PrintMarch 29, 2011
Obama's Scary Discomfort with American Power
President Obama's conviction that American power must be harnessed to the predilections of other countries continues to be his predominant presidential trait, even if he has resorted to strong unilateral shows of force at times when other options have seemed in short supply (e.g. the killing of pirates who kidnapped Americans, the Afghan "surge"). Now, in the midst of massive uprisings against autocratic regimes in the Arab world, Obama's ambivalence toward America's superpower status has become dangerously manifest. Whether or not Obama becomes comfortable with the exercise of U.S. power may determine if large parts of the world become more hospitable, whether the U.S. becomes safer and more prosperous, or whether multitudes die with no discernibly better outcome.Despite his amazing rise to power, Barack Obama clings to beliefs that are rare and, frankly, shocking for an American president to hold: namely, that America is a deeply flawed nation that lacks the moral...(Read Full Article)
