The Epitaph to Obama's "Reset" Policy
The alleged Iranian assassination plot raises a number of issues. First, are the now obsolete words "outreach" and "reset" that were much in vogue in 2008 and 2009. During the campaign Obama reiterated that he might talk to the Iranians in a way Bush simply had been unwilling to, and thereby unlock a supposedly diplomatic impasse; and he cited in his Al-Arabiya interview his desire for outreach to the larger Muslim world, as well as the resonance of his own familiarity with Islam, by virtue of his paternal family members being Muslims. That too would be in stark contrast with the Bush swagger and Texas evangelicalism. Such assumptions translated into silence when hundreds of thousands poured into the streets of Teheran in spring 2009, many expecting words of encouragement from Obama, who instead offered mostly silence and the usual contextualization about America's past in that part of the world.
Then there were the four serial 'deadlines' for Iranian nuclear compliance—by the UN meetings in New York, by the G-20 summit, by the first of the year, and by the face-to-face meetings: all snubbed without consequences. Do we remember now how concessions to Russia were supposed to win Putin's help in closing down the Iranian nuclear facilities—as if what bothers us also must bother Putin? In addition, there was the continual use of Iranian agents in both Afghanistan and Iraq to oppose American efforts to stabilize those countries. In short, this latest news simply confirms the absurdity of Obama's 2008 rhetoric and subsequent Iranian policies and so ends the use of 'reset' and 'outreach' for good as legitimate vocabulary. The plot, in other words, is the epitaph of a failed policy.
Second, the alleged plot also questions another narrative, the demonization of those wishing to close the border ("alligators and moats"), or the idea that fossilized concepts like fences, more guards, sanctions, etc. either do not work or only hurt hard-working immigrants. But an uncontrolled border has already led to mayhem, something apparently well know to the Iranian conspirators, who must have assumed that either it would not be hard for them to cross back and forth into and out of Mexico or for cartel killers to do the same. It was supposed to be a right-wing talking point only that potential terrorists could capitalize on undefended borders; apparently our enemies understood both the advantages of such porousness and the politically-correct implications that spawned it.
Third, the designated targets of Saudis and Israelis remind us of a hushed, but de facto commonality in the Middle East. Iran seeks the mantle of revolutionary Islam in the Middle East, a sort of cruder Shiite form of what Turkey is trying to do with its new Ottomanism. Against these efforts, a few widely disparate nations in the region, who share a commitment to a Westernized global commercial system, under which they have done very well, are starting to worry that lots of enemies would like to destroy them for reasons that transcend religion. The Gulf states, perhaps Jordan, and some in Lebanon realize that, compared to the alternatives, Israel is tolerable. Saudis at least know that Israelis are not trying to kill their ambassadors.
Finally, these disclosures are just the sort that the media in wag-the-dog fashion used to doubt during the Bush administration. It reminds us that detailing conspiracies that are aimed at killing Americans was once partisan and now principled–a further illustration of what weird times we are in when blowing up 2,000 plus alleged terrorists by targeted drone assassination is a more moral thing than water-boarding three confessed terrorists ("dead men tell no tales"?). The media has reacted far differently to this latest plot than they did with all sorts of Bush administration disclosures about such cabals; so it is a pleasant hypocrisy to see the media channel the administration's worry about our collective safety, as if around around January, 2009 everything from Guantanamo to invading Muslim countries without congressional authorization became A-OK.
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Comments :
Jul '10
Re: The Epitaph to Obama's "Reset" Policy
It will be a long time, maybe forever, before the MSM gives up on Obama. Their latest cries of adulation center around his embrace of the Wall Street protest movement seeded by George Soros. The media will do its best to screen this involvement much as it did Obama's shady past.
Dec '10
Re: The Epitaph to Obama's "Reset" Policy
Victor, the Truth comes home big time. A wishful imaginary foreign policy has bumped into reality again. The poor press. Overpaid and overprotected by the Constitution why should we expect them to have seen Obama for what he was. Why should we have expected them to analyze anything. Now we shouldn't remind the poor things just how mindless they really are. Ever wonder why Anderson Cooper gets 20 times your salary? It's his ability to be completely devoid of either logic or objectivity. He just goes with the flow, rides with the tide. What a great guy. Sort of like a fungus you can't get rid of.
