Pres. Obama and the Reality Bomb
[Posted 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.
–Karl
The POTUS is actually saying that he didn’t realize how “hard” the Iranian problem could be after he took office? What the hell is this, the Barbie Doll Presidency? Just pull her cord, and out comes “Gee, being President is sooo hard!” As for the economy, the President should dial up Carville and Rubin for some advice regarding the bond market – jeebus, does anyone here know how to play this game?
Dmac (1ddf7e) — 5/26/2009 @ 7:05 amWe’re screwed. Our kids are screwed worse. Our grandkids are screwed even worse.
Republicans need to figure out how to enlighten the younger generations of just how bleepin screwed “The One” is screwing them. They will experience a lower standard of living, they will inherit Trillions in Debt, they will have a greatly diminished manufacturing base and they will finally realize, much too late, that the Dems screwed them so royally their lives are damn near ruined.
This is not the America I grew up in. WTF happened to the America I grew up in?
Obama is a snivelling limp twit.
God Bless our people who served and who serve in our Armed Forces!
J. Raymond Wright (d83ab3) — 5/26/2009 @ 7:11 amIt is nasty, and prolly racist, to criticize Teh One that we were waiting for, Teh One that made the oceans quit rising.
JD (815958) — 5/26/2009 @ 7:18 amЗа такие посты надо награды давать, на полном серьезе!
Derevvvo (22badc) — 5/26/2009 @ 7:46 amI remember Bush talking about how hard it is to be president during a debate with Kerry. But Iran probably appreciates Obama’s statement.
tim maguire (4a98f0) — 5/26/2009 @ 8:07 amHere is my biweekly declaration of Karl adoration.
MayBee (c50b9d) — 5/26/2009 @ 8:39 amIt is striking that Obama can get away
with and even be applauded for saying,
“I didn’t know.”
Obama does not have an eidetic memory. He
has no scholarly works. His SAT
scores, his Columbia nor law school
grades have never been released, yet
some how he is considered a great
intellect?
Right now, this very minute, Obama is
jack (d9cbc5) — 5/26/2009 @ 8:51 amabove his pay grade.
He was above his pay-grade as a community dis-organizer.
AD - RtR/OS! (428ddf) — 5/26/2009 @ 9:04 amHe has never been truly challenged in any endeavor of his life, until now, when the stakes are existential.
But then, he’s not the one who’ll have to suffer his mistakes.
Here is my MayBee adoration 😉
JD (a0edad) — 5/26/2009 @ 9:11 amSomehow all the talk of how Kim is a crackpot eccentric, while Obama is portrayed as fatherly, all-knowing, and wise doesn’t quite square with reality when the “crackpot” is running circles around our flawless messiah.
This is the same Obama that was apparently busy with his puppy-vetting process or playing basketball while the Russians where nabbing our Afghan supply air-base in Kyrgizstan.
Obama is endangering our national security, a failure of his most primary duty as president… maybe we should draw a line here?
Living in a celebrity-driven/liberal/MSM fantasy world is not a right of Obama supporters to cling-to indefinitely, as it’s both the voters and the press’ duty to make informed, good-faith decisions… not waste power making a hollow fashion statement instead.
It’s rapidly getting to the point where this kind of willfully-ignorant “thinking” is not just irresponsible, but dangerous. Obamania’s sheeple are deeply delusional, and as Obama’s enablers, these fools are going to get us killed.
http://reaganiterepublicanresistance.blogspot.com/
Reaganite Republican Resistance (6836b1) — 5/26/2009 @ 9:14 amSomehow all the talk of how Kim is a crackpot eccentric, while Obama is portrayed as fatherly, all-knowing, and wise doesn’t quite square with reality when the “crackpot” is running circles around our flawless messiah.
This is the same Obama that was apparently busy with his puppy-vetting process or playing basketball while the Russians where nabbing our Afghan supply air-base in Kyrgizstan.
Obama is endangering our national security, a failure of his most primary duty as president… maybe we should draw a line here?
Living in a celebrity-driven/liberal/MSM fantasy world is not a right of Obama supporters to cling-to indefinitely, as it’s both the voters and the press’ duty to make informed, good-faith decisions… not waste power making a hollow fashion statement instead.
It’s rapidly getting to the point where this kind of willfully-ignorant “thinking” is not just irresponsible, but dangerous. Obamania’s sheeple are deeply delusional… and as Obama’s enablers, these fools are going to get us killed.
Reaganite Republican Resistance (6836b1) — 5/26/2009 @ 9:16 amIran is hard? Gee, that’s a revelation from the Empty Suit.
What a bunch of clowns.
SPQR (72771e) — 5/26/2009 @ 9:25 amI remember Bush talking about how hard it is to be president during a debate with Kerry
Sure – and after four years of dealing with the worst terrorist attack (and resultant economic difficulties) on US soil in history, he had quite an extensive knowledge of the difficulties involved in the role. But remember that this POTUS has endlessly criticized every past action taken by the prior administration, and still to this day blames everything on the previous occupants. However, that was exactly the same memes he campaigned on, and was elected partially because of those continued attacks. But now he says it’s all just “too hard” for his poor widdle self? Shut your piehole and get the job done, doofus.
