I have been pretty silent for the last week or so due to to much going on at work and home to have time to blog.
Since today is 50 days since Inauguration and everyone is talking domestic policy when the president has the most impact on foreign policy since Congress has limited involvement. I have been reviewing the news about US foreign policy to see what has changed since inauguration day.
Russia rejects US missile defense despite the article saying that a 18 year old treaty will be reworked, if the US drops the plan put missile defense in eastern Europe that is a Russia diplomatic win and a US/NATO loss.
The new administration talks down our relationship with England. Obama, Brown: Isn’t that special The greatest friend that America has in the world, tell them they are not that important.
From townhall.com
The results of the Canada visit were not as publicly catastrophic as some pre-meeting announced stated they could be. I guess it is a plus if the expectation were low and the results were that it was better. Obama’s Canada Visit Spotlights NAFTA
Ahmadinejad: Iran welcomes Obama overtures. The Iranian president is happy that the Obama administration wants to talk and will result in delays of any action against Iran for violating international treaties.
North Korea – U.S. Wants ‘Dialogue’ With North Korea, Urges End to Rhetoric . Letting Kim Jong Il become relevant again with the talks about long range missile testing.
Afghanistan – put in 17,000 troops when 30,000 are requested. Nothing like second guessing the generals on the ground and negotiating with the Enemy.
Obama says US is losing war in Afghanistan and hints at Taleban talks
Iraq – Follow the Bush administration plan on Iraq Withdraw.
My summary:
Make long time friends upset, kowtow to rivals and let low level dictators runs roughshod over American and world security interests.
I hope that the current administration can make all these long shot hopes come true lust like a lot like the domestic policies of high risk, high return and hope everything goes fine.
A scary time we live in.
March 10, 2009 at 6:09 pm
Obama’s time in office so far, has made him look like a president of style over substance and lacking in gravitas. The snub to the British makes him look shallow, the failure to stand firm with despots makes him look weak, the claims that he is tired, makes him look, his failure to comment on ‘world affairs’ make him look disinterested, his unwillingness to take advice from troops on the ground in Afghanistan and Iraq makes him look authoritarian and his signing of an executive power a day suggests that he thinks doing something is better that doing nothing. A lone view from across the pond.
March 11, 2009 at 12:34 am
The UK tortured Obama’s grandpappy. With that in consideration I think his response to the UK was most restrained.
It’s not like he declared war on the UK like his predecessor did on a country who had tried to hurt his father. The UK actually DID hurt Obama’s Grandfather. Therefore there is more justification for Obama to go to war with Britain than there ever was for Bush to go to war with Iraq.
March 11, 2009 at 9:00 am
@ Alice: Obama is supposed to represent all of the people of America, not simply use the position of President to force his personal agenda. If that was the motive, which I doubt, then he should be ashamed. I suspect it was more a case of being out of his depth than anything else, it is oh so easy to think that you can do a job much better than the incumbent, only to find out later that you have been promoted above your abilities. Like many people before him in positions of power, I guess he will be learning on the job.
March 11, 2009 at 10:57 am
UK Voter,
I agree with your assessment. The entire Obama campaign was style without substance. If his substance would have come out in the campaign there would have been a very low probability of his being elected. He is the American Idol – President.
He is called a great public speaker but only if he has a teleprompter. Whenever he is off the prompter he is no better than Bush who was a below average public speaker.
March 11, 2009 at 11:14 am
@ suemdonk: Yes, it is a shame, much hope was placed on the Obama administration and so far, he has simply failed to live up to, let alone meet, the expectations of the American people. We can only hope that it gets better soon!
March 12, 2009 at 1:45 am
Actually Obama has met every one my expectations.
On domestic policy I was very confident that he would increase government spending and the debt by trillions of dollars with an end game of making people more defendant on government while removing the ability of private capital to work.
On foreign policy, he is for a weaker US, make terrorism a civil rights issue and create a way to show that America is defeated by terrorists. I hope not to many people die for him to get his way.