Part 1 covered domestic conditions.
Part 2 covers foreign affairs.
Part 3 will cover the current electoral situation (probably after the Iowa caucuses).
Part 4 will cover this blog project.
Part 2 covers foreign affairs.
Part 3 will cover the current electoral situation (probably after the Iowa caucuses).
Part 4 will cover this blog project.
In Part 1, we covered domestic conditions. To quickly summarize: (1) intentionally divisive due entirely to the political tactics of BHO and his corrupt gang of Progressives; (2) standing on the precipice of total chaos due to same. Law and Order will be a big topic next year. 2012 is looking a lot like 1968. That’s the election year that gave us Nixon, btw.
We now turn our attention to the state of foreign affairs with the scandal LAS predicts will become the ‘Watergate’ of 2012. As the following graphic shows, the Fast and Furious scandal has aspects that neatly fit into any / all of the posts in this series. I’m throwing it into the foreign affairs area just because it has Mexico in it. Last time I checked - Mexico is a sovereign foreign nation as we haven’t yet invaded Mexico and made it a territory. For the sake of Law and Order, that is.
This is the Fast and Furious story in a nutshell ... In a politically corrupt effort to score political points around gun control, Eric “My People” Holder’s “Department of Just Us” literally sold military grade automatic weapons to Mexican drug cartels. When this operation was uncovered south of the border, it naturally strained relations will the small part of the Mexican government that is still independent of the drug cartels. But that was the least of it. Eventually – and completely predictably (the truly maddening part!) – American Border Patrol agent Brian Terry was shot dead by one of these weapons. Holder and the rest of his corrupt gang has been stonewalling Brian Terry’s family and the American people on this tragedy ever since. To his credit, the Congressman with investigative jurisdiction, Darrell Issa of California, has been holding Holder’s feet to the fire. The next round of questioning occurs later this month. LAS predicts the confrontation will drive Holder into ever tighter fits of dissembling to avoid accountability for his corruption and incompetence, and this will be his ultimate undoing – maybe even BHO’s.
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Just as the original genesis for Fast and Furious was this administration’s corrupt domestic politics, the remainder of our foreign affairs review is chock full of situations arising directly from this administration’s domestic political calculus – i.e. pandering to the naïve worldview of its’ Leftist base.
When populist riots erupted in Egypt’s Tahrir Square, Team Leftie misinterpreted events as a grass roots democratic movement – in a country that has no historical experience whatsoever of democracy. Consequently, BHO and Team Leftie actively participated in bringing down a secular dictator who also happened to be an important ally in maintaining stability in that most volatile region. The first couple of rounds of Egyptian “elections” have yielded the result LAS predicted from day one of this diplomatic fiasco – a massive “electoral” victory for fundamental Islamism in Egypt. When BHO and Team Leftie threw Hosni Mubarak under the bus, they effectively threw Israel under the bus with him.
The current state of affairs is a set up for the rise of an Egyptian Islamic Caliphate. The latest turn is more astro-turfed street riots aimed at Egypt’s last remaining stabilizing institution – the Army we have spent 30 years training and arming. Thanks, Barry.
Next, BHO picked a fight with Muammar Ghaddafi, secular dictator of Libya. Once again, naively reading it as an opportunity to use armed force in support of some ill-defined downtrodden and oppressed “peoples”, BHO committed American prestige, treasure, and armed forces to fight on behalf of a loose collection of “rebels” no one could quite identify. His stated rationale was a foolish policy known as “Responsibility to Protect” (R2P) – an open ended blank check to rush in wherever populations are being mistreated by brutal governments. News flash: there are an awful lot of those across the globe - way, way, more than we can possibly police.
BHO was lucky no American blood was spilled. Really lucky, because he unconstitutionally committed US armed forces without so much as a conference call with Congress. (At least Geo. W Bush acquired legislation for both Afghanistan and Iraq). And, of course, Al Qaeda and other Islamic fundamentalists now appear to be enjoying the spoils of victory in Libya. Thanks, Barry.
Now, a secular dictator in Syria is brutally mowing down crowds of civilians with his armed forces. No signs of the Barry admin showing any willingness to invoke R2P here. WTF, Barry? Mubarak was a friend and ally. Ghaddafi was at least neutral with respect to US interests. (Thanks to Geo. W. Bush, TYVM.) Assad is a friend and ally of Iran, and actively involved in waging terrorism against Israel. If there is an argument for engaging any one of these situations, Syria is it. Well, the good news is that at least R2P seems to be thoroughly discredited. That much will be useful in the future.
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Speaking of BHO’s “inheritance” from Geo. W. Bush we now train our attention on the situations in Iraq and Afghanistan. IMHO, both of these countries are doomed to be under the influence of stronger neighbors ruled by fundamental Islamism in the next stage of their histories.
In Iraq, history will record that Geo. W. Bush started the war, David Petraeus won the war, and Barack Hussein Obama lost the peace.
Whatever went before, President Bush deserves credit for implementing General Petraeus’ “Surge” strategy in Iraq. The immediate result was a military victory not only over Al Qaeda but also various other de-stabilizing proxies of Iran. Through various twists and turns, much heavy lifting by Americans, and much honorably spilled American blood; the end result was a functioning democracy in Iraq. Simply an amazing bestowment to a region of the world otherwise stuck in the 7th Century.
