Truth Or Consequences: Realizing Obama's Foreign Policy Is As Bad As His Economic Policy

While there are those that argue about the degree that Obama is responsible for the current state of the US economy, no one can argue that the US is in bad shape economically.

The question is just how bad.

Enter Mark Steyn, who crunches some numbers as he describes the degree of US debt and attempts to puncture the cocoon of denial:

Ring out the new, ring in the old. No, hang on, that should be the other way around, shouldn't it? Not as far as 2011 was concerned. The year began with a tea-powered Republican caucus taking control of the House of Representatives and pledging to rein in spendaholic government. It ended with President Obama making a pro forma request for a mere $1.2 trillion increase in the debt ceiling. This will raise government debt to $16.4 trillion – a new world record! If only until he demands the next debt-ceiling increase in three months' time.

Barry Rubin: How Can Israel Please the American Government, Media, and “Experts”? It Can’t

The following is reposted with permission:

How Can Israel Please the American Government, Media, and “Experts”? It Can’t

By Barry Rubin

There is a constant effort—especially by the anti-Israel left--to portray those who express mainstream Israeli public opinion and the views of professional analysts as “right-wing” or “Likudnik.” This leads me to wonder what one would have to say to please these people. What would be the equivalent of a “liberal” position for Israel according to them? What kinds of positions would they see as legitimate?

What follows is not meant to exaggerate in any way but is, I believe, a genuine list of what they demand. To please them, I presume one would have to say the following:

Barry Rubin: It’s Official: Obama Administration Promotes Islamist Regimes; Insists They are Moderate

It’s Official: Obama Administration Promotes Islamist Regimes; Insists They are Moderate

By Barry Rubin

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s speech justifying Obama Administration Middle East policy changes everything. True, it isn’t surprising. I’ve been writing for almost three years about how the current U.S. government thinks these things.

Do not underestimate this speech’s importance. It isn’t a reluctant acceptance that Islamists might win elections and take over coutries. It is an enthusiastic endorsement of that idea.

But now there can be no doubt that Obama’s Middle East policy is engaged in what might be the biggest blunder in the history of U.S. foreign policy. Millions of people will bemoan it as delivering their countries into the grip of repressive dictatorships.

The speech can be summarized as follows:

Barry Rubin: Why Obama Believes He Can Tame the Islamists and; Why He's Dead Wrong

Why Obama Believes He Can Tame the Islamists and; Why He's Dead Wrong

A version of this article was published in the Jerusalem Post. This is Barry Rubin's improved version. He owns the rights and prefers that you read and link to this article.

By Barry Rubin

What does theocracy look like? This is what theocracy looks like! *

Many people find it hard to comprehend what the Obama Administration thinks it’s doing in the Middle East. But it’s really very simple if you know the history of the arguments, read carefully administration speeches and documents, watch their actions, and talk to some of those involved.

Leaving aside a number of points I’ve made in a previous article (which would be good to read in conjunction with this one), I want to focus here on one concept: the idea that the U.S. government has outsmarted the Islamists.

Barry Rubin: King Abdallah of Jordan on How No One Trusts Obama's Government

King Abdallah of Jordan on How
No One Trusts Obama's Government

This article was published in The Daily Caller. This version has some small improvements.

By Barry Rubin

Earlier this week, The Washington Post’s Lally Weymouth interviewed King Abdallah of Jordan. Here’s how King Abdallah responded to Weymouth’s question, “Do you and other leaders in this area believe you cannot rely on the U.S.?"

He replied:

"I think everybody is wary of dealing with the West....Looking at how quickly people turned their backs on [Egyptian President Husni] Mubarak, I would say that most people are going to try and go their own way. I think there is going to be less coordination with the West and therefore a chance of more misunderstandings."

This is devastating.

The Failure Of Obama's Mideast Foreign Policy--In 9 Muslim Countries

Investor's Business Daily has an overview of the failures of Obama's Middle East foreign policy--as reflected in the events in 9 Muslim countries:

• Iraq: Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has asked the U.S. to pack up and leave, and Obama, hoping to shore up support with the anti-war left, agreed. Now, after more than 4,000 killed, and hundreds of billions of dollars spent, Iraq will be left with no significant continuing U.S. presence.

