Pres. Obama and the Reality Bomb
posted at 1:00 am on May 26, 2009 by Karl
The Washington Post’s Glenn Kessler thinks North Korea’s nuclear test is “An Early Test for Obama’s Engagement Policy,” but he buries the key facts among speculation from various supposed experts:
U.S. administration officials took encouragement from the quick responses from China and also Russia, in particular. The two nations, North Korean allies, joined in yesterday’s condemnations. The Russian reaction was “firmer” than after the last nuclear test and the Chinese reacted faster with condemnation than after the April missile test, administration officials said. Both countries also joined in the Security Council’s unanimous condemnation of North Korea during an emergency meeting yesterday.
But analysts are skeptical that China’s response means it will be more open to sanctions than in the past. It has traditionally been more concerned about regime instability on its border than nuclear weapons.
Meanwhile, North Korea’s intransigence threatens an arms race in the region.
Much the same could be said of Iran. Pres. Obama apparently claims he did not realize, when he came to office, how “hard” the Iran problem would be. Yet Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has rejected the latest Western proposal for Iran to “freeze” its nuclear work in return for no new sanctions and ruled out talks on the issue. The International Atomic Energy Agency cannot adequately monitor Iran’s nuclear program, while the administration starts preparing people for Iran being allowed to retain it. All of which proceeds with the knowledge that Iran has sought nuclear weapons all along, and that Iran’s intransigence threatens to set off a Mideast arms race.
These problems have much less to do with engaging North Korea or Iran than they do with engaging Russia and China. Russia has the most power to delay Iran’s nuclear ambitions, just as China has the most leverage over North Korea. Without more cooperation from Russia and China, Obama’s policies toward North Korea and Iran will likely be no more successful than those of the Bush administration.
The problems Obama faces here are the flip side of his decisions to embrace — and possibly extend — the Bush administration’s war policies. These are decisions made because reality ultimately intrudes upon and overrides campaign rhetoric. Obama may continue his lofty campaign rhetoric regarding North Korea, Iran and nuclear proliferation, but only because the reality of Russian and Chinese reluctance renders it irrelevant, much as it rendered the Bush administration’s isolation and its later multi-lateral approach equally irrelevant.
The reality bomb is also going off domestically. The Democratic Congress opposes Obama’s decision to close the detainee camp at Guantanamo Bay without a plan. Obama’s proposed domestic spending orgy is running into the reality of an increasingly resistant global bond market.
Pres. Obama campaigned on the notion that the Bush administration alienated the rest of the world and that he would reverse this dire situation. Instead, Obama’s diplomatic overtures have been largely rejected by the European Union, NATO, Russia, North Korea, Israel, the Palestinian Authority, Iran and much of Latin America. Obama’s narcissism and the New Left roots of his ideology led him to believe that it was all about US, as in the US. Now, our Citizen of the World is learning that the World has its own agenda, one that is indifferent or opposed to his, both at home and abroad.
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Either Obama-nation thinks that his “Oneness” will make all the international problems go away, or he is out to destroy the USofA, and intends to take western culture with us.
darktood on May 26, 2009 at 6:21 AM
he is out to destroy us. read his books, look at his friends, listen to his campaign speeches & watch his actions. he’s not hiding anything.
kelley in virginia on May 26, 2009 at 6:50 AM
The dictators and thugs of the world know they have an ally in Ogabe. They can dismiss his rhetoric with impunity because they also know there will be no price to pay for ignoring his “words, just words”.
The nations that were our allies have much to fear from the big-eared freak because they can see through his empty rhetoric straight to the heart of darkness that surrounds them and means them ill.
Freedom, as we once knew it, cannot exist in Obamaland (formerly the USA) because it is anathema to every philosophy he holds dear and will force upon us at any cost. The (possible) unintended consequence of his evil aims is that this “citizen of the world” will have us more isolated and vulnerable than Bush ever could.
SKYFOX on May 26, 2009 at 7:28 AM
Reality? Not a chance THAT will happen. Remember he walks on “something”.
upinak on May 26, 2009 at 10:28 AM
Obama is getting a crash course in the uselessness of theoretical diplomacy.
It sucks when the other guy doesn’t do what you had planned for him to do.
Maybe the Administration should change their foreign policy calculus arguments from constants to variables. But that would mess up the message coming from TOTUS.
I’m gonna have a pair of Ruby slippers sent to the White House. They can try that, eh? There’s no place like home…there’s no place like home…..
