Posted by
Mantic on Tuesday, December 26, 2006 11:37:59 AM
It is truly apalling that our current political leaders cannot learn from history. They want so much to be loved in the world. They want so much to be part of the European Socialist Establishment that they ignore the realities around them.
In their political power-based hubris, they feel that they are so overpoweringly smart and savvy that they can sit down with anyone and come to an agreement. What happens after that? The "sophisticates" will bend over and agree to anything to show the world that they can work with anybody... that they can always achieve a common ground and a meeting of the minds.
Well with that double metaphor, the reality is bull crap. Ahmedinejad is laughing behind their backs. He smiles and nods to the Western leaders, while publically giving the finger to the West in very public displays. Abbas is more than willing to accept Ohmert's money. If the truth be known, it is highly likely that Hamas is too. Why? Because they know that anything they say to the enemy is just words. It is the deed that is important. "Give back the Israeli soldier kidnapped in Gaza? Off the table, but give us the money and we will think about it." Ohmert gives them the money and they know their forty-year-old confidence game is still working.
Talk to Assad in Syria? "What a nice guy!", returning Democrats are likely saying. "We can deal with him." What about the reports that Syria is turning into an Iranian puppet state? That is regrettable information that must be ignored in order for the Dems to look like world statesmen to the Europeans.
Our president is not immune to such power delusions. He has the Islamofascist threat correct. Yet he ignores the soon-to-be-reintroduced threat of an emerging Soviet Union. Putin's eyes are dark and evil. But with Bush's case of Chamberlain-ism, he can look Putin in the eye and see his soul. Earth to Bush: Putin has no soul. It is yours in the reflection of empty orbs.
It is an unfortunate characteristic of the human race to ignore such threats. Part of that is what makes us human. Part of that is what causes massacre after massacre. No society is immune to double dealing. There was double dealing on both sides of the white Europeans and the aboriginal Americans. Neither was particular noble in dealing with the other. Both had their own versions of moral superiority that, in their own minds, superceded any honest agreement.
In the Middle East, we are confronted by really, really wanting to get along. In our present Western culture, there are enough players on the international stage, that playing by the rules is generally in the state's best interest, economically. However, in places where ideology trumps economics, these rules are suspended and we end up with the massacres referred to above. In that, the West is a feckless player on the world stage. It needs to come to grips with dealing with state's that are above making decisions in the best interest of the citizens, but in the best interest of themselves and/or their ideology. The vast cleptocracies of sub-Sahara Africa are immune to much good. Bribery will only line the pockets of the elite, as well as most of any aid sent to assist the languishing populations. The radical Islamists are immune to any economic affects as they are more interesting in the world-wide establishment of Islam, sharia etc. etc. Kim Jong Il has his own issues, but he is, basically, another cleptocrat.
And what do we do? We want to talk. We talk about threatening with economic sanctions, when these people play us for fools and end up with concessions. They will eventually present us with a piece of paper that we can wave around to show the European Sophisticats that we can be just as idiotic and unrealistic as they are. The latest "sanctions" on Iran are, again, met with the same dismissal because the Iranian mullahs know the value of a piece of paper... a couple of pennies and that's all.
We can wave around our little piece of paper, just like Neville Chamberlain did when he returned from Munich, satisfied that we have done all we can... just before the Great Islamic War begins in earnest.