"The tide of war is receding," Obama says. Really? A new poll shows 73% of Iraqis fear a U.S. withdrawal will let Iran destabilize Iraq. It looks almost as if the U.S. is handing Iraq over to Iran — despite Clinton's empty vow to "stand with our allies and friends, including Iraq."

Barry Rubin: Obama’s Foreign Policy: Manchurian Candidate or Keystone Kop?

Obama’s Foreign Policy: Manchurian Candidate or Keystone Kop?

By Barry Rubin

Virtually since the day President Barack Obama was inaugurated in January 2009, I’ve been reporting in great detail on his disastrous Middle East policy. I believe nobody in the world has written more thoroughly documented words and provided more factually based analysis explaining why this policy is so bad than me.

And so I am often asked whether I believe this situation is caused by a deliberate, conscious effort to destroy U.S. interests, subvert Israel’s existence, and promote anti-American Islamists on the part of the president and his closest colleagues.

No, I answer, it is the result of ignorance, incompetence, and a ridiculous ideological approach that has nothing to do with reality. But, I add, it certainly says something that the policy is so bad that it makes people think that deliberate treason is a credible explanation.

Recently, an expert I respect who likes my work asked me the following:

Barry Rubin: SCOOP: Obama Administration Does it Again! Empowers Largely Islamist Leadership for Syrian Revolution

SCOOP: Obama Administration Does it Again! Empowers Largely Islamist Leadership for Syrian Revolution

By Barry Rubin

The leadership of the Syrian revolution, or at least those recognized as such by the United States and the European Union, has released the names of 19 of the 29 members of the General Secretariat and five members of the Presidential Council. A lot of research should be done on the individuals, but let’s do a quick ethnic and political analysis based on this information.

But first let me give you my analysis: I believe that the Turkish Islamist regime deliberately helped produce a Syrian leadership that is more Islamist and more Muslim Brotherhood-controlled than was necessary. Since Turkey’s government was empowered to do this by the Obama administration, the White House is responsible for this extremely dangerous situation. It is a blunder or a betrayal — in effect, the motive and cause don’t matter — of the greatest dimensions. The Obama administration may “only” have paved the way for the triumph of Islamist regimes in Egypt, Libya, and Tunisia — we don’t yet know the final result — but it has been actively involved in helping promote an (avoidable) Islamist revolution in Syria.

Obama Gives Arms To Israel? Big Deal--Obama Gives Arms To Israel's Enemy Turkey Too!

Obama and his defenders are making a big deal out of the fact that Obama is supplying Israel with the weapons it needs to maintain its military edge and thus maintain its security.

Big deal.

From the looks of things, Obama will give weapons to just about anybody--for example, it was announced Friday that the US is going to give 3 Super Cobra helicopters to Turkey.

Barry Rubin explains why Turkey is no friend of either the US or of Democracy:

Barry Rubin: It’s A Bird (Actually a Turkey), It’s A Plane, It’s A Totally Wimpy U.S. Foreign Policy!

It’s A Bird (Actually a Turkey), It’s A Plane, It’s A Totally Wimpy U.S. Foreign Policy!

By Barry Rubin

Turkey’s Islamist regime subverted and then opposed sanctions against Iran. That regime also declared Iran and Syria, Hamas and Hizballah to be its friends. It also sponsored a terrorist group (the IHH) to provoke Israel into an international incident that would generate Islamist martyrs and dead Israeli soldiers. Now, rejecting Israeli conciliation attempts (regrets; donations to families of jihadists who got killed trying to kill Israelis), the Turkish regime escalated to the verge of war.

Now the Turkish prime minister goes to Egypt, proposes an alliance with the Egyptian revolution, then advocates a united bloc of Arabs, Iranians, and Turks as well as war on Israel to the assembled Arab foreign ministers.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tells the Islamist Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, according to a U.S. diplomat,