Amateur hour in foreign policy

[ArlJim78]

overlooked due to all the attention on Obama's ruinous ecomomic plans and Limbaugh-mania, was a recent huge foreign policy blunder, let's just call it Obama's "Dear Dmitri" letter.

this supposedly secret letter (that was carried and reported by all media outlets) to the Russian president, in a nutshell offered to scrap our missle defense plans for eastern Europe, in exchange for help from the Russians to manage the Iranian situation.

"walk softly, humiliate yourself, and carry no stick" this seems to be our current posture to the world.

Charles Krauthammer describes this blunder much better than I could;

"This is smart diplomacy? This is a debacle. The Russians dismissed it contemptuously.



Look, if we could get the Iranian nuclear program stopped with Russian's helping us in return for selling out the Poles and the Czechs on missile defense, I'm enough of a cynic and a realist to say we would do it the same way that Kissinger agreed to delegitimize and de-recognize Taiwan in return for a large strategic opening with China.



But Kissinger had it done. He had it wired. What happened here is it was leaked. The Russians have dismissed it. We end up being humiliated. We look weak in front of the Iranians, and we have left the Poles and Czechs out to dry in return for nothing.



The Czechs and the Poles went out on a limb, exposed themselves to Russian pressure, and we have shown that Eastern Europe is not as sovereign as it appears if the Russian influence is there, and we will acquiesce in what they consider their own sphere of influence.



This administration has prided itself, flattered itself on deploying smart diplomacy. "Smart diplomacy" is a meaningless idea, but if it has any meaning at all, it is not ever doing something as humiliating, amateurish, and stupid as this."

[Marshall Bennett]

Not surprising . Currently Obamanomics has the attention of most everyone here at home . Should the focus ever shift to foreign matters ( which is doubtful with the domestic disaster likely to get worse ) Obama is going to find himelf in another world of shit . Don't expect any better results there than is expected here .

[ArlJim78]

he also goes out of his way to snub our greatest ally, Great Britain.
he treated Brown and his team like any third rate guest, and it was immediately noticed overseas.
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/iain_martin/blog/2009/03/04/president_barack_obama_just_plain_rude_to_britain_ dont_call_us_in_future

of course that was after he snubbed them by returning the Churchill bust that was loaned to the White house by Tony Blair. Obama said get rid of it, send it back.

[Tom]

And his insult to Israel by stealing 900 million of our tax dollars to fund the people who repeatedly launch missels at Israeli civilians. Barack Obama is a stinking terrorsit - I classify him in the same way I classify Bin Laden. Only more dangerous.

GD Barack Obama.
GD Barack OBama.

[PaceAdvantage]

Perhaps GWB will have competition soon for "Worst President Ever."

The way things have started out (plunging stock market, terrible cabinet vetting process, disastrous foreign policy statements), one can only imagine what's in store for the remainder of his term.

[ddog]

you are starting to catch on.

very good.


recall a post awhile back where i said no matter who got in they were doomed ?


the news is running about a year behind.


keep truckin.

:eek:

[slewis]

Perhaps GWB will have competition soon for "Worst President Ever."

The way things have started out (plunging stock market, terrible cabinet vetting process, disastrous foreign policy statements), one can only imagine what's in store for the remainder of his term.

Not even close,

GWB allowed our boys to walk with targets on their backs with specific orders not to fire back (remember the "holy" mosques they were shooting at us from.)

NO f-in leader EVER allows that.

Having Bin Laden at the white house for dinner wouldn't out do that move.

[PaceAdvantage]

GWB allowed our boys to walk with targets on their backs with specific orders not to fire back (remember the "holy" mosques they were shooting at us from.)Yeah, blowing up mosques would have gone over real well in a war that was getting more and more unpopular in MSM with each passing moment.

[DJofSD]

BookTV alert (http://www.booktv.org/program.aspx?ProgramId=10243&SectionName=&PlayMedia=No) : Thomas PM Barnett and the world after Bush.

