by NoOneImportant » Wed Sep 25, 2013 2:55 pm
Trevor said:
Even if Obama realizes he's being humiliated by Putin and- let's face it- all of our rivals and enemies, what can he do about it? The public is overwhelmingly against any kind of military intervention...
The ultimate difficulty is: Obama is supposed to be a political animal; as such he is paid to "read" the political tea leaves. In point of fact he is an ill equipped over indulged man - at least physically, if not developmentally - who believes that stamping his foot, and telling everyone how upset he is will result in his being given what he desires. Unfortunately for us all, this isn't community organizing, and both the American public - a public tiring of war, and coming to distrust Joe Cool - and the bad guys out there simply don't care what he wants. Like all unrepentant narcissists, instead of reflecting upon his past errors for future benefit, he, when denied his desires, throws a temper tantrum, simply repeating his demands... as though no one had heard him the first time.
To expend his/our political capital on useless, destined to fail, endeavors is the mark of a rank amateur. To publicly extend an offer to meet with the newly elected President of Iran without knowing, in advance, that the offer would be accepted displays the height of adolescent arrogance, and an overt lack of understanding of how the world works. It reenforces the already dangerous image of a U.S. President who is both incompetent and inept. Obama's actions are those of one ill prepared for the task that he assured the entire world he was prepared and qualified for, when in fact he is eminently unqualified for the position in which he finds himself - the U.S. Presidency. In my lifetime I recall no other picture of a sitting American President giving the finger to anyone - it is simply a visual representation of a manifestation of his lack of developmental maturity, and understanding of the office that he occupies. He has neither an understanding of the office of the Presidency, nor, apparently, any understanding of the jeopardy of the circumstances that he is daily making worse. There is apparently no understanding that frustration, anger, and panic only degrade performance. Further, his belief that he is unconstrained by any rule of law only serves to heighten domestic disunity; a disunity that only hurts America, and the world - a disunity in which he, apparently, has chosen to specialize, a disunity he has spread far and wide internationally among America's "friends". The world is already filled to overflowing with cheap thugs ruling by whim and the rule of man, as opposed to the rule of law, and we don't need another. And we certainly don't need another ruled by a truculent adolescent with large numbers of nuclear weapons at his disposal. Yet he has little else left at his disposal, as he has spent five years alienating America's traditional allies thus causing an isolated America. Obama specializes in declaring circumstances as erupting "out of the blue", as though he has played no part in those events coming to pass; we now find America, "out of the blue" in a position of isolation that five years ago our enemies could only have dreamed of.
Obama's apparent idea of long term planning, appears to be, to pitch a fit, and threaten when he isn't given what he desires. First of all, threats are always ill advised, as they tend to solidify an opponents resistance, create contention and alienation, but most importantly of all they telegraph intentions. For threat to be effective, if it must be used, it must be "bankable", quickly realized, and decisive. To be effective in a dangerous world, threats must be the verbiage heard immediately before the execution of the threatened action - if Congressional approval is required to bring about an action, that approval must be obtained, if possible, long in advance of the time needed, not after you have put thousands of U.S. young men and women in harms way. The absolute worst thing that can be done on the world stage is to be the author of unreliable bluster, as those who are listening will see only past indecision; absence of resolve; and will choose to hear what they desire - all very dangerous.
Sun Tsu notes that the best general is the one who wins without fighting - by circumventing plans, alliances, and strategies. Apparently Obama has the ability to do none of these - neither at home nor abroad. He appears to be a "leader" who specializes in alienation, and divisiveness - poor us.
Trevor said:
[quote]Even if Obama realizes he's being humiliated by Putin and- let's face it- all of our rivals and enemies, what can he do about it? The public is overwhelmingly against any kind of military intervention...[/quote]
The ultimate difficulty is: Obama is supposed to be a political animal; as such he is paid to "read" the political tea leaves. In point of fact he is an ill equipped over indulged man - at least physically, if not developmentally - who believes that stamping his foot, and telling everyone how upset he is will result in his being given what he desires. Unfortunately for us all, this isn't community organizing, and both the American public - a public tiring of war, and coming to distrust Joe Cool - and the bad guys out there simply don't care what he wants. Like all unrepentant narcissists, instead of reflecting upon his past errors for future benefit, he, when denied his desires, throws a temper tantrum, simply repeating his demands... as though no one had heard him the first time.
To expend his/our political capital on useless, destined to fail, endeavors is the mark of a rank amateur. To publicly extend an offer to meet with the newly elected President of Iran without knowing, in advance, that the offer would be accepted displays the height of adolescent arrogance, and an overt lack of understanding of how the world works. It reenforces the already dangerous image of a U.S. President who is both incompetent and inept. Obama's actions are those of one ill prepared for the task that he assured the entire world he was prepared and qualified for, when in fact he is eminently unqualified for the position in which he finds himself - the U.S. Presidency. In my lifetime I recall no other picture of a sitting American President giving the finger to anyone - it is simply a visual representation of a manifestation of his lack of developmental maturity, and understanding of the office that he occupies. He has neither an understanding of the office of the Presidency, nor, apparently, any understanding of the jeopardy of the circumstances that he is daily making worse. There is apparently no understanding that frustration, anger, and panic only degrade performance. Further, his belief that he is unconstrained by any rule of law only serves to heighten domestic disunity; a disunity that only hurts America, and the world - a disunity in which he, apparently, has chosen to specialize, a disunity he has spread far and wide internationally among America's "friends". The world is already filled to overflowing with cheap thugs ruling by whim and the rule of man, as opposed to the rule of law, and we don't need another. And we certainly don't need another ruled by a truculent adolescent with large numbers of nuclear weapons at his disposal. Yet he has little else left at his disposal, as he has spent five years alienating America's traditional allies thus causing an isolated America. Obama specializes in declaring circumstances as erupting "out of the blue", as though he has played no part in those events coming to pass; we now find America, "out of the blue" in a position of isolation that five years ago our enemies could only have dreamed of.
Obama's apparent idea of long term planning, appears to be, to pitch a fit, and threaten when he isn't given what he desires. First of all, threats are always ill advised, as they tend to solidify an opponents resistance, create contention and alienation, but most importantly of all they telegraph intentions. For threat to be effective, if it must be used, it must be "bankable", quickly realized, and decisive. To be effective in a dangerous world, threats must be the verbiage heard immediately before the execution of the threatened action - if Congressional approval is required to bring about an action, that approval must be obtained, if possible, long in advance of the time needed, not after you have put thousands of U.S. young men and women in harms way. The absolute worst thing that can be done on the world stage is to be the author of unreliable bluster, as those who are listening will see only past indecision; absence of resolve; and will choose to hear what they desire - all very dangerous.
Sun Tsu notes that the best general is the one who wins without fighting - by circumventing plans, alliances, and strategies. Apparently Obama has the ability to do none of these - neither at home nor abroad. He appears to be a "leader" who specializes in alienation, and divisiveness - poor us.