A fascinating paradox emerges from the news that U.S. Special Forces on Sunday killed terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden in a superbly well-planned and executed raid on his Pakistani compound. The Obama administration rightfully celebrates the most important victory in the 10-year global war on terrorism, basking in the glory of justice done to a man who plotted the murder of more than 3,000 people on U.S. soil—mostly American citizens, but also citizens of many other nations. “His demise should be welcomed by all who believe in peace and human …
Vice President Joe Biden explained to graduates today why the Obama Doctrine and new national security strategy have all the right answers. First, it will “guarantee” US prosperity and security. In a world where the enemy gets a vote that seems an incredible boast for an administration committed to more humble and apologetic America. Most important, Biden rightly stated that America cannot be a great power without having a great economy…but then he also touted the stimulus package that has done little more than stimulate the national debt. Biden also …
Yesterday the White House unveiled its national security strategy. It came in basically three parts. Part One is the “anything but Bush” part. Where the goal is to put as much distance between Obama and Bush – even where there is not a lot space. Renaming the War on Terrorism, the war on al Qaeda is a case in point. Did the Bush administration not know it was fighting al Qaeda? Did Obama stop doing Predator strikes? Part Two is an overwhelming desire to substitute soft power for hard power. …
Council on Foreign Relations senior fellow Walter Russell Mead writes at Foreign Policy: Neither a cold-blooded realist nor a bleeding-heart idealist, Barack Obama has a split personality when it comes to foreign policy. So do most U.S. presidents, of course, and the ideas that inspire this one have a long history at the core of the American political tradition. In the past, such ideas have served the country well. But the conflicting impulses influencing how this young leader thinks about the world threaten to tear his presidency apart — and, …
In the world of international affairs, popular phrases usually signify not thought, but its absence. Calls for ‘a new Marshall Plan,’ for example, are invariably made by people who know absolutely nothing about the original one. The appearance of these phrases is the surest proof that the speaker is content to think in cliches. The latest catchphrase is ‘smart power,’ which is what Secretary of State Hilary Clinton has promised the Obama Administration will wield. In theory, ‘smart power’ is the use of diplomacy, economic leverage, military muscle, political suasion, …
