Obama’s Foreign Policy
Tags: Diplomacy, Middle East, Ronald Reagan.
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SPIEGEL: You famously coined the term “Reagan Doctrine” to describe Ronald Reagan’s foreign policy. What is the “Obama Doctrine?”
Krauthammer: I would say his vision of the world appears to me to be so naïve that I am not even sure he’s able to develop a doctrine. He has a view of the world as regulated by self-enforcing international norms, where the peace is kept by some kind of vague international consensus, something called the international community, which to me is a fiction, acting through obviously inadequate and worthless international agencies. I wouldn’t elevate that kind of thinking to a doctrine because I have too much respect for the word doctrine.
SPIEGEL: Are you saying that diplomacy always fails?
Krauthammer: No, foolishness does. Perhaps when he gets nowhere on Iran, nowhere with North Korea, when he gets nothing from the Russians in return for what he did to the Poles and the Czechs, gets nowhere in the Middle East peace talks — maybe at that point he’ll begin to rethink whether the world really runs by international norms, consensus, and sweetness and light, or whether it rests on the foundation of American and Western power that, in the final analysis, guarantees peace.
SPIEGEL: That is the cynical approach.
Krauthammer: The realist approach. Henry Kissinger once said that peace can be achieved only one of two ways: hegemony or balance of power. Now that is real realism. What the Obama administration pretends is realism is naïve nonsense.
The real problem with Obama’s policy is that it will have to be paid for – in blood and treasure. After a century in which we learned the very hard way about how dictators are to be treated, Obama is going back to 1933 and figuring that they are just misunderstood nationalists who have legitimate gripes about the stronger powers in the world.
There is no international community. International law is only that which the United States enforces by brute, military force. Freedom is only protected by American power. The enemies of freedom and decency are kept at bay only by rank fear of the United States. Tinker with that – for a moment say that law will be enforced by treaties in and of themselves; that freedom is defended by words; that enemies are just misunderstood friends…and the wicked of the world will lunge for our throat. Why? Because wicked people are just that: wicked. There is no excuse for evil – they know darned well they shouldn’t do what they do, but they do it anyway because they like to do it and feel empowered by getting away with the ruthless oppression of others. Its really no more complex than that.
War is a terrible thing, but it isn’t the most terrible thing. We can have peace and freedom – but we can only have it if we have the military means and the moral will to use the means if pressed to it. We are not to fly off half cocked; we are not to see war as a primary means of conflict resolution…but everyone out there, friend and foe, must be convinced that if we are pushed hard enough, we will strike with devastating force. Only thus will there be a chance for peace – for a short moment, the world was being treated to proof positive about this – right after the fall of Baghdad when Libya gave up its nukes, Syria started to give up on Lebanon, Iran started to talk about peaceful relations…and then we got bogged down with internal, political debates where the left tried to use the war as a means to defeat Republicans…and the world took note of our national irresolution, saw that Bush would not be deterred, but also understood that Bush wouldn’t be President forever. They set the stage and they waited – and their patience has been rewarded: they now have an American President who doesn’t understand – and doesn’t want to understand – what they are made of.
They will strike at us – openly and in secret – as soon as they can.
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23 Responses to “Obama’s Foreign Policy”
Caucus of Corruption
Sec Gates (pre)answered krauthammer:
“Those who say we are scrapping missile defense in Europe are either misinformed or misrepresenting the reality of what we are doing,” said Gates. “The security of Europe has been a vital national interest of the United States for my entire career. The circumstances, borders and threats may have changed, but that commitment continues.
Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon, Secretary Gates said the U.S. intelligence community believes that Iran has been slower to develop its intercontinental ballistic missile capabilities than previously thought.
He says this is one reason he recommended scrapping plans to build a sophisticated radar system in the Czech Republic and installing ground-based interceptors in Poland.
Gates said shorter range Iranian missiles are a more urgent concern.
“The intelligence community now assesses that the threat from Iran’s short- and medium-range ballistic missiles, such as the Shahab-3, is developing more rapidly than previously projected,” said Robert Gates. ” This poses an increased and more immediate threat to our forces on the European continent, as well as to our allies.”
To counter that threat, the U.S. military will deploy Aegis ships equipped with missile interceptors along with radar surveillance sensors to counter the Iranian threat.”
http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2009-09/2009-09-17-voa66.cfm?CFID=317849539&CFTOKEN=11011230&jsessionid=de30dc5446316310290473625c421052d6c5
I wouldn’t elevate that kind of thinking to a doctrine because I have too much respect for the word doctrine. – Krauthammer
That’s hysterical.
ohio, thank you once again for deflecting, by citing Gates, and the administrations tepid efforts to stymie Iran. What you are blindly ignoring, and what Krauthammer is speaking to, is the broader, naive worldview harbored by Obama, you, and other mindless liberals.
If Europe’s security were foremost on Obamas mind, I would think a closer working relationship with Sarkozy would be a good first step.
Oh and btw, good to see you’re back at work. How’s that 9-5 job?
cluster says: October 28th, 2009 at 10:54 am
gates EXACTLY addressed one of krauthammers points. it is neither “deflection” nor “naive”.
it is unfortunate an intelligent/thoughtful man like krauthammer would repeat a discredited wingnut talking point designed only to foam the base.
The world knows there is a patsy in charge of America.
two
not only a patsy, a total empty suited sock puppett.
With five minutes of experience.
