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New U.S. Diplomacy Getting No Respect
IBD Editorials ^ | February 19, 2009 | Victor Davis Hanson

Posted on 02/19/2009 5:30:04 PM PST by Kaslin

President Barack Obama's first TV interview was with the Dubai-based, partly Saudi-funded Al Arabiya satellite channel. In passing, he faulted past American policy for too readily "dictating" in the Middle East. He had better things to say about Saudi King Abdullah's "courage" in trying to solve the Middle East crisis.

Vice President Joe Biden likewise has promised the world a sharp break from the prior Bush administration that, from his references, was apparently to blame for bouts of anti-Americanism abroad. He assured the Europeans at the Munich Security Conference that it was time to press the reset button in foreign policy, and pledged a new chapter in America's overseas relations.

On her initial tour abroad, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton re-emphasized the Obama and Biden message, announcing that she would follow an approach that "values what others have to say." And then Clinton elaborated on this now well-worn "blame Bush" theme: "Too often in the recent past, our government has acted reflexively before considering available facts and evidence or hearing the perspectives of others." America, Clinton promised, from now on would be "neither impulsive nor ideological."

Contrast such admirable talk with events:

North Korea has just announced that it plans to launch a new Taepodong-2 missile capable of reaching the United States.

(Excerpt) Read more at ibdeditorials.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: biden; clinton; democrats; foreignpolicy; obama; surrender; vdh; victordavishanson
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1 posted on 02/19/2009 5:30:04 PM PST by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin

Aww man, don’t they know who is in charge?


2 posted on 02/19/2009 5:33:51 PM PST by Tarpon (If you don't stand on principle, you stand for nothing at all.)
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To: Tarpon

My stepmom said she saw Hillary on tv last night in the Japanese (I think) airport, looking like a total idiot who had no clue what she was doing. I wish I could have seen that.


3 posted on 02/19/2009 5:35:36 PM PST by Vozda ("For equanimity in the face of blind hatred, I recommend Christianity." ~Ann Coulter)
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To: Kaslin

The wife of a man who gets done in the oval office talking to Yasser Arafat just doesn’t get any respect.

Wonder why?


4 posted on 02/19/2009 5:38:06 PM PST by bert (K.E. N.P. +12 . The original point of America was not to be Europe)
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To: Vozda
I saw her today, walking around like she had a painted on smile and was drugged. A movable manikin. It was just a weird looking picture.
5 posted on 02/19/2009 5:38:17 PM PST by Tarpon (If you don't stand on principle, you stand for nothing at all.)
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To: Kaslin

He’s done enough damage in Month 1.
one down, 47 to go ...

*sigh*


6 posted on 02/19/2009 5:40:29 PM PST by MetaThought
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To: Vozda

> My stepmom said she saw Hillary on tv last night in the Japanese (I think) airport, looking like a total idiot who had no clue what she was doing. I wish I could have seen that.

Don’t bother. That’s pretty much how much I look at her as well, even without a picture since 1992: an idiot.


7 posted on 02/19/2009 5:40:49 PM PST by max americana
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To: Kaslin

Well, between our pacifist president and the blabber-mouthed Barbara Boxer, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Com. who reported in an OPEN MEETING that Pakistan was letting our drones fly out of their airports, everyone knows that the Democrats are totally clueless about our national defense.

We will regret the day they were given the reins.


8 posted on 02/19/2009 5:44:17 PM PST by kittymyrib
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To: Tarpon

Yes! That’s exactly how my stepmom described her. I don’t know if I should feel ashamed that Hillary represents the United States or if I should laugh at her.


9 posted on 02/19/2009 5:44:43 PM PST by Vozda ("For equanimity in the face of blind hatred, I recommend Christianity." ~Ann Coulter)
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To: Vozda

LOL — It was just flat weird looking. Picture stiff moving manikin.


10 posted on 02/19/2009 5:46:15 PM PST by Tarpon (If you don't stand on principle, you stand for nothing at all.)
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To: Tarpon

I think it’s great the Pope did this. It was obvious that Peloser was egging for a photo-op to shore up her standing with other Catholics.


