Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Obama Lacks Respect Among World Leaders
  Foreign Policy piece by J. D. Longstreet

Americans like to be liked.  At least, that is what we have been told for decades.  And while it is true to an extent, it is not one hundred percent true.  In fact, the American people will take respect over likability when the occasion calls for it.  Actually, the American people’s desire for respect far exceeds that of their leaders who are, of course, politicians.  We all know that a politician’s political life depends upon his/her “likeability factor.“  It is far more important to them to be liked than to be respected.

That fact presents a terrible problem for the country in international diplomacy.  When our representatives are dealing with the leaders of foreign countries, especially our enemies, it is immeasurably important they be respected.  If there is no respect for the American leader, there is a better than even chance an attempt will be made to “roll” the American leader.  The foreign leader, in such a situation, gets what he wants from the American, while the American only THINKS he got what he wanted, only to find out later that he had been conned and, in fact, got the short end of the stick.

Mr. Obama’s foreign forays, flying into European countries and Asian countries, have yielded America nothing for all his flashy efforts abroad.  His meetings with foreign leaders has been “meet and greet,” dinner, posing for photographs, delivering remarks in which he apologizes for America’s short-comings, and waving from the steps of Air Force One and then flying away having accomplished nothing substantial, at all.

Even our traditional friends have taken a standoffish posture toward Obama.  The British, after having been offended by Obama in the first few days of his presidency, now stand back and reserve their efforts, on America’s behalf abroad, even though they are America’s oldest friend, the Mother Country, in fact.

In the Middle East, Mr. Obama deliberately shunned The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, and left Mr. Netanyahu sitting alone for an hour or more while Obama went off to have dinner with his family.  That was an unforgivable snub and one that will never be forgotten.  Sooner than later, the US is going to need Israel’s help, covertly, or overtly, and it will be slow in coming, IF it comes at all.  What goes around—comes around.

See, Netanyahu believes that peace between the Palestinians and the Israelis can only be accomplished under Israel’s terms. And Netanyahu has said “NO” to Obama’s demand that there be no more settlements constructed by Israel.  That act by Netanyahu leaves Obama absolutely nothing he can offer to the Palestinians or the Syrians.  As we said – what goes around – comes around.

Obama’s henchmen in the White House are now more than a little concerned that the Obama Regime will be compared to the Jimmy Carter Administration.  They needn’t worry, it is already being compared to Jimmy Carter’s administration, and, it has come up short of Carter’s sterling performance as a paper tiger.

Newt Gingrich recently said: “Carter tried weakness and the world got tougher and tougher because the predators, the aggressors, the anti-Americans, the dictators, when they sense weakness, they all start pushing ahead.“  Gingrich also said, referring to the Obama Regime, “This does look a lot like Jimmy Carter.“  (SOURCE)

It has been said that Obama speaks apologetically and carries no stick at all!

In May of this year, Ed Koch, a former Mayor of New York City, (a democrat) said the following in Koch’s Comments”:  “Have we lost the will to stand up to the bullies of the world? The administration points with pride to the fact that it is preceding with sanctions against Iran at the Security Council and that it succeeded in bringing Russia and China to the point where they too have agreed to vote for sanctions. To accomplish this, however, the US had to agree to Russia’s delivering arms to Iran, e.g., an anti-aircraft system that would be used to shoot down US, and Israeli planes that might in the future seek to eliminate Iran’s nuclear facilities. With respect to China and getting its consent to vote with us, we dropped sanction measures that would have crippled Iran’s banking and financial institutions and prohibited the sale of gasoline to Iran, which has no conversion facilities, which would have devastated its economy.

Some will say that pointing out these failures of will is jingoistic. I believe these failures to stand up for allies and most importantly to stand up for ourselves is why we are taken less seriously by nations throughout the world than should be the case. When others fully respected us, we were able to keep the world at peace. We are losing that ability with each passing day, as we demonstrate our unwillingness to teach the bullies of the world the lessons they deserve.

Speak softly and carry a big stick, Teddy Roosevelt said. President Obama speaks apologetically and carries no stick at all. No wonder North Korea torpedoed that South Korean warship, something they would not have done in all probability if China had not quietly approved. No wonder Brazil and Turkey thumb their noses at us. We have become a laughingstock.” (SOURCE)

We have disagreed with Mayor Koch on numerous occasions, but this is one of those times when we are in total agreement.

We continue to see America being laughed at and made fun of around the world while Obama bows and scrapes and apologizes.  It is embarrassing. But more than that—it is dangerous, very dangerous,  not only for America, but for the world.

J. D. Longstreet
http://csadispatch.blogspot.com/

Posted by J. D. Longstreet on 8/24/10

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