Krauthammer: “…whether the world really runs by international norms, consensus, and sweetness and light, or whether it rests on the foundation of American and Western power that, in the final analysis, guarantees peace.”
What a ridiculously false dichotomy Krauthammer employs. These are simply imaginary points on a spectrum of possibilities. If his thinking allowed only these two options he would be hopelessly stupid. Furthermore anyone who believed the foundation of American and Western power guarantees peace would be hopelessly ignorant, utopian and possibly even more stupid.
Why not say the foundation of Confucianism or New Testament Christianity would guarantee world peace? Such a proposition would be more credible, although finding consent for it would remain just as far outside the realm of possibility.
Given the extremes of competing interests worldwide, international norms and consensus appear the most logical avenue for attaining any semblance of even a fragile peace. In a world filled with the predatory and the power-hungry of every possible variety (including American and Western) there are no guarantees.
dennist
there are no guarantees.
There is ONE guarantee,
our enemies will see zer0 for the weak carteresque empty suit he is and use that against us…….in fact N.K. and Iran already have….stay tuned much more to come.
it is unfortunate an intelligent/thoughtful man like krauthammer would repeat a discredited wingnut talking point designed only to foam the base. – ohio
Well first of all, that is Krauthammer’s opinion (remember, he is a commentator), so those comments are neither discredited, repeated, or talking points.
Do you ever grow tired of being stupid?
The Chamberlain in Chief is a boy in a man’s world. He’s getting folks killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
At least his golf game’s solid…
Disclaimer: By calling the Appeaser in Chief a “boy in a man’s world,” I was in no way, shape or form, alluding to his half-race.
Although that moron ohio orrin will claim otherwise, from his computer at work…
keef,
Brilliant. I think all conservatives should have disclaimers from now on. Such as:
The above comment was in no way designed to offend any minority group of which mindless, agenda driven, liberals may desperately try to conclude.
cluster says: October 28th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
“Brilliant. I think all conservatives should have disclaimers from now on….”
_
wouldn’t work. u guys nothing more than water balloon targets getting off the short bus. keep u football helmet on forrest, ok?
keef says:
October 28th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
“The Chamberlain in Chief…”
_
ok that’s kinda funny.
ohio,
Is the football reference now going to take the place of your “foaming” reference? You gotta admit, you kind of wore that one out.
“Furthermore anyone who believed the foundation of American and Western power guarantees peace would be hopelessly ignorant, utopian and possibly even more stupid. ”
Wow, dennis it worked for the Cold War. Do you tire of being either monumentally stupid or just plain ignorant?
But then again, you believe that the gilded words from Obamateur’s mouth will change the world. If so, then North Korea and Iran would be unconditionally giving up their nuke programs, and the terrorists would all be throwing flowers in our direction.
frontal,
The “Bush Doctrine” was a media contrived issue, and there were more than one versions. So, like Palin, I would also ask the self absorbed Gibson, which version he was referring to.
But hey, thanks for bringing up a completely irrelevant, and outdated issue. It just never gets old.
froot
so Palin is an idiot?
but a community organizer-communist with a three word resume isnt?
WOW !
you are brilliant!!!!
Don’t let fr00tp00p bother you, guys–she’s a moronic twat…
Moderator’s note: and it’s why his/her comments have been placed in moderation purgatory.
Keef
LOL
Dennis,
Sorry, but one regiment of Marines secure more peace and freedom than every single globalist, UNish international organization in the world.
Obamateur’s foreign policy:
Bad mouth his country, apologize for everything, bow to superiors, wash, rinse and repeat.
Meanwhile, Obamateur fiddles while soldiers and innocents die.
dennis does sneer, doesn’t he? OK, so there are technically no GUARANTEES in life. But certainly freedoms and peace are closer to being guaranteed by the strength of democratic nations than by the other folderol so cherished by the RRL.
How too too RRL of you, denny, to take a minor issue like that and spin it into a spittle-flying accusation of stupidity.
Charles Krauthammer is one of the most brilliant, insightful, and thoughtful commentators on the political scene. No wonder an RRL lemming finds the need to go to the RRL playbook to find the approved response to someone of Krauthammer’s quality—-attack, smear, ridicule, and demean.
Note the failure to either address or defend Obama’s juvenile “I’d-Like-To-Give-The-World-A-Hug” worldview.
Assuming Obama’s apparent incompetence is based on an alarming degree of naivete might be a kind and, yes, naive explanation.
Another might be that he is so dedicated to a radical Leftist agenda which, in part, involves a severe weakening of the United States to establish ‘parity’ with Europe and socialist nations that he is merely adhering to a game plan which will ensure that this happens.
After all, the global devaluation of the dollar contributes to this, and if the dollar is replaced in the world currency market by some other currency it will certainly cement the loss of American dominance in international commerce.
He doesn’t even pay lip service to the IDEA of American superiority in anything. Anything. On the contrary, his worldwide Apology Tour made it clear that he is ashamed of America on many levels. And he has done nothing—-nothing—-to increase American strength and power and influence, here or abroad. The opposite is true.
As is always necessary with Barry, you can let him distract you with razzle-dazzle and rhetoric, or you can look past the sleight of hand and pay attention to what he is really doing. It’s like the election, when he and his cohorts and his PR people and his web site trumpeted all these pretend values and goals and expected people to be suckered in by the rhetoric and simply ignore his history, his own descriptions of his goals and ideals, and his very actions.
Hopefully this won’t work as well every time he tries it…………..