IE Business Daily Business news for the Inland Empire.
A few weeks ago we covered the shrinking relevance of the Obama Presidency.
Since that time, Malaysian Flight 17 carrying 298 souls was shot down over the Ukraine, Hamas began firing rockets into Israel from Gaza resulting in a full Israeli incursion that continue today, and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) began crucifying Christians in Mosul, Iraq.
These events are symptoms of the United States of America’s current foreign policy, if you can call withdrawal from the world stage a policy.
The Russians have encouraged and armed Ukrainian separatists in Eastern Ukraine and effectively annexed Crimea. The United States and the world have demanded Russia cease these efforts and Russia has answered, with a yawn. The surface to air missile that downed Flight 17 was most certainly Russian in origin, provided to separatists by Russian forces. Weeks prior to Flight 17, Ukrainian Aircraft were reportedly shot down. Two days ago, two Ukrainian fighter jets were shot down. For all of the protests by the western world, the violence and fighting continues. In Ukraine and Russia, the Flight 17 disaster is just another blip.
In the Gaza strip, Hamas began another rocket assault on Israel that has continued since July 8th. The rocket attacks were complimented with Hamas attempts to breach Israeli border fortifications through underground tunnels, which placed Hamas terrorists close to nearby Israeli towns. The effort was detected and the attackers destroyed, but the incursion forced Israel to cross the border into Gaza and begin routing out the maze of tunnels built over the last decade by Hamas to hide weapons and attack Israelis. While costing hundreds of lives (it never helps when Hamas attempts to shield weapons with civilians) the Israeli effort is finally producing results.
In Iraq, reports state that Christians, who have resided in Mosul for generations over 2000 years, have abandoned the region under threat of death if they did not convert. Christian and Muslim holy sites have been destroyed. ISIS continues to press into Iraq, and though apparently halted, now holds significant territory in both Iraq and Syria. Yes, these are the same people called Freedom fighters in Syria, who have now branched out to threaten Bagdad.
What do these events all have in common? There is one simple factor, the inability or unwillingness of the United States to effectively intervene on behalf of our allies in these crises. The United States has, under President Obama effectively withdrawn from the world stage. It is redundant, but true: Nature hates a vacuum. In international affairs, vacuums are all too often filled by those seeking power. Where good retreats, evil is more than happy to fill the void. It is such in the world today.
The United States has retreated from our century long presence that began in earnest after World War I, peaked during the Cold War, and continued into the last decade. That apparently is at an end. Under President Obama, the United States has deliberately reduced our military capabilities. We have withdrawn from regions of the world where peace was won with American blood and that of our allies. We have ignored the pleas of our friends in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Asia.
Even worse, in Israel, the United States is actively pursuing a cease fire that will only prevent Israel from permanently ending the conflict, a pause that will allow Hamas to rebuild its tunnels and weapon stores.
With friends like these, who needs enemies? Of course President Obama had the time for a three day tour to the West Coast this week. He had to make time on his busy golf calendar to raise campaign funds for the upcoming elections. Perhaps someone should hand the President a fiddle, after all, much of the world is burning, including Christian Martyrs in Mosul, innocents in midair over Ukraine, and thousands of rockets being fired at Jews in Israel.
