There is something strange about the Obama administration's diplomacy. We speak softly to our enemies, but use a big stick against our friends.
Protesters take to the streets in Iran in opposition to election fraud, and against a regime which is openly hostile to the U.S., and Obama treads with the greatest of care. First silence, then mixed messages assuring the regime we want to negotiate with it regardless of election fraud. Only after almost two weeks are there strong statements against regime violence.
Fast forward. The President of Honduras, who is aligned with our enemies such as Hugo Chavez, attempts an unlawful referendum giving him a third term. The Honduran legislature and courts rule such a referendum illegal, and put a stop to it when the President moves forward anyway. Acting on a court order, the military removes the President in order to protect Honduran democracy. There are swift and furious denunciations from Obama, who declares the action "not legal." The ultimate meddling, telling Honduras what is or is not legal in Honduras, regardless of what the Honduran courts say.
What is wrong with this picture? Be cautious with our enemies, but come down hard with our friends. Heads our enemies win, tails we lose.
UPDATE: Oh, this is great, Zelaya accused of drug ties (h/t The Rhetorican)
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Tuesday, June 30, 2009
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What's wrong? Strange ?
ReplyDeleteFor a Neo-Marxist Chicago Thug, his behavior is quite normal. Wake up Mr. Professor.
There's a simple explanation. Obama was raised by two communists, had a communist poet mentor, was enthralled by socialist thinkers in his youth. Zelaya is making a standard latin american Chavez-like socialist power grab. Of course Obama is going to be in favor of that.
ReplyDeleteAnd he insults Americans at every opportunity too.
ReplyDeleteThis is not surprising, given that he has steered the U.S. economy toward socialism at every opportunity.
ReplyDeleteIMO:
ReplyDeleteHonduras is explained by Chavez - Zelaya is Chavez's buddy, Obama (and his State Department) consider Chavez a player who has to be dealt with, so they're trying to accommodate Chavez whenever they can.
Iran is explained by "anti-Bush" - - Obama wants a deal, the only government he can currently negotiate with is the mullahs, they don't think the people are going to dislodge them, so the O-bots want to deal. And (in their minds) the mullahs being weakened by internal strife makes them less likely to deal - they'll keep the "Great Satan" front & center as a means to maintain control.
But, yes, it's Jimmy Carter all over again - beat up your friends, beg from your enemies.
I would say the ultimate example of the US using a big stick against its friends is not Honduras, but Israel.
ReplyDeleteThe same SOP is active in the Middle East as well: Play nice with Syria, reward them with an upgrade in diplomatic relationship, reestablish our Ambassador there despite their meddling in Lebanon and their continued support of Hizbollah while at the same time isolate our ally Israel as well as link the development Iranian nuclear weapons- which will then be used against Israel- with the bogus "settlement" issue. It's might be dangerous to be an enemy of the US but it's far more dangerous to be an ally of the US with Obama as President. By the way, is Hillary Clinton still part of this administration?
ReplyDeleteWhat if our Supreme Court would recognize that Obama is behaving unconstitutionally and making a Chavez-like socialist power grab and turn to the only body in the country capable of stopping Obama since Congress is just as bad or worse...
ReplyDeleteNot to worry. The White House press corpse (sic) will demand he explain.
ReplyDeleteIt occurs to me that Obama is being nice to his friends, and being hard on his enemies..
ReplyDeleteThink about it. This is a guy who was influenced by Alinsky and Ayers. Who do you think his true "friend" is? The Democracy, or the Dictatorship?