BobMbx on May 26, 2009 at 10:29 AM
The reality is that a lot of innocent people are going to die because of the stinking mess known as the Ogabe Administration.
Spine of Steel is turning out to be wet noodle, Ogabe is more concerned with his domestic popularity and choosing a puppy than dealing with the “really hard” problems of the world.
Bishop on May 26, 2009 at 10:30 AM
This is absolutely true, and has boggled my mind for the whole election cycle and the last 5 months.
Its all been out there from day one and as plain as the nose on your face. The blindness of the people surpasses the blindness and gullibility of cult members..from, “theres a ‘Mothership’ hiding in Hale Bops tail, to “Here…drink this poison”.
Its unbelievable to me.
Itchee Dryback on May 26, 2009 at 10:30 AM
It’s amazing to see how surprised the libs are to find that it really isn’t “Bush’s fault” after all. Part of me always thought they were just conniving about Bush, but it’s obvious that a lot of them including Big O apparently are moronic enough to actually believe it.
LibTired on May 26, 2009 at 10:31 AM
Now he is looking to control the internet with another Czar, with no oversight by the Congress or Senate. He’s going to try to shut down talk radio and then the internet. You just wait and see. Somebody better stand up and stop this man’s policies. He is dangerous and obviously hates this Country. Nice vetting media, this is your fault and you will realize one day what a mistake you made.
suzyk on May 26, 2009 at 10:32 AM
How Obama’s narrow view of the world is spun into a complete understanding of the global situation – IS BEYOND ME. This guy is a naive train wreck waiting to happen, and is IN NO WAY wise.
marklmail on May 26, 2009 at 10:34 AM
Suzyk, when O gives his media buddies pettit czarships they’ll stay silent or remain cheerleaders. The “elite” will exempt themselves from Ogaba’s iron fist
clnurnberg on May 26, 2009 at 10:34 AM
KARL you nailed it. Obama is the wrong US president for this time in history. Would things have been different under McCain? I dont know for certain,but my gut tells me that quite possibly the World knows just how weak Obama truly is. He’s all talk and no teeth.Except when it comes to domestic policies in which his administration finds it terribly easy to label our own American citizens as extremists and domestic terrorists. Diplomacy and “Smart Power” while the petty tyrants launch missiles. Yes they can. No one is left with the intestinal fortitude to stop them. Anyone up for a game of golf?
canditaylor68 on May 26, 2009 at 10:43 AM
Um, Mich, er, elle. You know, um, that this, um, um, President, um, thing is, um, a lot harder than, um, community, er, organizing.
The, um, world, um just doesn’t, er want to get, along.
I’ve, um, apologized for our, um, what, um, Bush did like I apologized, for, what rich people did, um, to the poor people, in, um, what’s that town, oh, Chicago, but, um, they won’t listen.
Maybe we need to send them mo’ money.
davidk on May 26, 2009 at 10:47 AM
Obama bombs on the world stage. Call him Obomba.
RandyChandler on May 26, 2009 at 10:47 AM
The world’s despots know that Obama is a skinny, granola-eating hippie and they are not scared of his paper tiger rhetoric:
“I will only send troops into harm’s way if the situation calls for it.”
Obama said something like that. The world knows he is just trying to sound tough. He is not really going to do anything, and if and when Iran and North Korea get nukes, they will launch them. Both countries are just stalling “peace talks” until their weapons are ready.
Talking things out only works on elementary school playgrounds, and even then a few punches are thrown.
SCOOPTHIScarlos on May 26, 2009 at 10:50 AM
As a friend once said “Now do you understand Hitler”
referring to the question of how civilized Germans could give fascist salutes and accept the erosion of human rights before their very eyes. Even after the Germans were defeated, many still loved Hitler.
As for Korea, they should call the nuke the bomb the Clintons built, or maybe the Madeline Albright Bomb. Here is Albright interviewed in 03-15-2007
…
The N. Koreans played her like a banjo
entagor on May 26, 2009 at 10:51 AM
Oh, it’s still all Bush’s fault. The new meme will be that Bush ruined things so badly that even Obama can’t fix them. Coming soon to a MSM outlet near you.
mchristian on May 26, 2009 at 10:59 AM
Don’t worry.
It’s only Kim Jong-Il, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and Islamic militants in Pakistan who have (or will soon get) nukes.