11 posted on 02/19/2009 5:47:46 PM PST by Tarpon (If you don't stand on principle, you stand for nothing at all.)
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To: Kaslin
They still don't realize that the rest of the planet isn't the same population of brain-dead behind-kissing zombies that comprises half of the American electorate and the entirety of the MSM.

Hillary doesn't realize that the only reason anyone paid attention to her was because of her White House On Sale husband (who now just runs some sort of powerless blabberhaus), and Biden hasn't realized that *nobody* is as stupid as his constituency.

Too bad that this cadre of morons is going to finally be introduced to the real world (with *real* teeth and racism and hatred) during on-the-job training while they're bumbling through decisions that effect real humans.

12 posted on 02/19/2009 5:50:53 PM PST by TaoOfSteve
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To: Kaslin
Don't buy this. If Obama is not Hitler the II; I don't know what. Read history of Hitler. It runs parallel with what is going on now.
13 posted on 02/19/2009 6:04:18 PM PST by freekitty (Give me back my conservative vote.)
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To: Kaslin; Tolik

bump & a VDH ping


14 posted on 02/19/2009 6:11:01 PM PST by neverdem (Xin loi minh oi)
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To: TaoOfSteve
Every other civilisation is looking at the US in their own self interests. And they see weakness. We lead the Western civilisation, like it or not.

Bush never displayed civilisational weakness. It's better to be feared than loved.

There is going to be a new war with Obama. just wait.

Even Vladimir Putin and the Chinese warned him about the socialism they suffered through. China and Russia can't control their secondary and tertiary allies in their response to Obama's weakness.

15 posted on 02/19/2009 6:23:30 PM PST by BobS
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To: Kaslin

To hell with diplomacy, send the nukes!


16 posted on 02/19/2009 6:25:43 PM PST by dalereed
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To: kittymyrib

Hannity said Feinstein said that about the drones...hmmm guess dems are starting to all look alike.


17 posted on 02/19/2009 6:31:45 PM PST by Kackikat (.It's NOT over until it's over and it's NOT over yet....The Trumpet will sound....)
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To: BobS
China and Russia can't control their secondary and tertiary allies in their response to Obama's weakness

That is a brilliant observation.

Ironic that the Shining Beacon on a Hill is being warned about descending into the sewer by the KGB and the architects of Tienamin Square.

Communism can only survive if there are Capitalists somewhere to feed on, and these professional commies know it. They are terrified that their stupid Marxist fairy tales, constructed to weaken but not kill the American Golden Goose, are being taken seriously by this idiot Kenyan community agitator.

What exactly will China do if all its factories close because America is no longer buying their plastic, toxic crap? Return to the rice fields? I think not. And when Europe can't fall back on American largess to defend it, how will they afford to buy Russian LPG? And without LPG and oil sales, will the Russians happily return to agrarian Czarism? Oh, contraire.

Planet-wide rioting and a complete inversion of the power structures looks rather likely.

18 posted on 02/19/2009 6:39:47 PM PST by TaoOfSteve
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To: freekitty
"If Obama is not Hitler the II; I don't know what."

Hitler was very clear about himself from 1922 on. He wanted the Germans to know what he wanted to do politically for a long time before being elected to anything. He wanted to be clearly known for his views.

Obama has always been an affirmative-action horror story. He never could say what his plans are. Or what he's doing where he is.

Hitler ordered Goering, et. al., to tell such people to "take a quick shower" after departing from his train. Communists were not tolerated in National Socialist Germany. There are distinctions. Germans were nationalists first at that time; after being screwed by the results of WWI.

19 posted on 02/19/2009 7:06:58 PM PST by BobS
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To: TaoOfSteve
I've re-read Samuel P. Huntington's 'The Clash of Civilizations'. He predicted this with various other outcomes years ago. He has a new title I want want to buy. He's very detailed about civilizational realities covering many countries.

I want to see what he what his recent book says about the Western civilization (including South America, like it or not). Civilizational pressures will not allow the CORE STATE of the US to fail. There is growing uneasiness here with Obama that voiced itself on the Chicago Board of Trade today.

Brazil should move in on SA dominance because they are big enough to. They hate Venezuala. Portuguese is hard to learn after Spanish. It's a mental wall.

20 posted on 02/19/2009 7:38:33 PM PST by BobS
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