Dmac (1ddf7e) — 5/26/2009 @ 9:41 amSomeone should tell the Empty Suit, that the Presidency is not about “Way Cool” Beef parties on Wednesday nights and imposing your Socialist view upon America, but also protecting America and Americans from harm. He won’t be able to Chamberlain his way out of this.
PCD (02f8c1) — 5/26/2009 @ 12:22 pmAs long as we are praising Karl, I agree with derevvvo above @7:46am:
For such posts it is necessary of reward to give, on complete [sereze]!
carlitos (a0089e) — 5/26/2009 @ 12:32 pmI guess we just do what “Boss Limbaugh” says, huh?
And don’t get me started on people with Utopian views of the current President. Nor the “dwindling” conservative minority—you are one of your fellow trolls or sockpuppets were already well schooled on that topic.
As for the “resorting to war” business, I would simply refer you to Harry Reid’s nonsense.
But then, you aren’t here to debate, are you? Just to trumpet Boss Soros’ point of view.
No matter what your real name might be.
Eric Blair (57b266) — 5/26/2009 @ 1:19 pmActually Beergod, conservatives (and why the quotation marks?) are just fine with diplomacy – unless it appears to be nothing but talk – premised upon the idea that the US is to blame – and replete with consequences that keep evaporating!
Gesundheit (47b0b8) — 5/26/2009 @ 1:23 pmAnyone who turns to diplomacy has to ask themselves, “Is there any reason for these people to change their behavior just because I say so?”
Unfortunately, the emasculated version of diplomacy that liberals love is nothing but talk. They think that if we all just understand one another the problems will resolve themselves. Hey, it worked in that freshman orientation small group when they made us all talk until we figured out how to get through an obstacle course! So naturally a beer deity assumes that he’ll be able to find some common ground with a fundamentalist anti-alcohol Muslim!
I can see it now… “Hey, Ahmedinejad! If you put down your nuclear weapons, we can all go out for drinks and shots! I’m buying!”
(Using Iran as the illustration because I can’t even imagine what a conversation with a maniac like Kim Jong Il could be like.)
Gesundheit (47b0b8) — 5/26/2009 @ 1:29 pmDark Beergod, Obama’s own rhetoric was that just his election by itself would turn around how our foreign enemies would perceive us. That’s been shown to be vacuous nonsense. And by some bizarre happenstance, Iran and North Korea have shown that they have not changed their course just because the Empty Suit is in the White House. Both have basically called Obama on his vapid nonsense.
By your comment, it is clear that you’ve chosen to avoid confronting those facts.
SPQR (72771e) — 5/26/2009 @ 1:34 pmSure, SPQR, but at least the oceans stopped rising! And don’t forget the 300 French gendarmes.
carlitos (a0089e) — 5/26/2009 @ 1:37 pmDark Beergod,
It’s sad that you obviously don’t realize the false dichotomy from which you operate. You posit diplomacy vs. war, when they are in fact two points on a continuum.
As I have previously noted, Obama, as a student of the Chicago Way, should understand that you are more likely to succeed with a kind word and gun than you are with just a kind word.
Moreover, you missed the point that this principle was just as applicable to the Bush admin., which is why they didn’t make progress on NoKo or Iran, either. Once such regimes come to believe that serious sanctions (let alone military action) are taken off the table by Russia or China, the notion of diplomatic success evaporates.
Karl (f07e38) — 5/26/2009 @ 2:02 pmI think those bombs are “cries for help” as Martha Raditz put it.
*Sniffle*
Patricia (2183bb) — 5/26/2009 @ 6:56 pmreality;what a concept.
corwin (492979) — 5/26/2009 @ 9:28 pmJD- you know I love you!
MayBee (c50b9d) — 5/26/2009 @ 9:43 pm[…] all, the real obstacles to effective action against North Korea are Russia and China, who both have interests in the continued existence of the DPRK regime. Neither has shown much […]
The Greenroom » Forum Archive » North Korean Crisis an Opportunity for Obama? (e2f069) — 5/26/2009 @ 11:14 pm[…] of US policy generally, and US diplomacy in particular is not foreign policy realism; it is foreign policy unrealism. Until Obama figures that out, events will keep exploding in his […]
The Greenroom » Forum Archive » Iranians Detonate Reality Bomb (e2f069) — 6/14/2009 @ 11:20 pm[…] of US policy generally, and US diplomacy in particular is not foreign policy realism; it is foreign policy unrealism. Until Obama figures that out, events will keep exploding in his […]
Patterico’s Pontifications » Iranians Detonate Reality Bomb (e4ab32) — 7/22/2009 @ 12:37 am[…] power” approach has been failing for some time already. Despite the prospect of arms races in Asia and the Middle East, Obama remains bent on appeasing Russia and Iran, with unilateral nuclear […]
The Greenroom » Forum Archive » Obama: I, sir, am no Jack Kennedy (e2f069) — 9/21/2009 @ 11:49 am