Bluff and Bluster

Some people have accused President Obama of being “all talk and no action”. Is that a fair observation of how he operates? As Alfred E. Smith, former Governor of N.Y. and Democratic presidential candidate in 1928 once said, “Let’s look at the record”.

When Obama took office, the world was in a precarious state of turmoil, with wars in Iraq and Afghanistan going on, a smoldering conflict continuing between Israel and the Palestinians, and the reemergence of saber rattling by the Russians and North Korea. The words that Obama spouted during the campaign was one of awareness and a promise of the U.S. defending the rights of oppressed people. It all sounded good as he was even more “conservative” than his opponent, John McCain on many issues.

Well, that was then, but what has happened since he took office? The first thing he did was to embark on an “apology tour” around the world with major apologies to the Muslim world for “sins” that he conjured up in his own mind that the U.S committed in the past. From then on, it seems that it has been downhill ever since. The war in Iraq wound down with our troops being withdrawn completely without an agreement with the Iraqi government to maintain a stabilizing force to help avoid a chaotic situation. But, as was predicted by many knowledgeable retired military personnel, the situation in Iraq has deteriorated into secular conflict and violence with hints that the Iraqi government has been playing “footsie” with Iran, which is something we especially don’t need right now. Afghanistan is following along the same path as Obama has failed to negotiate a strategic withdrawal with some U.S. military left to help the Afghani government make an orderly transition to self rule.

The bluster Obama showed in in overthrowing Khadafy in Libya, was over shadowed by the disaster in Benghazi. False statements by both Obama and his Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton and other administration officials like Susan Rice, added to the chaos.

Also, the initial backing of Mohamed Morsi in Egypt has backfired as Morsi has been overthrown by the Egyptian military and the Muslim Brotherhood opposition.

The biggest bluff and bluster that has come back to bite Obama in the Middle East was his “red line” pronouncement on Syria and its use of chemical weapons against its population. Obama warned Bashar al-Assad that there would be consequences if he used them - well, he did and Obama backed down making Obama look like a paper tiger, again.

As chaotic as the Middle East has become since Obama took office, the situation in the Ukraine has the possibility of getting the Russians and the West involved in a potential widening conflict.

Awhile back, I wrote a column on the Obama foreign policy doctrine which I labeled, “Speak Loudly and Carry a Feather Duster”. It looks like my evaluation was right on the money.

The U.S. is no longer looked upon with fear and respect around the world, as Obama is perceived as a leader who has personified as being all “bluff and bluster”. Let’s just hope we, as a nation, can survive the incompetence of the Obama Administration.

Conservative commentary by Chuck Lehmann