Ancient Laws, Modern Wars

Townhall.com ^ | April 6, 2017 | Victor Davis Hanson

[Kaslin]

The most dangerous moments in foreign affairs often come after a major power seeks to reassert its lost deterrence.

The United States may be entering just such a perilous transitional period.

Rightly or wrongly, China, Iran, North Korea, Russia and Middle East-based terrorists concluded after 2009 that the U.S. saw itself in decline and preferred a recession from world affairs.

In that void, rival states were emboldened, assuming that America thought it could not -- or should not -- any longer exercise the sort of political and military leadership it had demonstrated in the past.

Enemies thought the U.S. was more focused on climate change, United Nations initiatives, resets, goodwill gestures to enemies such as Iran and Cuba, and soft-power race, class and gender agendas than on protecting and upholding longtime U.S. alliances and global rules.

In reaction, North Korea increased its missile launches and loudly promised nuclear destruction of the West and its allies.

[Morpheus2009]

Ping

[Kaslin]

Victor Davis Hanson Column

Please Freepmail me, if you want to be added, or removed from the ping list

[a fool in paradise]

Rightly or wrongly, China, Iran, North Korea, Russia and Middle East-based terrorists concluded after 2009 that the U.S. saw itself in decline and preferred a recession from world affairs.

Obama didn't recede in world affairs, his foreign policy was decidedly pro-Islamist. He also announced a surrender in the war on terror declaring it ovah.

[Walrus]

Hope President Trump reads this article.

[moovova]

"After eight years of pseudo-red lines, step-over lines, deadlines and "game changers..."

Don't forget about that Reset Button.

[null and void]

Obama didn't recede in world affairs, his foreign policy was decidedly pro-Islamist. He also announced a surrender in the war on terror declaring it ovah.

Yep.

EVERYTHING obama does either:

a) Weakens America/Americans
b) Distances America's allies
c) Strengthens America's enemies
d) Attacks Christianity
e) Serves islam
f) Harms Israel
Or some combination of the above.

There are NO counter examples.

[Biggirl]

Good news! That has started to CHANGE under President Trump.

[null and void]

I certainly HOPE so!

[pabianice]

>>8. War is a harsh distillery of talent. Good leaders and generals in peace are not necessarily skilled in conflict. They can perform as badly in war as good wartime generals do in peace. Assume that the commanders who start a war won't be there to finish it.

Always true and always a big problem. Flag officers forcing the military to be kinder and gentler because of an incompetent or treasonous president evaporate once the shooting starts. So does the president.

pabianice, USN (ret.)

[RipSawyer]

Dead on the money you are and what you recount is exactly what I expected when Obama was elected. The only thing I can’t grasp is how this country became stupid enough to fall for him. People whom I would have thought to be too intelligent by far actually voted for the destruction of the USA.