generalspeaking

Friends, Enemies, Political Life

Suddenly American President Barack Obama's reputation has dwindled to the vanishing point. He may be the very same man he always has been, but he projected an image of a resolute, firmly trustful, capable administrator of the public weal. With a pale delivery. America could place its trust in him, because he promised hope at a time when hope itself had become warped through a series of misfortunes; a failed economy, a treasury wasted in foreign wars, unemployment, and threats emanating from sources as diverse as North Korea and Iran, Iraq and Syria.

And China, the east Asia heavyweight that was throwing its weight around in the region, necessitating that U.S. warships begin steaming out of the Mediterranean and into the China Sea, to not necessarily confront, but to reassure allies that America has their back. If the United States faces up to belligerence emanating from China toward Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, can it have lost eye contact with its allies in the Middle East?

The message delivered by the newly-ensconced leader of the Free World in Cairo under the Mubarak regime, addressing the Muslim world as a friend was duly received, weighed, and rated a wait-and-see atmosphere of hope. Without any prodding or prompting from the new U.S. administration, perhaps owing something to the preceding one, the fever of "democracy" so vigorously propounded by George W. Bush suddenly reared its head.

It was ushered into the public sphere of the Middle East when resentment against endemic poverty, food shortages and even shortages of oil in a geography awash with it, propelled the disadvantaged to protest against their station in life, within their countries which had traditionally been governed by dictators, autocrats, tyrants, oil sheikhs, monarchs and totalitarian theocrats. Ordinary people felt empowered to protest and their ranks grew.

When the first eruptions blew into Iran, a non-response from the U.S. disheartened the green movement that was brutally extinguished by the Ayatollahs and their loyal Republican Guard. Then came Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, and Syria. As far as political interference, diplomatic movement, military assistance were concerned, the wait-and-see attitude of the Arab street appeared to have communicated itself to the new American administration.

The crimes against humanity committed in Syria by its Alawite regime stirred the conscience sufficiently for Barack Obama to promise intervention if certain lines were crossed. As bad luck would have it, they were. Suddenly Barack Obama took on an eerie resemblance to Jimmy Carter. Both are passionate advocates for peace. Who appear to have forgotten that old adage that to make peace, one must prepare for war. Sometimes that is perfectly true.

Russia knows all about that. It has defended itself, been invaded by hostile forces, made war itself, and now faces the grim prospect of being undercut by guerrilla forces of jihadist Islamism. A struggle against fanatical forces joined by Europe and North America. But national tribalism is as divisive and as deadly as plain old regional tribalism. And Russia and the United States seem forever destined to challenge one another for primacy on the world stage.

Vladimir Putin simply cannot bypass such a challenge. His own objectives aside, common cause with an adversary isn't quite on, other than as a facade for gullible public consumption. And so, the president of Russia for whom war is more useful than negotiations in his determination to recreate the environment that once created the Soviet Union, is now the passionately devoted advocate for peace, and the Nobel Prize Laureate is the war monger.

Labels: Conflict, Middle East, Russia, Syria, United States

posted by Pieface @ Thursday, September 19, 2013