Curmudgeon's Corner

Are We Becoming What We Want To Be? (Updated)

Posted by Al Campbell on June 7, 2010

Political, Quality of Life, U.S.

Helen Thomas either ‘slipped’ or said exactly what she thought when she was asked about Israel.  She said that the Israelis should “go home” and get out of the Palestinian’s land.  She said it with her characteristic snarl.  Then, upon follow-up by the reporter who had posed the question, she seemed truly dumbfounded that he would question her comment.  She has become an aged fool but she said what she believes.  We’ll see if there is a price to be paid such as being banned from the White House press corps.  (Note: Helen Thomas has resigned from her position according to Fox News about 11:25AM CDT.)

This came on the heels of the Obama Administration’s obvious lack of support for Israel with the notable exception of Vice President Biden; his was the sole voice of anything approaching support for Israel when it forcefully boarded a vessel running through its blockade.  (Remember that we blockaded Cuba many years ago.)  This of course followed the President having forced the Israeli Prime Minister to sit and cool his heels for three hours several weeks ago.

There seems to have been a sea change since the new Administration came to town.  Our country had officially been supportive of Israel until President Obama became “even-handed” as he calls his posture in the Middle East and the rest of the world.

There has been no obvious support of Israel so far as its issues with Iran.  Instead, our country has embarked on yet another series of “you’d better not go any further!” warnings for Iran to ignore and mock.  This while we seem to say that no country in that region ought to have nuclear weapons, meaning that Israel should get rid of the arsenal the world believes it has amassed, while it knows its belligerent neighbors, Iran and Syria, would love for the United States to back Israel into a corner while Iran continues to push for workable nuclear weapons with which to do what they’ve said they’d do…annihilate Israel.

Our country voted for change and that seems to have taken root both inside and outside our borders.  We have begun to dismantle foreign relations efforts that have been carried on by countless Administrations, both Democrat and Republican.  We are appeasing those whom we have previously viewed as being threats.  We are kicking sand in the faces of those that have historically supported us even when no one else would do so.  Take England and Israel, for example.

There is a seeming naïveté that has overtaken our White House and the Congress.  It seems that we are merrily sliding down the slippery slope that threatens to undo many years of effort to find some stability for the world.  We are, whether or not we like the role, the 800 pound gorilla…at least for awhile longer before the domestic changes take effect and we find ourselves nothing more than an equal, or less, world power with the same internal problems we witness across Europe.

Our fiscal difficulties will assure that we lose any advantage we may’ve had.  We are squandering many years of gains to appease the rest of the world at precisely the wrong time.  China will own us before too long as we continue to sell our version of “junk bonds” to them.  We have lost standing across the globe already.  Is it better to be loved or feared by our enemies?  They seem to be quite pleased with our new-found commitment to be just another country instead of the world’s leading democracy.

Is this really what the voters thought they were voting for?  Is this the change a majority thought it wanted?  Is this why the Jewish contingent in our country voted overwhelmingly for this President?  I hope that is not the case, but I’ll not know for sure until this President is re-elected. I have a difficult time imagining that “The Chicago Way” is really the American Way which is preferred by a majority of our citizens.  I sincerely hope that I’m not wrong.