Global Dithering

    Global leadership requires four elements: vision; capacity; skill; and resolve. One can reasonably argue that George W. Bush had the vision (spreading democracy as an antidote to Muslim fanaticism), capacity (the strongest economy and military), and resolve (the Iraq War; the East European missile shield), but suffered from a lack of skill (overbearing approach). Conversely, Obama's apparent idealistic Wilsonian vision of a lesser American role in the world is blurry, our economic capacity is reduced, the leader's inexperience (or perhaps naivete) is apparent, and dithering is a predominant feature. A quick survey:

1. Afghanistan: His appointed general provided recommendations to implement March's  "carefully crafted" counterinsurgency strategy on August 30. Nearly four months later we have nothing, our enemies are emboldened, and our NATO allies are becoming restive as they have bought into General McChrystal's recommendations.

2. Iraq: The Bush / Maliki strategy for US withdrawal continues on the pace that Obama inherited, the Iraqis have settled their election law issues, and ongoing incidents of violence do not appear likely to derail the process. We have the first significant functioning Arab democracy. No change is a good thing.

3. Pakistan: The most dangerous country in South Asia has undertaken an aggressive stance against al Queda and the Taliban in the face of rising carnage in their cities. Clumsy and offensive American conditions attached to a  $7.5 billion aid package -and Secretary of State Clinton's criticism for nor being more focused on al Queda - seem designed to paint President Zardari as an ineffective American stooge.

 4. Iran: Cancellation of the Eastern European missile shield was intended to buy Russia's good will and support for a plan to ensure that Iran's nuclear program was limited to peaceful purposes. Forget that! Likewise, the dance about Iran sending their nuclear materials to France or Russia for peaceful purpose upgrade - a temporary illusion. The policy - talk for talk's sake.  

5. North Korea: Nuclear and missile tests continue with nary a sideways glance as Obama's special envoy prepares to open bilateral discussions. At risk - the Bush policy of Six Party Talks with China in a major role.

6. Israel/Palestine: The graveyard where all good diplomats go to die. One can fault Obama/Hillary for tilting toward Israel in the latest round (which resulted in the announced retirement of Palestinian Authority President Abbas), but a peaceful "two state" solution has eluded the best diplomats for decades.

7. Honduras: We find ourselves on the side of Castro and Hugo Chavez in this battle between the Honduran Supreme Court and Legislature in their confrontation with a leftist president who tried to overthrow the constitutional provision for term limits. A recent agreement for November 29 elections would seem to overcome the Obama administration's demand that President Zelaya be reinstated.

8. Norway. Ah yes, the Nobel Peace Prize for which nominations were submitted within three weeks of Obama's inauguration.

   As Woodrow Wilson found in the 20s, it is a dangerous world and good intentions are not enough. It was initially hoped that Joe Biden (Senate Foreign Relations chair), Hillary (Bill's global legacy), and the plethora of special envoys (Richard Holbrooke in Afghanistan/Pakistan, George Mitchell in the Middle East, Stephen Bosworth in Korea) would bring experience to an effective foreign policy. Instead, the plan to delegate foreign hot spots to a team of experts from the past has captured some good will, but is accompanied by a decline in influence.

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This week's You Tube is for all of the Gladys Knight fans - a parody, and the original.  

bill bowen - 11/13/09

Favorites: 
    1. Mitt Romney's "Free and Strong America" PAC web site. 
    2. Tom Campbell's California governor campaign web site

Comments

[William McCormick]

Bo, I found Joe. He was on a talk show last night joking around about NY traffic. He's in charge of Afghanistan policy? And, Hillary is headed for Afghanistan while insisting she's ready for tea with Sarah Palin! ??? And, who's working the Iranian situation where they are now executing their activists??? Am I daffy or has this Administration lost all sense of focus and responsibility?? Maybe they take their direction from Bill Clinton who urges the Senators to pass any old healthcare bill whether it's good or not. Just another Trillion for the tax payers and businesses to pay for. Why not? Meanwhile the President gets rebuked on global climate change and gets a lecture from a Communist dictator on deficit spending. 2010 can't come soon enough. HELP

[William McCormick]

It is becoming more and more clear to me each week that the left wing of the Democrats have no confidence in the American free enterprise system to provide any services to society that can be provided by the government. They are incapable of distinguishing between the controlled socialistic approach to markets and the benefits of the competitive approach of capitalism. Perhaps the excesses of Wall Street have blinded them. But the excesses of unpunished irresponsible oversight and criminal behavior of Congressional and Administration members as well as the featherbedding approach of the government system itself make government performance in providing goods and service ineffective. It is precisely this lack of competition that has allowed insurance carriers to take advantage of small businesses and drive insurance rates up artificially. This healthcare bill does nothing to change that.