It’s not like those crazies Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher.
sarc.//off
__________
RJGatorEsq. on May 26, 2009 at 11:05 AM
Now I know how a lobster feels as he is being boiled.
Are we screaming yet?
faraway on May 26, 2009 at 11:12 AM
perhaps he should have been a Psychologist instead of the POTUS.
He wants to help & cure the world of all ills. He could do it one person at a time…but I guess we first need free medical insurance.
If he wasn’t so damn arrogant & self bloated he might be able to see that he doesn’t hold all the answers.
poppieseeds on May 26, 2009 at 11:32 AM
The reality is that a lot of innocent people are going to die because of the stinking mess known as the Ogabe Administration.
Bishop on May 26, 2009 at 10:30 AM
Best case scenario will be that ONLY Billions die, but civilization survives.
Worst Case, don’t even want to think about it.
Chainsaw56 on May 26, 2009 at 11:33 AM
This is what happens when you are nothing more than a Paparazzi President built up and protected by an adoring press
and a liberal base that thinks hugs and waving the peace sign
is “smart power”.
Baxter Greene on May 26, 2009 at 11:43 AM
What if …
Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea are ALLIES in something bigger?
I’m absolutely convinced they are. All of them have supposed “grievances” against the U.S. All of them want to expand their influence over their regions but the U.S. is standing in the way of all of them.
I mean seriously folks – if I were Putin – I’d get with the ChiComms, the Nork’s and the Iranians and say …
“We all have a common problem – let’s work in concert to solve it to our mutual advantage”.
Russia wants it’s satellites back.
China wants Taiwan back.
North Korea wants South Korea.
Iran wants the whole middle east and to snuff Israel out.
All of these goals have ONE COMMON DENOMINATOR – the fact that the U.S. stands in opposition to all of these.
When they all four move to take their objectives simultaneously – we will not be in a position to oppose them all and Europe will not have the guts to do a damn thing.
HondaV65 on May 26, 2009 at 11:55 AM
Well Obama still has Hugo and Fidel in his corner.
Herb on May 26, 2009 at 11:55 AM
.
.
Setting the stage.
iurockhead on May 26, 2009 at 11:57 AM
That seems so clear to me, also. I certainly don’t want to believe it’s true, but if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, etc. He is not on the side of the USA.
zeebeach on May 26, 2009 at 11:59 AM
Since when does reality figure anywhere in the leftists formula?
44Magnum on May 26, 2009 at 12:01 PM
There are ONLY two choices on this: 1) the Empty-Suit-in-Chief is a total rube, or 2) he’s a traitor working to destroy our country. Either choice is a loser. The sooner we send him back to his unverse, the better.
HomeoftheBrave on May 26, 2009 at 12:26 PM
So far Obama’s strongest stances and fiercest condemnation has been towards political opponents and civilians like Rush and Santelli.
Going around the world apologizing for America and posing for photo ops is not turning out to be effective foreign policy.
The much balloted G20 trip produced nothing more than pats on the back and the appearance of unity.
No combat troops for a NATO mission.
No help with Obama’s stimulus plans(Germany and France said hell no)
Nobody to take Gitmo prisoners.
It is obvious that the Obama administration is more concerned with coming out of a dignitary meeting making grand proclamations of success,happy faces and handshakes all around and then hope the press ignore the fact that nothing substantial was accomplished and nothing has changed. All they care about is that 24/7 news cycle giving the “appearance” that success was achieved for the “5 minute news cycle” voter.
The Pakistan/Afghanistan meeting was a good example of this
as was the Israeli meeting.
Press releases and front page stories of historic success while Netanyahu goes home and rebukes Obama and the Pakistanis struggle in Swat and declare Warziristan off limits (happens to be the prime training ground for the terrorist…the place Obama was all for taking down during the campaign…now ….not so much).
Obama continues to send softballs over to Iran only to be rebuked and laughed at while they continue belligerently to declare Israel a “stinking corpse” and get ever so closer to the nuclear weapon to carry out the wishes of their 12th iman.
Press releases and speeches of condemnation were all over the place just a few months ago with N. Korea’s last launch.
Russia and China balked,the UN issued meaningless words,and Kim Jong is obviously emboldened with the early failures of “smart power”.
Obama and the “international community” have made it clear,they will not risk their political futures on strong or preemptive actions.
They will issue meaningless sanctions to be broken,empty speeches,and photo ops of faux international unity.
