It should show up on YouTube any second now and is sure to go viral....Russia's Vladimir Putin tap dancing all over Barack Obama's face. Admit it Barack. Students for years to come will be doing their Doctoral Dissertations on the many ways you botched your handling of the Syrian mess, and in contrast how Putin aced his opportunity.
Surely Barack understands the American people are tired of 10+ years of war, throwing our youth and our money into efforts to civilize those Heathens of the East. There was no way in hell we were going to look kindly on picking a fight with Syria.
If he had really wanted to punish Syria for their use of chemical weapons he would have just cold-cocked them like Presidents Reagan and Clinton did when they found someone kicking them in the shins: Executive Order....no telegraphing your intentions....no hand-holding with Congress....just BAM! Some quick strikes, done.
Instead President Obama popped off and drew a line in the sand, then realized he couldn't cash the check his mouth had written. "Aw, come on Congress. Jump in with me. Then when it all hits the fan I can say, 'Hey, they said it was OK.'"
By contrast Vladimir Putin has pulled a rabbit out of his hat, coming across as a peacemaker. Imagine that! Pootie-Pooh, a man of peace. Ha! Not only is he getting Syria to put their chemical weapons under international control (really?), but he's putting some of his elite Spetsnaz commandos in to "advise" / fight the Syrian rebels. That civil war is FINIS. No one is going to back the rebels now....they're a losing cause. Assad wins.
Vladimir Putin has effectively baled out Barack Obama. He doesn't have to press for a vote in Congress that he would have lost anyway. And we don't have to throw another few hundred million dollars (BILLION dollars?) that we don't have into that sewer we call the Mid-East.
A lame-duck President has just become even more lame. Don't look for anything else of importance to come out of his administration for the remainder of his term in office. He'll take credit for a gradually improving economy, but really he's just along for the ride. That will be his last hurrah. He's spent.
Game, set, match; Pootie-Pooh.
S
The exact words I used...I say, WELL played that! fin
ReplyDeletePoor Assad will just have to slaughter people with conventional weapons now. Of course all Syria's weapons probably came from the Russians in the first place. I can't imagine we're cool with the Russians helping to keep a brutal dictator in power, so I doubt this is the end of it.
ReplyDeletePart of the reason though I think Obama punted to Congress is that some Republicans have said things like they dream of being able to impeach Obama, despite having nothing to impeach him for. But if he'd taken unilateral action against Syria (despite that Reagan and Clinton and Bush did such things) I can imagine those Republicans would be beating the drums for impeachment.
Yes Pat, this whole mess is completely the fault of the Republicans...particularly that idiot Bush!
DeleteI think you are spot on Scott.
ReplyDeleteFirstly... I didn't vote for this ass! :)
ReplyDeleteSecondly... GREAT POST!! Love it, really!!
So sad that the US looks like a giant dumb ass with our fearless leader at the helm.
Thirdly and most positive for me... My kid is on one of those ships out there... He was SUPPOSED to be coming home. Now maybe that will actually happen!
Obama has handled this like the TV show "Who wants to be a millionaire". First he had the media narrow down the question. The 1,400 people were killed by 1) Poison Gas from Assad 2)Tinkerbell Pixi Dust or 3)Global Warming. They eliminated Tinkerbell for him. Then he decided to let he audience (congress) vote and now he phoned a friend, Putin who may just save him from himself.
ReplyDeleteWith the exception of Teddy Roosevelt, the United States has never been good at skillful negotiations. And now we're about to be screwed because China has been practicing skilful diplomacy for over three thousand years. I really like Obama but I'm sad to say we Americans need more skillful statesmen in charge, not necessarily better people. For the Brits, Churchill was an asshole but he knew how to get things done.
ReplyDeleteIt gives Obama and out to a bad situation and he needed one..
ReplyDelete