Posted on 06/10/2014 4:00:57 AM PDT by Kaslin
resident Obama's recent foreign policy speech, delivered at this year's West Point graduation ceremony, was a disappointment to anyone who hoped the president might be changing course. The failure of each U.S. intervention thus far in the 21st century might have inspired at least a bit of reflection.
However, the president made it clear that interventionism and American exceptionalism would continue to guide his administration in its final two years. The president said, "I believe in American exceptionalism with every fiber of my being," adding the dubious claim that "because of American diplomacy and foreign assistance, as well as the sacrifices of our military -- more people live under elected governments today than at any time in human history."
It's funny he would mention elections. Last week the Syrians held their first multi-candidate presidential election in 50 years. Almost three-quarters of Syrian voters participated, giving President Assad 88 percent of the vote. After three years fighting a foreign-backed insurgency, voting conditions were not optimal. However, despite State Department claims to the contrary, it can no longer be stated that Assad enjoys no popularity in his country. Even former CIA chief Michael Hayden not long ago envisioned Assad winning a fair election in Syria.
But the U.S. government completely rejected the vote in Syria, with Secretary of State John Kerry calling it "a great big zero," because, as he put it, "you can't have an election where millions of your people don't even have an ability to vote."
That is just what happened last month in Ukraine, however, where the US-backed oligarch Petro Poroshenko won with just over 50 percent of the vote in an election where millions in the eastern part of the country did not have the ability to vote. That election, however, John Kerry declared a "victory for democracy."
Similarly, John Kerry described the 2013 coup against the democratically-elected President Morsi in Egypt as a "return to democracy," while approving the election last month - with 96 percent of the vote -- of the man who led that coup.
Likewise, when a referendum was held in Crimea this spring in which the vast majority voted to re-join Russia rather than to remain in a Ukraine that had just undergone a regime change, the US administration refused to recognize the results. For Washington, it was "illegal" for Crimea to vote to secede from Ukraine, but it was not illegal for a mob in the street to overthrow an elected government in Kiev.
President Obama spoke at length about the US role in promoting democracy around the world, but why does it seem that the US government only recognizes elections as free and fair when the US-favored candidate wins?
At West Point the president announced a new five billion dollar "counterterrorism partnership," with much of the money going to continue supporting the rebels in Syria. Though the administration claims it only supports moderate rebels in Syria, it has refused to explain exactly which fighting groups it considers "moderate." In fact it is known that the weapons sent to "moderates" in Syria often end up in the hands of the radicals. This five billion dollars - stolen from US taxpayers and borrowed from China - will guarantee a prolongation of the war in Syria.
There is much to disappoint in Obama's big foreign policy speech. It represents a continuation of the policy of "do what we say and we will subsidize you, disobey us and we will bomb you." That approach is a failure, but the neocons who back it show no sign of falling out of favor.
Ron Paul says “US administration refused to recognize the results [of the Crimea ‘referendum’]” as if the USA would be somewhat special in this matter.
The truth is that the ‘referendum’ was recognized only by 11 countries - Armenia, Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, North Korea, Nicaragua, Russia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.
“I believe in American exceptionalism with every fiber of my being,”
Obamas usage indicated he doesn’t even know what that means. And the same even appears true about Paul. They literally turn it on its head when they use that term to suggest America is above the rules like some Nietzschean Nazi superman concept. That America is above the moral code everyone else must maintain, and is free to do things others must avoid.
All it meant is that the freedom we used to have, was the “exception” to the human condition. America was exceptional. It did not impart on us any special messianic mission either.
“I believe in American exceptionalism with every fiber of my being,”
HE LIES! AS USUAL.
About Fast and Furious..HE LIES!
About his Birth Cert….HE LIES!
About Solindra...HE LIES!
About the IRS... HE LIES!
About Bengazi...HE LIES!
About the VA... HE LIES!
About domestic spying...HE LIES!
About “Global Warming”…HE LIES!
About Healthcare…HE LIES!
About Illegal Immigration…HE LIES!
About gun control…HE LIES!
About the EPA…HE LIES!
About Bowe Bergadahl…HE LIES!
About anything…About everything...HE LIES!
“Taliban Mullah in Chief” Hussein Obama has chosen “Secretary of Defending the Taliban” Hagel to continue to make Grand Bargains with Gitmo Prisoners so that Gitmo can be closed on the last day that all US Military Personnel finally abandon Afghanistan to the Taliban.
‘resident Ø’s foreign policy in use is the “Shellbyville Monorail” policy.
We’re being sold a bill of false goods. When Ø finally leaves town, we will find a decimated military, economy in shambles, and islamo’rats all over the world firmly entrenched and in power.
And we won’t even have a monorail.
Isolationist republicans say Obama intervenes too much.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.