With all the dissension here at home over how to address the terrorist threat from ISIS, I wonder just how our we're being perceived abroad. During President Bush's administration, it was feared, with some justification to be sure, that we were cowboys doing whatever we wanted regardless of the political fallout abroad. Despite that, I have to wonder how we're being perceived under this administration.
When he was elected, Mr. Obama made efforts to patch up relations with the Arab world. He made that speech in Cairo wherein he apologized for America's mistakes. I'm not sure that how he said what he said was the best way to go about it.
His behavior towards Russia has been weak-kneed at best. How he handled Syria with the imaginary red line he drew in the sand and how he equivocated on Libya made us look weaker still.
His constant photo ops with other leaders is embarrassing. He looks like some sort of high schooler trying to win votes for class president. He bowed to the Saudis.
When the Paris terrorist attacks occurred last month, the administration botched it horribly. First, it didn't send a representative to represent a united front against terrorism. This, despite the fact that it continued to trumpet a coalition of some sixty countries against ISIS in the Middle East. How can anyone take the President seriously when it says one thing and does another. Meanwhile, after the beheadings of James Foley, Steven Sotloff and Peter Kassig, Mr. Obama authorized air attacks against ISIS strongholds...that have currently been running at about seven to ten a day. That's a pin prick.
To compound matters, after it got endless grief about its poor showing in Paris, it dispatched Uncle Joe with James Taylor, who promptly serenaded the French with You've Got a Friend. Lest anyone forget, were it not for the French, there might not be a United States of America. I know they can be irksome at times, but even so, James Taylor? This is what our diplomacy has become?
The number of scandals that has hit this country during Mr. Obama's administration are embarrassing, as much for their number as for their quality. The IRS, the NSA, Benghazi, Obamacare, the AP scandal, the Secret Service issues, the VA, the Bergdahl trade and the James Reston issue are just a few. But we're talking about politicization of tax bodies, spying on citizens, lying about the cause of a terrorist attack, lying to the public about the effects of legislation, spying on the press, shifting blame to other government employees, treating veterans horribly, horrible decision-making and threatening reporters are not the kinds of things for which this country is or should be known. Then, the man who helped get Mr. Obama in the White House, David Axelrod, says there were no major scandals in this adminstration...how is that even possible?
Playing word games is a trademark of this government: Citizens instead of Christians, Terrorists or Militants instead of Radical Islamists, Random Attacks instead of Terrorist Attacks, ISIL instead of ISIS, Employment Opportunity against Fundamentalist Terror. When called on this tactic, its spokesperson suggests that it's perhaps too nuanced to understand what the administration is saying, or that we're spending too much time debating the issue. This from an administration that does its darnedest to spin things the way it wants things spun.
How do we look to the rest of the world?
We used to be regarded as humanity's last best hope. We had ideals, principles for which we stood. Now, this administration is doing whatever it can to make itself look good no matter what the consequences are for the country. It's been more divisive on several different fronts leading to fractures within this society that are going to take years to heal. It's weakened the country and made our enemies more emboldened.
I hope I'm wrong. I hope the rest of the civilized world recognizes this for what it is, a blip in our history that can be corrected.
Now it's up to us to correct this in the next election.
God help us if we don't.
(c) 2015 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles
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