This guy is a pretty good speaker and it should be pretty engaging.

[lsbets]

Not even close,

GWB allowed our boys to walk with targets on their backs with specific orders not to fire back (remember the "holy" mosques they were shooting at us from.)

NO f-in leader EVER allows that.

Having Bin Laden at the white house for dinner wouldn't out do that move.

Huh? I never heard of or received any order not to fire back. The rules of engagement clearly state that if you are taking fire from a site (including a mosque) that site loses its protected status.

[ddog]

hmmmmmmmm

how many of those did we take out via airstrike after the "war" was won?

there is no doubt we held back at times , obviously, that may have been what was required though.

that's the problem with using our troops to "bring" stuff to countries over there.

we can't do what we need to do since we are already down two strikes before we start.

we did not and will not have helped our position in the long run with the action in Iraq.

[Tom]

If you are not prepared to wage 110% war - kill everyone and break everything in your path, then don't go to war. You are not cut out for it.
The object of war is to win as fast as possible, to make the other guy die for his country, to FRIGGIN WIN.

War sucks, no one wants war. If you have to go to war, end it as fast as possible, and make damn sure the other guy is beat so bad he will never mess with you again. Like we did to Japan. Like we did to Dresden.

[Bubba X]

If you are not prepared to wage 110% war - kill everyone and break everything in your path, then don't go to war. You are not cut out for it.
The object of war is to win as fast as possible, to make the other guy die for his country, to FRIGGIN WIN.

War sucks, no one wants war. If you have to go to war, end it as fast as possible, and make damn sure the other guy is beat so bad he will never mess with you again. Like we did to Japan. Like we did to Dresden.
On this, we agree. 10,000%.:ThmbUp:

[boxcar]

On this, we agree. 10,000%.:ThmbUp:

Yikes! I'm bowled over! You're actually opposed to fighting politically correct wars. Hard to believe. But I'll take you at your word... :ThmbUp: :ThmbUp:

Boxcar

[Bubba X]

Yikes! I'm bowled over! You're actually opposed to fighting politically correct wars. Hard to believe. But I'll take you at your word... :ThmbUp: :ThmbUp:

Boxcar

If you go to war, what is the point of having a goal to "return to stability?" What is the point of "Proportional Response?"

The goal should be to make it short. The strategy should be massive, but short in duration, destruction. The tactic should be DISproportionate response.

What is the point, otherwise if not to win, win quickly and be in position to dictate change? The Iraq war sucks, yeah. But what really sucks is that it's going on 6 years and what good has it done?

Slow wars do not work. Especially in that part of the world. Ask the Israelis.

[Tom]

Obummer is now willing to meet with moderate members of the Taliban (Tallybon?).

What is a moderate Taliban.....only cuts off hands, not heads?

This is like FDR negotiating with Hitler!
What is OBummer doing, giving them a progress report????:ThmbDown::ThmbDown::ThmbDown:

[prospector]

Obummer is now willing to meet with moderate members of the Taliban (Tallybon?).

What is a moderate Taliban.....only cuts off hands, not heads?

This is like FDR negotiating with Hitler!
What is OBummer doing, giving them a progress report????:ThmbDown::ThmbDown::ThmbDown:
most of us knew this betrayal was coming..i believe in killing your enemies before they kill you..not interested in what they say...what idiot wants to talk to people who swore to destroy you..kill 'em and be done with it..
if it was up to me, those mountains where the taliban are would glow for one hundred years..
which word fits obama best, coward?, traitor? or just plain fool?:bang:
how many days left?

[cj's dad]

I'm all for sending Hilary Rodham Carpetbagger over there for a meeting with the top Taliban honchos. A couple of hours locked in a room with her cackling and such and they"ll be cutting off their own heads.

[Marshall Bennett]

I'm all for sending Hilary Rodham Carpetbagger over there for a meeting with the top Taliban honchos. A couple of hours locked in a room with her cackling and such and they"ll be cutting off their own heads.
:lol: Good One !! :lol: