HAS HE BECOME BUSH III ?
I guess we should have recognized an early clue when one of Obama’s first acts as president was to authorize the shooting of three black teenagers in the head, to end the standoff between the Somali pirates and the Maersk Alabama back in April 2009, just two months after his inauguration. Now, Mr. Obama has committed American troops to a third simultaneous war in a Muslim nation by entering the fray in Libya. For the man who as a senator voted against the troop surge in Iraq and then denied that it worked, it was a surprise when Obama implemented his own troop surge in Afghanistan, albeit after much dithering and indecisiveness. Since dithering and indecisiveness seem to be his modus operandi, it is not surprising that our entry into the War in Libya came after two weeks of vacillation (see WOW) and conflicting statements and then only under the leadership of the ‘new leader of the free world’, President Nicolas Sarkozy of France.
Nobel Peace Prize Winner?
What really is surprising is the fact that Obama, the evermore dubious winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, committed the United States to a war, which does not directly impact the security of our nation, without seeking authorization from Congress. Both George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush sought and received authorization from Congress each time they committed American troops to battle. Where are the war protesters who closed down bridges and marched on federal office buildings after the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were initiated? Where is the mainstream news media condemning the president for interfering in a civil war without authorization? Where are the left wing nuts claiming Obama’s motive for going to war in Libya is for oil? I guess regime change and nation building are ok now.
Speaking at Cross Purposes
Obama’s foreign policy does not seem to have any cohesive or consistent structure, making it difficult to figure out what his next step will be. The top level of leaders(?) are all speaking at cross purposes. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says a ‘no fly zone’ won’t work. Obama says a ‘no fly zone’ will work. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen* says Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi can stay. Obama says Gaddafi must go (after he said he could stay). Perhaps this is all part of Mr. Obama’s strategy to keep our enemies guessing, but I doubt it. Instead, it seems downright scary to me!
He’s No George Bush!
Obama’s apology tour undercutting American exceptionalism, his refusal to lend even moral support to dissidents in Iran, while encouraging protestors against our long term ally in Egypt, and his willingness to share troop withdrawal deadlines with the enemy all point to an inexperienced man who is way out of his league…a man who has no long term goals other than to diminish America’s role in world affairs. It appears that even Hillary Clinton has finally realized that it was a mistake to become involved with this bunch of amateurs. So, to answer our query as to whether Obama has become Bush III…I don’t think so! Not even close. Bush 41 and Bush 43 were real leaders…leaders, who made tough and correct decisions without regard to opinion polls.
*The same Admiral Mike Mullen who, along with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, championed sodomy in the military barracks with his support of repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
See our recent article: ‘Pentagon Failures Require Immediate Fix’