Tag: International Affairs

The Perils of International Idealism

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American foreign policy could use a does of hard-nosed realism.

by Bruce S. Thornton // Defining Ideas 

United States foreign policy has been defined lately by serial failures. Russian President Vladimir Putin annexed Crimea and appears to be preparing a reprise in eastern Ukraine, and possibly in the Baltic states. Syrian strongman Bashar al Assad is poised to win the civil war in Syria at the cost so far of over 200,000 dead. Negotiations with Iran over its uranium enrichment program have merely emboldened the regime and brought it closer to its goal of a nuclear weapon. And yet another attempt to broker peace between Israel and the Palestinian Arabs has failed. In all these crises the U.S. has appeared weak and feckless, unable to direct events or achieve its aims, even as its displeasure and threats are scorned. Continue reading “The Perils of International Idealism” →

Ukraine and Our Useless Outrage

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The history of Obama’s foreign-policy posturing bodes ill for the future of Ukraine.

by Victor Davis Hanson // National Review Online 

Don’t step over the line and re-militarize the Rhineland. Absorbing Austria would cross a red line. Breaking up Czechoslovakia is

premier.gov.ru.
premier.gov.ru.

unacceptable. Get out of Poland by the announced deadline. The rest was history.

Don’t dare blow up another American military barracks overseas. Don’t even consider another attack on the World Trade Center. Don’t even try blowing up one more American embassy in East Africa. Don’t ever put a hole in a U.S. warship again. The rest was history.

President Obama issued yet another one of those sorts of warnings to stop the violence to Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych just before protesters drove Yanukovych out of office. “There will be consequences if people step over the line,” Obama threatened.

Ben Rhodes, Obama’s deputy national-security adviser, amplified that veiled warning. He called the Ukrainian government’s repression “completely outrageous” — as opposed to just outrageous or completely, completely outrageous.  Continue reading “Ukraine and Our Useless Outrage” →

Goodbye Syria, On to Iran!

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by Victor Davis Hanson // PJ Media 

To paraphrase T.S. Eliot, this is the way Syria ends: Not with a bang, but a whimper. We are back where we started — lots of people dying — as the crisis recedes with a high five and a sigh, rather than with America blowing some stuff up. Continue reading “Goodbye Syria, On to Iran!” →

Count Me Out on Syria

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by Victor Davis Hanson

PJ Media

There are good reasons to go into Syria, but far better ones to stay out [1]. Continue reading “Count Me Out on Syria” →

Obama Administration’s War on Persecuted Christians

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by Raymond Ibrahim

Investigative Project on Terrorism

The Obama administration’s support for its Islamist allies means lack of US support for their enemies, or, more properly identified, victims — the Christian and other non-Muslim minorities of the Muslim world. Consider the many recent proofs: Continue reading “Obama Administration’s War on Persecuted Christians” →

Our Ten-Trillion-Dollar Man

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by Victor Davis Hanson

PJ Media

Borrowing Is No Longer Stimulus?

The Congressional Budget Office not long ago forecast that Barack Obama’s $1 trillion-plus annual deficits — scheduled over the next decade — would result in almost another $10 trillion in aggregate debt. Continue reading “Our Ten-Trillion-Dollar Man” →

Why America Must Defend South Korea

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by Victor Davis Hanson

Ricochet.com

The Cold War is over.  Why on earth should we expend American blood and treasure to defend South Korea? George Washington warned us about this kind of entanglement. Why should we expend American blood and treasure to defend South Korea? (Ricochet member Kenneth) Continue reading “Why America Must Defend South Korea” →