All this nascent democracy needed was sufficient leadership to keep a relatively small contingent of American troops in theatre for the sake of stability. Like the garrisons still in Europe that won the Cold War stand-off with the Soviet Union. Like the garrisons still protecting South Korea from North Korea’s lunatic Kim dynasty. But BHO and his corrupt gang of Progressives weren’t up to the task. They couldn’t negotiate an extension of the Status of Forces agreement, and Iraq is now on its own. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard is consequently making Ramadan 2012 travel plans for Baghdad. BHO is disgracefully claiming a political victory with a so-called promise kept to “end the war.” In fact, he has condemned all of Iraq to Iranian dominance. Thanks, Barry.
Similarly, the Empty Suit Known as Barack Hussein Obama has guaranteed Afghanistan will be under the influence of the Taliban internally, which will in turn enjoy strong ties to its fellow travelers in Iran’s government as well as Pakistan’s security services and government.
BHO "inherited" the perfect set up in Afghanistan - the democracy building and stabilizing influence of a “reach out and kill the enemy when necessary” small garrison. Afghanistan is not Iraq strategically. Afghanistan is a landlocked mountainous region offering no strategic advantage. Iraq, by contrast, literally sits on an important cross-road of civilization (the Tigris-Euphrates river valleys). That’s the fundamental difference. Attempting total military victory in Afghanistan was never the right strategic move. Just ask the Brits or Russians. But still, if you’re going to attempt it, do it right. BHO did it all wrong – ramping up while simultaneously broadcasting to the enemy a date certain for ramping down. Military Science 101 will teach any fool the foolishness of giving your timeline to the enemy. No one on Team Leftie seems to have ever taken Military Science 101, however. They’ve spent all their time in the faculty lounges discussing transgender social and economic justice, or something. Expect the Taliban to be on the rise in Afghanistan next year, as our Army pulls out prematurely.
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Osama Bin-Laden is anticlimactically dead. BHO dithered for nine months before pulling the trigger on the special forces capabilities he “inherited” from Geo. W. Bush’s administration. Anwar al-Awlaki, technically an American citizen, is also dead by drone capability developed during Geo. W. Bush’s administration. Some of us still have a problem with the concept of Presidents assassinating American citizens without a due process conviction for treason.
The giant elephant in the foreign affairs room for 2012 is Iran, of course. The so-called “Arab Spring” – now clearly becoming the “Islamist Winter” – has but one common denominator for the close observer. The common denominator is an increase in Tehran’s hegemony over the region.
Tehran’s saber rattling in the Strait of Hormuz is but a sign of Tehran feeling its oats for this very reason. From a foreign affairs point of view, Iran is turning out to be the singular cautionary tale of the BHO administration. In 2009, BHO initiated an appeasement policy toward Iran with his “open hand / clenched fist” Cairo speech. This appeasement policy caused him, in 2009, to forego extending any aid to the authentically democratic Green Revolution. (Where was R2P then, Barry?) Iran barreled forward with its nuclear weapons program through 2010 and 2011.
I just heard KT McFarland, Fox News analyst, predict 2012 is the year the question of Iranian nukes will come to a head. I agree. The Iranian Islamic regime – on record as desiring to “wipe Israel off the map” – will either acquire a nuclear capability in 2012 or western civilization will find a way to prevent it.
This brings me to Israel – the only functioning modern democracy in that otherwise God-forsaken region stuck in the 7th Century. Thank God Israel is being run by Benjamin Netanyahu – former special forces operative and all around stand up guy. 2011 was the year his government wisely decided to start acting in its own interest and told Barry’s administration to take a hike. My personal theory – just a theory – is the recent mysterious explosions around Iran’s nuclear weapons production infrastructure are the work of Israel’s Mossad organization. Whether or not this theory holds water – these explosions are certainly in the interest of Israel’s survival, which makes them in the interest of the continuation of western civilization. For Israel, 2012 will be a year of living at defcon one and a half.
I am also in agreement with what I’ve heard KT McFarland recommend as the best strategy for choking Iran off economically. “Drill Baby Drill!” We need to exploit our copious domestic fossil fuel resources to reduce – maybe even nearly eliminate - dependence on Mideast oil. Beginning now. However, the problem is “now” means a heated national argument leading to a historic election in November 2012.
(Shameless plug for the F=M*A theme that has permeated this blog from inception)
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The spasmodic street riots that erupted in Greece, the United Kingdom, and other parts of the European Union in 2011 – all foretelling the predictable end game for the socialist welfare state, or any society foolish enough to embrace it – barely even merit mention at this time. We can thank God, I guess, for the temporarily stabilizing force of Germany conquering the rest of Europe with financial loans rather than tanks. Because we here in the USA will be spending the year 2012 deciding for ourselves how much further down the road of socialist moral and financial bankruptcy we will allow ourselves to go.
Sorry “world community”, the USA has had its attention turned inward by its political Left. You’re on your own for 2012. GLWT. See you in 2013 hopefully.
Footnote
Encountered while idly scrolling down the Bob Schieffer Blog Roll. Thanks again. Barry.
Update 1/3/12
This take on the Appeaser-In-Chief made me laugh.
