The World's View of U.S. Foreign Policy

Last week the Obama Administration announced peace talks with the Taliban in Afghanistan. Yesterday, the Taliban attacked government buildings in Kabul. In the last 2 weeks, both China and Russia have told Obama "Go fish!" when the U.S. asked that Edward Snowden be extradited to the U.S. Several weeks ago Putin kept Secretary of State John Kerry cooling his heels for three hours in the foyer while he, well probably practiced putting or something. Does anyone notice a pattern here? Bill Clinton did.

As the conservative rag (not) The Huffington Post reported it:

"Former President Bill Clinton offered a stinging critique of President Barack Obama's inaction in Syria during a closed-press event this week, Politico reported, arguing that Obama's hesitance to get involved in the lengthy conflict could end up making him look like a 'total fool' and a 'wuss.' "

www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/13/bill-clinton-obama-syria_n_3434393.html

Clinton always did have a good grasp of political dynamics even if he couldn't keep his zipper up. The problem is not just Syria but the fact that the whole world has tested Obama and found him wanting. They know they can act with impunity and he will not do anything, so they are acting with impunity. It is the diplomatic equivalent of a dog coming up and peeing on his leg - what are you going to do about it? We know the answer, so stand by for lots more of these adventures in the future. 

This approach (the "Ostrich") can be very dangerous if someone finally convinces Obama that he has to reclaim his manhood and he lashes out in some ill-advised reaction to a provocation. Then we are off and running getting a lot of good troops killed for no particularly good or necessary reason. Think Syria. Israel is perfectly capable of cleaning out that snakes' nest. Iran is a different story, though, and they are the ones propping up Syria and stirring up all kinds of trouble throughout the region. We have strategically applied the same Ostrich-policy to them too and it is just about to bite us in the posterior, which is so tantalizingly raised while our head is in the sand.