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An Administration Confused and Cynical at once

Reader comment on item: Panetta Predicts an Israeli Strike on Iran

Submitted by John W McGinley (United States), Feb 6, 2012 at 10:29

It becomes ever more clear that our nation put itself in the hands of a man -- often presented as intelligent -- who is both confused and cynical. Let us bracket, for the moment, his domestic economic policies. Bad as they are, the damage this man has and will cause in foreign policy is the major issue.

He is drawn to headline-catching and well-circumscribed military efforts such as his drone strikes and the killing of ben-Laden. ((It is to be noted that, apparently, he dithered for months before approving the ben Laden take-out. The success of that circumscribed action went to his head and he now has become a gambler.)) But the man has no over-arching strategic view of the multiple dangers to our country. Or, to be precise, his over-arching strategic view is one of actively diminishing American Power in the world. God bless us all if he is re-elected and "succesfully" takes us down that road to peridition. The world can be a pretty horrible mess under any circumstances. But absent American Power diabolical forces will be unleashed and, in some sense, the whole world will be subject to horrors exponentially greater than what obtains today. The living may up envying teh dead.

The President is especially disingenious with regard to Israel. Electorally he needs Jewish support in a number of key states and so he talks the talk. He also has supplied Israel with bunker bombs which are necessary to de-fang Iran's nuclear threat. But when Israel begins to act on its own -- and the Iran situation is one which, it appears, it must act on its own -- he acts like a spoiled child. Obama wants to avoid a stirke against Iran at all costs. He is betting the mortgage on sanctions. A terrible bet under the circumstances. And he will try to scuttle any unilateral action taken by Israel on its own. Thus the Panetta leak of last week. And there will be more moves by this Administration of a similiar ntaure.

Again I warn: A re-elected Obama will be the greatest danger to the well-being of our own nation and a mortal danger to the very existence of Israel. An Obama who no longer has to worry about getting re-elected will turn out to be the most dangerous President in history.

Submitting....

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Reader comments (49) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
1Hoorah for Israel [41 words]NeilFeb 23, 2012 16:25193592
PREDICTIONS OF AN ISRAELI STRIKE [95 words]JACQUES HADIDAFeb 17, 2012 16:27193432
1Israel is determined - No, it is a simple, tragic crisis mechanism [1053 words]Michel C.ZalaFeb 15, 2012 12:08193394
3Israel's Plight - A Right to Fight In Spite of the World's Might [345 words]M. ToveyFeb 16, 2012 18:53193394
1Bombing [49 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
NataliyaFeb 13, 2012 15:35193355
And now, US officials blabbing about Israel's plans too [56 words]saraFeb 9, 2012 19:27193255
panetta's unclear language [195 words]mythFeb 9, 2012 12:25193249
2Why Israel Has No Other Choice [243 words]P. SchwartzFeb 7, 2012 22:53193188
2Israel is a Sword [20 words]NeilFeb 23, 2012 16:49193188
1Obama sum of cynicism [385 words]PhilippeFeb 7, 2012 08:08193167
1you think like me [20 words]jackFeb 8, 2012 22:36193167
2An Administration Confused and Cynical at once [388 words]John W McGinleyFeb 6, 2012 10:29193139
2Jewish voting block vastly exaggerated [114 words]saraFeb 6, 2012 16:24193139
"Why the need to pander to them." [127 words]HarryFeb 7, 2012 10:04193139
1Harry, you miss my point [170 words]saraFeb 7, 2012 20:37193139
Obama Betting on Sanctions [14 words]Tom TrueFeb 28, 2012 12:05193139
Likely that Israel will attack, but unfortunate for the world. [106 words]Jon from EurolandFeb 6, 2012 09:11193138
4to Jon from Euroland [96 words]saraFeb 6, 2012 16:17193138
1Consequences [122 words]Jon from EurolandFeb 8, 2012 07:08193138
Written words offer wiggle room? How? [17 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
SimonFeb 6, 2012 07:51193136
Not accurate [59 words]
w/response from Daniel Pipes
JKFeb 6, 2012 07:44193135
Spies. [34 words]Dennis WojciakFeb 6, 2012 04:50193129
2Panetta was told to shoot off his mouth [123 words]Alaska PaulFeb 6, 2012 01:13193120
Do they mean business? [87 words]David W. LincolnFeb 5, 2012 17:57193105
Good Cop-Bad Cop [173 words]Barry BlackFeb 5, 2012 12:00193099
Predicting an Israeli Strike on Iran...What Buffoons [80 words]AnneFeb 5, 2012 06:55193087
1Panetta Predicts an Israeli Strike on Iran [188 words]JudithFeb 4, 2012 22:41193081
10I find it a bit ludicous [129 words]saraFeb 4, 2012 18:45193065
1Really [48 words]HarryFeb 6, 2012 11:55193065
Well, Harry, that is my point [149 words]saraFeb 6, 2012 16:50193065
3Israel vs West on Attacking Iran [80 words]Anatoly TsaliovichFeb 4, 2012 18:34193064
2It doesn't make much sense [134 words]StanleyFeb 4, 2012 18:29193063
5An Israeli attack is doubtful [501 words]Ken BesigFeb 4, 2012 17:51193062
Unfortunately, Isreal has no choice. [71 words]DarrellFeb 6, 2012 00:20193062
The Timing For Israel is Critical - Yet the Israeli's Will Not Control It. [108 words]M. ToveyFeb 6, 2012 13:16193062
It is not aboutif, but when ISR will strike [395 words]Stonewall JacksonFeb 16, 2012 12:05193062
4Prisoner's Dilemma [1058 words]Michel C. ZalaFeb 17, 2012 14:09193062
Looking for the Regal Reprieve for the Prisoner [469 words]M. ToveyFeb 21, 2012 11:33193062
2Addendum [431 words]Michel C. ZalaFeb 23, 2012 10:12193062
2Addendum II [359 words]Michel C. ZalaFeb 26, 2012 12:05193062
Addendum with Clarification Leading to a Second Addendum [228 words]M. ToveyFeb 27, 2012 19:22193062
Why is ISR not acting now? Variables, Turkey, Syria and Iran [814 words]Michel C. ZalaFeb 29, 2012 13:55193062
2An ISR viewpoint which opens up possibilities [508 words]Michel C. ZalaMar 2, 2012 15:11193062
3The Dilemma - Outstanding Article by Ari Shavit, Haaretz [670 words]StonewallJacksonMar 15, 2012 12:39193062
Wait for it...wait for it... [418 words]M. ToveyMay 24, 2012 18:43193062
Beating The Twelvers Of Iran [15 words]CliffordFeb 4, 2012 15:13193056
1Panetta Predicts [49 words]Nenette GrunbergFeb 4, 2012 14:07193054
3Huh? [104 words]Dan LenardFeb 4, 2012 13:47193051
2This Opinion [101 words]Jay1Feb 4, 2012 13:25193050

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Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

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