And They're Supposed to Be Smart?

I've been a pretty vocal critic of how inept the Obama Administration has been since January 2009, and it's gotten me in a bit of hot water with some people on the Left. But contrary to their claims, it's not because of racism. It truly is a question of competence.

The latest question arose after the Obama Administration lifted sanctions on three Russian groups previously accused of helping Iran develop nuclear weapons. It may be done in an attempt to curry Russia's favor in supporting a UN resolution criticizing Iran's nuclear program. Of course, it's making a huge assumption that Russia will sign off on the resolution if we just show good faith.

And in the real world, this doesn't work because the Russians are not operating from a position of good faith. Negotiations work when both sides operate from the same set of rules and are looking for a mutually beneficial outcome. When one side doesn't play by those rules and seeks a singularly beneficial outcome, no amount of giving from the other side will make a difference.

Unless the Obama Administration has a rock-solid guarantee that Russia will sign off on the UN resolution against Iran, this move is sheer folly and exposes how naive the Administration is. Furthermore, it exposes a weakness in our foreign policy, one that Russia will be more than willing to exploit. Supporters of the President like to talk about how Obama has restored worldwide respect to America, but I'm just not seeing it. No matter how many times he bows before foreign leaders or tries to play nice with those countries who do not like us or sells out our allies, the world does not see Obama as credible. I get the impression that world leaders see Obama like a little boy playing dress-up in Daddy's clothes. It's cute when you're a kid, but when you're the leader of the free world, it loses a lot of its appeal.

Oh, and to add to the fun, the Obama Administration also lifted sanctions against a company that provided anti-tank guided missiles to Syria.

Brilliant!