They will accomplish nothing while the new Hitler’s build their war machines and threaten free countries.
Here is an early and spot on assessment of the Obama administrations bogus foreign policy:
Rapidly Collapsing U.S. Foreign Policy
by Herschel Smith
http://www.captainsjournal.com/2009/02/22/rapidly-collapsing-us-foreign-policy/
There were many warnings that a failed community organizer who takes advice from code pink and Rev. Wright was not going to be able to handle problems on this level.
It is becoming obvious that our enemies believe this to be true.They show no fear of Obama at all.
I know Obama does not remember who he is,but his Defense Secretary stated early on that “failed states” were the administrations biggest concerns.
Iraq,Afghanistan,
Pakistan,Somali,and Mexico.
Robert M. Gates on a Balanced Strategy for the Pentagon
BY Herschel Smith
http://www.captainsjournal.com/2008/12/05/robert-m-gates-on-a-balanced-strategy-for-the-pentagon/
And yet in the face of this,Obama’s biggest cuts have come in National Defense,including missile defense in the face of increased threats from countries with long range ballistic missile capabilities.
This is an administration that considers these outside threats as “distractions” and “roadblocks” to the more important issues of global warming,welfare,and socializing our economic system.
Obama and his “smart power” team are on the road to major foreign policy failures with many innocent people paying the ultimate price for having a chicken hawk coffee shop general in charge.
Baxter Greene on May 26, 2009 at 12:34 PM
We have been engaged in Cattle Ranching since this country was founding and in TEXAS since 1813. We know two things about BS.
ONE: BS will stick to bare feet,mocks,boots and guci loafers.
TWO boma is now at least a couple of inches taller,soon he can play pro B Ball as he will be the tallest dummy on the court.
Over his head is an understatement.
He wants an attack so he can freeze all liberty in the name of”crisis”.
Col.John Wm. Reed on May 26, 2009 at 12:44 PM
Which was a lot of rubbish. Hussein used this to pander to the moonbats, but he discovered how much BS it truly was.
dogsoldier on May 26, 2009 at 12:54 PM
Ya, got that right!!
Chainsaw56 on May 26, 2009 at 1:01 PM
Oh, nonsense. All that The One needs to do is:
1) Clap a friendly arm around [insert foreign leader here]
2) Flash trademark warm & winning smile
3) Look [foreign leader] in the eye and intone, “I won.”
Problem solved! Hey, it works here… doesn’t it?
Paul_in_NJ on May 26, 2009 at 1:19 PM
No he doesn’t. Hugo is helping Iran and is allied with the NK-Iranian axis.
They are….. and Venezuela and Bolivia are their western hemisphere ace in the hole. Something big is in the works and I am convinced Biden was correct….the ONE will be tested and the unpopular decision Biden alluded to will be to sidle up to the axis and wholly capitulate
Goodeye_Closed on May 26, 2009 at 2:18 PM
I’d like to suggest that ‘arrogant’ is more accurate than ‘moronic’. They don’t lack intellectual capacity, but they use it perversely by being allowing it to be guided by whimsy and desire, rather than by reason applied to the best available data.
Liberals seem think that all decent people share their ideals and that people who don’t appear to share them are either oppressed or oppressors, or otherwise deformed or evil.
It is arrogance, I think, that causes them to presume the correctness or usefulness of their ideas without actually attempting to seek the knowledge and understanding that would verify or refute their presumption.
YiZhangZhe on May 26, 2009 at 2:34 PM
This strikes me as the same kind of ‘its all about the USA’ attitude that the article accuses Mr Obama of suffering from.
The USA is certainly a very influential nation, certainly one of the most influential nations, but it is not the centre of the known universe and it has nowhere near the influence or importance that is often claimed for it.
The USA possibly shouts louder than any other country, and consequently attracts more of the fascination and abuse that is routinely dispensed to each and every loudmouth regardless of whether they speak truth or falsehood, wisdom or folly, fact or fiction …
… but the USA is not the cause of all the world’s ills, it is not the focus of all the world’s grievances, and the grievances that other countries have with the USA are not necessarily larger or more important than the many and diverse grievances that they already have with one another.
YiZhangZhe on May 26, 2009 at 3:00 PM
I wonder if the Chinese would be more willing to help with the Nork’s if they believed that a nuclear N. Korea would result in a nuclear Japan?
MarkTheGreat on May 27, 2009 at 9:01 AM