Christ-haunted Foreign Policy

Barry Rubin looks at the present course of foreign policy:

It is not such a big deal to disagree with a president and his policies. But it is shocking to realize that the leader of the world’s most powerful country doesn’t appear to understand the most basic principles of international relations.This isn’t surprising since Barrack Obama has no—zero, nada—previous experience in this area. It shows. There are two distinct ways other countries respond to this combination of his ignorance at realpolitik, urgent desire to be liked, and pride in projecting U.S. weakness:

--Friends, especially in Europe, are pleased, applaud, but then add that they don’t have to give this guy anything because he is all apologies and no toughness. They like the fact that he is all carrots and not sticks. If, however, they are states more at risk—Israel, relatively moderate Arab states, perhaps Asian and Latin American allies--worry that they cannot rely on the United States to help and defend them.

--Enemies or potential rivals, a category including Iran, Syria, North Korea, Cuba, Russia, Venezuela, and many—mostly Islamist—revolutionary movements, say that this guy is weak and defeated. He apologizes, offers unconditional engagements, and promises concessions because all previous U.S. policies have failed. Obama says so himself. They’ll eat the carrots and, of possible, their neighbors as well. Read all …

Our president is following a tack that is not of his making, but that of the Gospel. Speak truthfully - as truthfully as one is capable - of one's faults and misdeeds, seeking to reconcile and do penance. It has been the way of the West since, well, St. Peter, St. Paul, and the four Evangelists.

As Prof. Rubin's words (above) show, however, is that not everyone in the world buys into the same value system. Asking forgiveness and seeking to do penance are equated with "weakness" to those in no way influenced by the Gospel - they have not heard any cock crow.

I do not know how this will play in realpolitik; particularly when our president has a propensity for picking and choosing from the Church's teachings.