Left unchecked the leftists will apply their social strategy to energy, environment, military system develpment, healthcare, schools, pay systems, all infrastructure design, etc. I listen with amazement as the President holds court for the Chinese students telling them we have a duty to handle climate warming. As if the people in China who make $130 a month living in a country that will soon consume 50% of the world's food, pollute's their air and water and openly copies all the world's patents are all of a sudden going to develop a set of ethics for their communist government to follow. Obama doesn't dither he simply likes to hear himself talk. Especially in places where no one challenges his ideas. In America he is just an idealistic, inexperienced academic who shys away from the debates and runs for cover in Illinois, Michigan and overseas leaving Nancy and Harry to fight the battles for him and deferring to Bill Clinton for creditability. We never had a stimulus plan just a reward for his leftist buddies who supported his election. No wonder it has not worked. Claiming the mess was more than we thought--on George Bush--he debunks those who question his economic nonplan. Meanwhile his Generals sit waiting for a decision on Afghanistan. Afraid of the political consequences of his decision evidently, Obama sends the boys back to the drawing board to see if they can come up with the option he wants. That way he can blame it on them if it fails. The last time I looked Biden was on the Foreign Relations Committee and throughout the campaign declared himself the expert Obama so badly needed at his side. Palin was too naive to help McCain. Biden was said to be in charge of Afghanistan. And so where has Joe gone?

And, for month after month I've heard of the hundreds of Billions we were going to save on Medicare fraud. So when do we start? Do we have to pass the healthcare bill to begin to arrest those scamming the system? where are the feds? So far the most dollars saved during the Obama year has been those saved by Fox News in disclosing the fraud at ACORN. Is there any wonder Virginia elected a Republican Governor by 20%?? Republicans took Joe's New Jersey? And, Republicans won 6 of 7 judicial elections in Pennsylvania? Debt and debt service are crushing America. And now all we hear to save us is "Taxes". What a mess.

[Lisainst.louis]

Dithering could be good. I worry about the direction his team would take us so perhaps doing very little is a good thing. Understand the problems regarding international but I think he is not strong enough to do the right thing so dithering prevents him from doing the wrong thing. I also hope we can keep the healthcare bill in the dithering state since no one seems to, as Bill has stated, have an over all vision that will truly benefit the country.

Lisa

[William McCormick]

One gets the feeling with Obama that he simply doesn't care about anything. As far as I can tell he is very noncommital in his seemingly random attention to what is happening. Dithering is a good word. I like dabbling as well. He dabbles and moves on. He takes a stand on nothing. When he gets in trouble like healthcare--he sends in Clinton. I think he is trying to insulate himself fron risk. Unlike Reagan and GWB who told you what they stood for whether you liked it or not, Obama tries to sell you on a position that isn't ever backed up with action or even consistent focus. These are not the characteristics of a leader. Rather they are a symbols of an academic. And, I think that Obama has no idea how to solve these problems or how to organize his administration to do anything but theorize.

By now with his popularity sinking like the Titanic he should have gotten the message: it's the economy. Focus on it. In trouble with Healthcare he rushes off to attend to the Japanese and Chinese.

And, as if to show us he's tough minded he has Holder set trials for the 9-11 Terrorists in NYC. And gives the military the Cole's bomber. What an illusionist he is.

[Franca Gargiulo]

Bill -- one more region to add: SE Asia and APEC -- The Tokyo, Singapore, Beijing and North Korea visit of this week. This is a key region that feels slighly neglected after Bush II. There is also some current disappointment with Obama not visiting Jakarta and leaving the APEC summit early this weekend. There is a hope here that he does formulate a vision quickly and move forward with resolve on a very key area.
http://www.afp.com/afpcom/en/taglibrary/thematic/actuality
Franca Gargiulo