Elected to enact sweeping, revolutionary change, especially in the Middle East, Obama’s efforts thus far have been an embarrassing failure. Netanyahu shows no signs of making preliminary concessions, Abbas is threatening to resign rather than face negotiations with Israel without a complete settlement freeze, and the Arab states show no signs of making any gestures toward normalization. Faced with humiliation on all fronts, Obama is currently busy trying to placate all sides, telling both us and the Palestinians what he thinks we want to hear, while convincing no one of his sincerity.
Less than a year into his term, then, Obama is presented with two potentially disastrous scenarios. First, he may come out of this looking weak, feckless, and incompetent in one of the areas he promised to be most effective and influential. The damage to his political standing and prestige could be immense. Second, and more importantly, his image (and, I suspect, self-image) as an omnipotent healer and messianic agent of change, already badly compromised, could be shattered completely. Given that his meteoric political rise was based on little more than that image – a fact of which he must be at least subconsciously aware – such an outcome would place not only his foreign policy clout but his entire presidency in jeopardy.
Given all this, it is not unthinkable that Obama may have concluded that the only way out of this impasse of his own making is to make an unexpected, game-changing move; one that would both remake the map of the Middle East and cement his reputation as the harbinger of a new politics and a “new world,” as he put it in his Cairo speech. Recognition of a unilaterally declared Palestinian state is precisely the kind of Hail Mary pass he may be looking for. It would bring him the adoration of his far-left base and the Arab nations, as well as many European politicians; it would turn him into the hero who defied the dreaded Israel Lobby; and it would write his name into the history books as the man who ended a century-old conflict. There might even be a second Nobel Prize in the offing, this time for actually accomplishing something. One imagines that such temptations may well be difficult to resist.
h/t Ben
No, I don’t think that Obama will recognize, unilaterally, a Palestinian state, for the simple reason that there is, currently, no land base for such a state. Israeli settlements and control of the water, borders, air space etc, preclude such a state.
What I think Obama might do is what a narcissist does when he feels that he cannot control ‘Other people’. They will cease to exist for him.
He’ll drop both Israel and Palestine. Neither will exist for him.
In that way, he’ll please the Arab States..but remember, the Arab states are NOT interested in there being a Palestinian state. They never have been interested in such a reality. And that’s what will please the Arab States, the possibility that there won’t be a democratic Arab state of Palestine.
The real danger is Iran – and Obama is also hiding his head in the sand about Iran. He’s refusing to recognize its nuclear warhead ambitions, refusing to recognize its imperialist ambitions, refusing to recognize its agenda of expanding its control in the whole Middle East…not just Israel..which it would use as a lynchpin, but control of the Arab states as well.
Obama is paving the way for a massive Middle East War. Just like he won’t recognize the reality of terrorism, and is trying to reject the fact that a terrorist attack just took place under His watch on US soil, Obama is ignoring the ME.
Jimmy Carter was the worst president in U-S history, until now.
ET
Methinks you are correct in your analysis. I hope there will some leadership in the Congress who will force Obama’s hand (“you have been here too long for any good you can do”) when Iran attempts to recreate a Persian Empire.
http://www.fanpop.com/spots/2008-presidential-election-usa/images/2543838/title/anti-obama-audacity-hype
It took WWII to get us out of the first Great Depression, maybe he is planning on WWIII to get us out of the second.
norm said:
“I hope there will some leadership in the Congress who will force Obama’s hand”
LOL. That statement actually made me laugh out loud.
Obama has plunged head-first into a conflict not realising he can’t control or convince anyone in it. He’ll try to do something and will fail but will attempt to come out swinging. It’s something I see him trying to reconcile in a book or a series of talks (for which he will be highly paid) in his post-president days.
Working for special interests groups and fighting “the man” gives one a sense of elevated entitlement and success comes easy.
After early years of “speaking truth to power” (gag me) – he now *is* power – and trying to be a charismatic and charming guy by telling everyone what they want to hear doesn’t work anymore. He has to take difficult stands – and not everyone will be happy. Gaseous rhetoric just doesn’t fly anymore.
He is ill-equipped for his current position. His amateurish public statements unbefitting a head of state certainly confirm this.
The Big Owe isn’t black – he’s yellow.
No, I don’t think Obama will try to do anything, because he’ll realize that he can’t control either side..and as a narcissist, if he can’t control YOU, then you don’t exist for him. He’ll drop both Israel and Palestine.