Mar '11
Re: The Epitaph to Obama's "Reset" Policy
"Iran seeks the mantle of revolutionary Islam in the Middle East, a sort of cruder Shiite form of what Turkey is trying to do with its new Ottomanism."
These two visions will eventually have to come to blows with one another, don't you think? If so, doesn't that mean then that the competing Arab interests in the Middle East are in a better position and more apt to strike the first blow? That being said, the President could once again lead from behind.
Oct '10
Re: The Epitaph to Obama's "Reset" Policy
VDH... One of the great disappointments about following events closely is that even your insightful commentary have become old hat. Nothing new under the sun?
Over 40 years ago I worked for a few years in an all news radio station in LA, in the newsroom. I concluded at the time that most reporters are lazy and stupid. Of course there are always exceptions, but they usually wind up being commentators.
We aren't hungering for new things, just new insights. Sadly, even that is becoming impossible to achieve.
Jul '11
Re: The Epitaph to Obama's "Reset" Policy
I view all news events as potential comedy as far as how asinine the journalistic spin will be. For instance, Last Tuesday the confident and strong Eric Holder broke this well timed news and really God Bless our country for having such a strong man as Attorney General. Somehow the news that Holder has been obstructing and lying his way through the most bungled end run around the second amendment doesn't make the list of real stories though.
Dec '10
Re: The Epitaph to Obama's "Reset" Policy
But you see, Obama is good and great and wise, so when he does these things, he can be trusted to be doing them for the good of America and all mankind.
When Bush did exactly the same things (or, as you pointed out, used non-lethal waterboarding rather than drone strikes), he was doing it to help his Fascist friends make billions of warbucks and to eradicate all civil and human rights. Because he was at the same time a cretin and the most diabolically clever schemer the world has ever known.
Dec '10
Re: The Epitaph to Obama's "Reset" Policy
Victor Davis Hanson: The alleged Iranian assassination plot raises a number of issues...
[...] Saudis at least know that Israelis are not trying to kill their ambassadors...·
True now, true for the future, true since 1948. What has changed?
First, Carter deposed the Shah of Iran; then was rewarded with the Nobel Peace Prize.
Second, Clinton redeemed the peace dividend with Base Realignment and Closure (or BRAC, pronounced “barack”) by cutting our Army from 18 divisions to 12, our Navy ships from 546 to 380, and our Air Force flight squadrons from 76 to 50; then Osama bin Laden attacked the Pentagon and Wall Street.
Third, our historic first Islamic apostate president got the Peace Prize; then rewarded the Nobel committee by deposing Egypt’s Mubarak, hitherto the only keeper of peace in the region.
If peace with Iran is this costly, is it time for the Great Satan to cut a few Grand Ayatollah beards with hellfire?
May '10
Re: The Epitaph to Obama's "Reset" Policy
I currently live 12 hours ahead of EST, in a place with limited cable and no easy recording device. I have not watched a USA TV news show for months and my newspaper reading is all online - and much more from the rest of the world than the USA.
I still pay close attention to world events, but find it vastly simpler to understand what is going on after eliminating almost all of the "noise" generated by MSM. I used to think that 85% of what was shown or printed there was worthless pap. I now realize that I was hugely underestimating the quantity of obfuscating idiocy.
Dec '10
Re: The Epitaph to Obama's "Reset" Policy
Steve MacDonald: I currently live 12 hours ahead of EST, in a place with limited cable and no easy recording device. I have not watched a USA TV news show for months and my newspaper reading is all online - and much more from the rest of the world than the USA.
I still pay close attention to world events, but find it vastly simpler to understand what is going on after eliminating almost all of the "noise" generated by MSM. I used to think that 85% of what was shown or printed there was worthless pap. I now realize that I was hugely underestimating the quantity of obfuscating idiocy. · Oct 17 at 3:27pm
Amen.
Sep '10
Re: The Epitaph to Obama's "Reset" Policy
After this bombshell and the failure of the resets can anyone really doubt the plain wisdom of President Bush's axis of evil concept?
Iran and North Korea are true blights on humanity and their behavior has gone from bad to worse in the last 10 years.
Well George you nailed it.