Road Cleared for Mideast War

 

The number one rule in Political Science is there is no power vacuum. Now Barack Obama is about to learn that lesson, and we are all going to pay the price.  On August 31, 2013, the world became a much more dangerous place.  The road to massive war in the Mideast is now clear. 

Mark Knows It All opposes intervening in Syria.  There is no upside for the United States.  There are only bad guys and really bad guys.  We can’t tell them apart. 

The big problem is the complete collapse of what little American foreign policy the Obama administration had.  His policy, or lack thereof, has been a total disaster.  Now there is a vacuum in the Mideast.  As I write this it is being filled by Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea.  The United States is now the laughing stock of the world.  Obama wants to disarm American nuclear weapons. Maybe he should hold off on that for awhile. 

In August of 2012, in one of his rare moments of unscripted commentary,  Obama stated that there is red line that the al-Assad regime should not cross.  The United States would respond to any use of chemical weapons by his regime against the Syrian people.  Evidence was presented several months ago and Obama skirted the issue.  But he could not skirt the 1400 dead Syrians from a week or two ago including over 450 children, most likely from Sarin gas.  Secretary of State John Kerry waxed poetic leading the world to believe military action was imminent.  He painted a total picture of reliable intelligence and cause and effect.  We were ready to go. 

But then it started to go wrong.  British Prime Minister David Cameron approached Parliament for permission to move forward in concert with the United States.  For the first time since the 1780, the British House of Commons refused to sanction military action requested by the Prime Minister.  One MP stated what the American press was afraid to state.  Why should Britain involve itself in a war the sole purpose of which is to save face for Barack Obama?  There is no British security interest in Syria. 

Now Obama would have to go it alone.  Years of leading from behind appeared to be over.  Not so fast…while John Kerry was preparing the world for American military action, Obama was scheming one more way to vote present.  Shift the blame to somebody else. 

On Friday night, he met with his advisors.  On Saturday afternoon he made a statement saying that while he didn’t need Congressional Approval for anything, this one time he was going to Congress to get that approval.  He may or may not get the vote in the Senate.  He most likely will not get approval in the House in which those Democrats without a spine will vote for it…and those with the strength of their convictions (remember George Bush) will not.   AND THEN OBAMA CAN BLAME THE CONGRESS FOR THE COLLAPSE OF WHAT  LITTLE FOREIGN POLICY HE HAD.  What a brilliantly cynical plan...go to Congress for political cover. 

What a joke.  Now we face real problems.  Obama has proved himself to be the paper tiger people like me knew he was.  There is no peace or strength through appeasement.  How many times do we have to learn that lesson?   Iran will feel emboldened.  North Korea will feel emboldened.  China and Russia will feel emboldened.  I suspect the Israeli leaders are in shock.  They will rather quickly come to the conclusion that they will have to move against Iran by themselves to stop Iranian development of nuclear weapons.  The only entity in the Mideast to show any backbone at all against this Islamic/Arab mess is the Egyptian Army.  And he bungled that too. 

   

Right now the Suez Canal is at risk.  All out war in the Mideast is a stong possibility.  If Barack Obama were smart, he would explain to his environmental whack job friends the facts of life, and start drilling for oil here and now.  

After his speech, Barack Obama went to play golf; never mind he has to go to Europe and Russia for various economic conferences.  He said in his speech he is comfortable with his decision.  We should not.