Consider the fact that he’s not going to the Fall of the Berlin Wall celebrations; it has no reality for him..because it’s not about Him. He’d be just ‘one leader among others’ and above all, the entire fall, had nothing to do with Him. Obama has no interest in any event that isn’t about Him; they don’t exist for him.
As I said, he is essentially enabling Iran to get a nuclear weapon and move into the ME as an imperialist power. Obama will do nothing to stop Iran because he, as Himself, can’t control them. Bush would have…but not Obama.
He is not finished community organizing. He has the Islamic one to organize right now, the mother of communities, and doing a damn fine job too.
First, he may come out of this looking weak, feckless, and incompetent in one of the areas he promised to be most effective and influential.
I do sort of admire his consistency; he looks weak, feckless, and incompetent in every area, whether he promised to be most effective and influential in that area or not. I suspect that the reason that he looks weak, feckless, and incompetent is that he actually is weak, feckless, and incompetent – and narcissistic, as well.
ET, you’ve really frightened me.
I know what you say is true. But, reading it in its finality has made a chill run down my spine.
“He’ll drop both Israel and Palestine. Neither will exist for him.”
“Obama is paving the way for a massive Middle East War.”
Christians who believe the Biblical prophecies about the final war have known this was coming.
Everything but exactly when.
Who would have dreamed it would begin with the first black president.
ET, You’ve been correct in your analysis of BHO all along, as most on here seem to agree. I wish you hadn’t been.
Well, the scenario is as good as any I have heard.
In the short term it will make Obama a world hero,
but how about the middle distance. When the Arabs get over their euphoria and return to their quest of eliminating Israel, what then?
This post has led me to start considering what
the Israeli will have to do to survive, all alone, with no illusions and no help or supporting power?
Will they stand and be counted when they say never again or will they go meekly to their Armageddon.
Israel has come too far to give up now. Since most of their leaders have real military experience, they have a comfort zone like no other nation. They will attack, without warning. I wish them all the luck in the world, but I doubt they’ll need it. The US will not abandon them. Obama might, but the US will not.
True, the Arab states were never interested in a Palestinian State.
But neither were the invented [by the KGB as a anti-US, anti-West proxy] “Palestinian people”.
And ET’s certainly correct: TWO states in that small area was never feasible if you believe in the necessity of Israel having defensible borders.
The only “Palestinian” state ever envisioned by the marxist-islamofascist terrorists, stupidly imported into Israel by the moronic Peres, was one overlaying the existing state of Israel [see the PA school system’s geography books].
But Obama is not failing to do anything about Iran because of his narcissism. He has a Carterlike view of Iran as a victim of US aggression with a perfectly valid grievance.
It’s not the narcissism in play here — it’s his anti-Americanism. Obama’s the first anti-American President of the United States of America. A nuclear Iran, along with a willfully wrecked economy, will greatly help in neutralizing the US.
And be very clear: he HATES Israel and would be secretly thrilled were it to be incinerated. Like the rest of his marxist buds.
I don’t worry about Israel, its our meddling about there thats the danger. God will take care of His own.
א מַשָּׂא דְבַר-יְהוָה, עַל-יִשְׂרָאֵל: נְאֻם-יְהוָה, נֹטֶה שָׁמַיִם וְיֹסֵד אָרֶץ, וְיֹצֵר רוּחַ-אָדָם, בְּקִרְבּוֹ. 1
The burden of the word of the LORD concerning Israel. The saying of the LORD, who stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundation of the earth, and formed the spirit of man within him:
ב הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי שָׂם אֶת-יְרוּשָׁלִַם סַף-רַעַל, לְכָל-הָעַמִּים–סָבִיב; וְגַם עַל-יְהוּדָה יִהְיֶה בַמָּצוֹר, עַל-יְרוּשָׁלִָם. 2
Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of staggering unto all the peoples round about, and upon Judah also shall it fall to be in the siege against Jerusalem.
ג וְהָיָה בַיּוֹם-הַהוּא אָשִׂים אֶת-יְרוּשָׁלִַם אֶבֶן מַעֲמָסָה, לְכָל-הָעַמִּים–כָּל-עֹמְסֶיהָ, שָׂרוֹט יִשָּׂרֵטוּ; וְנֶאֶסְפוּ עָלֶיהָ, כֹּל גּוֹיֵי הָאָרֶץ. 3
And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will make Jerusalem a stone of burden for all the peoples; all that burden themselves with it shall be sore wounded; and all the nations of the earth shall be gathered together against it.
Revelation 13:18
go ahead, google it if you need to, or grab a handy NT.
