National Review\’s Jonah Goldberg has written an excellent commentary, titled “The Empty Threat of Future Judgment”, which talks about just how feckless Barack Obama\’s foreign policy actions have been; just how laughable they are to the rest of the world.
You can read it all by using the above link – and I hope you do. But let me give you a taste below, in which Mr. Goldberg derides Mr. Obama\’s whining about Vladimir Putin being “on the wrong side of history” (whatever that means):
…this administration has used the “wrong side of history” phrasemore than any I can remember. They particularly like to use it inforeign policy. In his first inaugural, Obama declared, “To thosewho cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing ofdissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history, but that wewill extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.” Eversince, whenever things haven\’t gone his way on the internationalscene – i.e., on days that end with a “y” – he or hisspokespeople have wagged their fingers from the right side ofhistory.
Lately,Obama and Kerry have been talking a lot about how Russian strongmanVladimir Putin is on the “wrong side of history.”Before that,Obama announced that Putin was on the wrong side of history forsupporting the Assad regime in Syria. He also said that Assad himselfwas on the wrong side of history. And so on.
Notethe difference in usage? In domestic affairs, it\’s a sign ofstrength. But in foreign affairs, invoking history as an ally is asign of weakness. On social issues like, say, gay marriage, itamounts to a kind of impatient bullying that you can afford when timeis on your side: “Your defeat is inevitable, so let\’s hurryit up.”
Butin international affairs, it is an unmistakable sign of weakness.When the president tells Putin that he\’s on the wrong side ofhistory, the upshot is: “You\’re winning right now and there\’snothing I can (or am willing to) do to change that fact. But you knowwhat? In the future, people will say you were wrong.”
Does anyone in his or her right mind believe that Vladimir Putin cares whether Barack Obama says he is on the wrong side of history? Does anyone in his or her right mind believe that an insipid comment like that will motivate countries in the European Union to align with a U.S. President they consider weak, inept, incompetent and unwilling to do anything but make a speech and run to the next fundraiser?
The United States and the European Union can bring Russia to its knees economically if they are serious about sanctions and hang tough.
But since President Obama is about as tough as a bowl of Jell-O, and the EU is not going to act without a strong U.S. President leading the way, instead we get “deals” with Syria and Iran that are beyond laughable, the takeover and annexation of Crimea…with more sure to follow, just like them.
Three more years of this? God help us.
