to a bit of a laughing stock.
Attack China, blow up North Korea, ignore Nigerian sovereignty; we should take back the Crimea – before even considering the historical nuances or exploring the obvious strategy of unbundling Putin from his supportive billionaire Oligarchs or otherwise weakening the Russian economy to make imperialistic ambitions absurdly financially burdensome. Yes, this is made harder to do because of a myopic energy policy. Yes, thinking is hard, oftentimes time-consuming work, but searching for constructive solutions should be conducted before killing people. Killing people usually means creating more enemies – as family, friends, and compatriots tend to find such actions unforgivable.
I do not pretend to know the solutions, (except on the topic of Oil). These issues are extremely complex, not simply diplomatically but morally. That is why we hope the president we elect will be wise enough to pick competent advisers. We presume they will motivated by decency rather than oil, by introspection and curiosity rather than parochial arrogance. That was why George Bush, Jr. was given some latitude as he planned his invasion of Iraq.
But we should not be giving any weight to war criminals or to the very architects of the disastrous foreign policy pursued 2000–2008. The next time I read a piece from Dick Cheney, expecting any insight, it would have to be about conditions within the U.S. penal system. Until that happens, and should America’s foreign policy statements be anyway reflective of Cheney and his cabal, such statements will always be subject to ridicule, and heeding such calls would be mankind’s loss— because the USA is so capable of being a force for good—Obama is doing his best, but is up against staggeringly absurd headwinds domestically as he has to handle a variety of storms from around the world—most of which would not be an issue if the American people had listened to Jimmy Carter’s energy speech back in 1977. But he lost, and oil interests have been dictating foreign policy ever since.
Obama gets Zero credit – for having made some extraordinary non populist deft moves. This is another sign of a politician with a rare moral and intellectual compass surviving being wrapped in a electorally created straight jacket— a man spiritually ahead of his times, head and shoulders above faux Christians and the rest of not just the Stupidparty, but many Democrats guilty of low attention spans and false equivalence.
History will surely look back and conclude that rarely has a Democratic Country had a better political leader than they deserve.
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