I’m glad I’m of the age nothing much surprises me anymore.
they ALL do it. some more than others.
I can remember in the summer of ’08 thinking ‘who is this Obama I keep hearing about?’. and today being the 20th anniversary of the wall coming down we need to remember how fast change can happen on the world stage. somehow I don’t think this was quite the change Democrat voters were expecting.
And while we are reminescing about anniversaries, does anyone else remember the great Northeast Blackout of 1965 ?
It occurred on Nov 9, 1965 and covered a large part of northeastern US and central Canada.
I was living in the Boston area at the time and thought it was just a local event. Was surprised to learn the full extent of it later.
Lots of wierd rumours surfaced including UFO invasion theories.
Whoops, that last comment was meant for the Reader Tips thread.
Sorry.
Different interpretations of Rev. 13:18, curious.
Certainly the beginning is true:
“This calls for wisdom.”
“He who has an ear, let him hear.” Rev. 13:9
He’s smart and has a vision more than our leaders.
I’m not sure BO can recognize it unilaterally. I think the senate has to ratify as well.
Also the Jewish lobby – a huge bedrock supporter of the dems would be apopleptic if he did.
The Man-Child has pissed off everyone; he has no following other than shit for brains Marxists.
Obama is incapable of making the simple decisions; only a fool would think he has any idea of what is happening in the ME.. Hillary is still looking for the nearest bathroom
The World leaders are playing him like a cheap banjo. Give him a Nobel Prize & he goes into a corner and licks his nuts like a good puppy
Sad,
Slap shot—that was an Eddy Shack momment—-I can’t help but agree.
[..]The Man-Child has pissed off everyone; he has no following other than shit for brains Marxists.[..] First the CIA with Holder…then all the Police with the Gates affair…The military bt dithering over Afghanistan….the FBI because of ACORN and Holder’s running of Justice—re the Black Panthers….
He will need more than Pelosi, Franken, Frank and Waxman when the torchlight committee comes…
This Fort Hood matter could be the spark….
The MSM media is silent but the internet is ablaze….the administration genuinely fears a backlash…a backlash against it.
Hilln’billy Clinton were right.
if ever there was a chance of getting whacked by the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy , this is a mid term shot at its best. Biden will resign and Hill ‘n’ Billy will resume their rightful roles as the losers of the free world.
ET’s point (first comment) about the Arab states not wanting a “Palestinian” state is correct. Mr. Kerstein missed that one.
As for Obama, I’m glad his incompetence is shining through. Anyone out there still believe Obama is better on the international stage than McCain would have been? Good heavens.
Health care reform will be signed into law by the end of the year. Stay the course President Obama, you are doing great.
Obama’s efforts thus far have been an embarrassing failure.
I think that about sums it up, really.
“If the latest reports about the White House’s intentions prove to be more than simple rumor, there is a strong possibility that this recklessness may indeed write Barack Obama into the history books — not as the man who brought peace to the Middle East, but as the man who plunged it into its bloodiest war in decades.”
Cue Areo Smith
“Weak, feckless and incompetent” pretty much says it.
You guys are afraid of Obama. That’s very apparent. The Americans are afraid of Canada because we are the free. America is so steeped in fear and superstition they don’t want medicare. It’s too socialist. What’s the other choice? You guys get the same 1000 people posting the same bull. You are all scared of the truth.
ok4ua:
Nope where all scared of having to even visit a Hospital anymore.
Have any of you been in the hospital? I have. At least 6 times. I got good care every time. You guys ar a bunch of whiners.America is afraid of Canada because ourb progressive ideas are filtering south.
The Nonpartisan League came to us from south of the 49th, “ok4u”.
You get good care because you flash them your Party card.
The Democrat Party of Minnesota is officially called the “Democratic Farmer-Labour Party” ‘ok4u’.
The Democrat Party of Minnesota is officially called the “Democratic Farmer-Labour Party” ‘ok4u’, and has been called that for +70 years.
Baloney. You lie like a sidewalk.What card?
Your Dipper Party card, sir.
A documentary from the Public Broadcasting Service, “Heaven on Earth: The Rise and Fall of Socialism”. How “Canadian Socialism” is “an American import”.
“ROBERT BOTHWELL
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
AUTHOR, ‘CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES’
“Today Americans think of Canada as a more radical, a more socialist place. The irony is that Canada’s first socialist politicians, Canada’s first socialist intellectuals are American. And that is something that people today have forgotten. [S]ocialism when it comes to Canada in an effective way is an American import.”