Obama declares the end of history and the childlike nature of American soldiers.

" The days of empire and spheres of influence are over.  Bigger nations must not be allowed to bully the small, or impose their will at the barrel of a gun or with masked men taking over buildings.  And the stroke of a pen can never legitimize the theft of a neighbor’s land.  So we will not accept Russia’s occupation of Crimea or its violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty."  Obama

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 “I’m never surprised by controversies that are whipped up in Washington, that’s par for the course,” Mr. Obama said Thursday during a Brussels press conference.  Obama

 

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I think it was Francis Fukuyama, the neocon historian who last tried to announce the end of history as humanity has experienced it.  This did not end well for Fukuyama.  History made a "house call" for him and bit him on the ass.

Now we have Obama sternly announcing that " The days of empire and spheres of influence are over."  Say what?  Which planet does he live on?  Obama increasingly seems to be a very sheltered man who was educated on big fat scholarships at the "best" colleges and universities where he acquired the academically popular notion that humans and their societies are evolving toward a higher state in which there  will be a world community governed by rules and "norms" that will protect the weak against the strong.  This idea is the product of the musings of various European social scientists in the 19th Century. Just about all of them were members of some relatively weak group who desired to change the shape of history so that they would be safe from the strong.  The coterie of Obamaites who the president has surrounded himself with all inhabit this "bubble" of belief.

Unfortunately  for them and the rest of us outside the bubble the world has not changed.  Putin treats this bleating with contempt,  Assad is well on his way to emasculating the jihadis in Syria.  Maliki grinds the faces of the Sunni Arabs with impunity.  Al-Sissi will embark next week on his maximal effort to "destroy" the MB and other jihadi fanatics in Egypt.  None of these people give a damn abut what Obama and his bubbleocracy think because they can tell reality from silliness.  They know the difference between chicken salad and chicken shit.

In the world of the realists, it is important to have large numbers of hard, armed, people who will devote themselve to watching over the weak while they sleep lest the wolves come to feast.   In pursuit of the goal of having such guardians. it has been necessary to create bodies of soldiers who will accept the task and will give themselves up for the task.  Such people are often not ideal candidates for membership in Parent Teacher's Associations or the League of Women Voters.  Women they may be, but if so, not likely to fit in well in today's effete American society.

In the case of Bergdahl fils, the president/commander in chief referred to him several time at Brussels as "someone's kid,"  and as a "child."

Well, I am here to tell you Mr. President that if you keep that up, you will have no hard people to watch over weak people.  pl

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/06/04/remarks-president-obama-25th-anniversary-freedom-day

Comments

[Babak Makkinejad]

You may find it equally interesting that the in view of the late (Orthodox) Bishop Constantin Virgil Gheorghiu ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantin_Virgil_Gheorghiu) the Eastern Block and the Western block were both manifestations of the same God-less civilization, with the notable difference that the Eastern one was a more brutal.

That Putin is in effect saying that Communism is Western import does not surprise me; he is desperately (I should think) trying to create a foundation for the Russian State.

Islamic thinkers never formulated a satisfying theory of nationality and where they tried to enforce one based on European ideas they inevitably caused more strife.

For there is not a single Muslim country that I can think of which would or could approximate to any degree a nation-state such as Japan, or China, or Korea, or UK, or France or Italy.

The two most advanced Muslim states; Iran and Turkey are illustrative.

One (Iran) is a multi-ethnic state that is glued together by the Shia Islam (as well as very distantly by the idea of (ancient) Eran-Shahr; i.e. Land of Iran).

And the other (Turkey), has been enforcing a Turkic identity - per the European models - since her inception which has caused millions of Kurds to be foreigners in their own country.

[walrus]

Babak, there are Two Islamic nation states with nationalsitic tendencies in my opinion, one of them the largest Islamic nation, that always seem to drop off peoples radar. I am referring to Indonesia and Malaysia.

Both of them are what I would term "Islamic - lite" in their attitudes to most things, which is why I greatly resent the polarising activities of Baptist evangelicals in parts of Indonesia.

[walrus]

David, thank you so much for your cogent analysis of Putins position and also for your golden reference some time ago to "The Vineyard Of The Saker" website. I agree with you that Putin is too smart to deliberately provoke American reaction in any crass way.

What amazes me is that not only has America squandered its entire political capital since 911 by betraying every principle it allegedly stood for, but now President Obama and Secretary Kerry and the rest of what passes for the American leadership are demonstrating their complete moral bankruptcy in the face of what appears to me to be principled opposition from Russia. Russia seems to me to be acquiring moral authority and political capital as fast as America is squandering it.

To put that another way, wouldn't Putin make a good American President?

On a more positive note, how is America to recover it's reputation and the moral authority it had when it signed the United Nations charter on 26 June 1945?

[Babak Makkinejad]

You wrote:

"It does help, in diplomacy, to have reasonably adult people in charge..."

Only if, I might add, there is an interest in diplomacy.

I am not persuaded that NATO alliance is interested in diplomacy.

[Highlander]

Walrus,

There is a great deal of Islamic evangelical activity in Europe, and the United States. Do you consider the Islamic activity ok, but Christian activity to be a great negative, and if so why?

[Babak Makkinejad]

I completely disagree; Malaysia was created by the English and it has a large and hated Chinese minority.

Aceh province in Indonesia disproves your theses of Indonesia being a nation-state; one people and one state.

[Bobo]

Now that a week has passed, since the swap has occurred, a lot of rhetoric, vitriol and hot air has been expended (not here) a few concerning things are very evident.

The American people are not ready to have Guantanamo Bay emptied out after hostilities cease in the near future. Considerable work is needed.
The relationship between the White House and Congress is more strained than ever. The bigger problem is with the Intelligence Committee. That problem needs to be flushed out.
Our media is not objective but offensive. Not sure that will change in the near future.

Oh, whoever has control of Bergdahl please do not allow him to speak with the media until at least the Army has resolved their concerns.

[Fred]

Bobo,

"... whoever has control of Bergdahl please do not allow him to speak with the media until at least the Army has resolved their concerns."

Why do you say this? The army's concerns will be resolved regardless of when Bergdahl speaks to the press. I would his say mom & dad better get that book/movie deal done soon, before the 15 minutes of fame is up.

[Walrus]

With respect Babak, Indonesia is really the "Javanese Empire", Aceh is not a good example. The Dutch never really conquered it and the troubles in Aceh continued right up to the earthquake and tsunami. It was only then under the auspices of America during disaster relief that a truce was effected.

There is certainly nationalistic feelings in Java and Sumatra which is why Australlias reputation was trashed for our temerity in us suggesting and implementing the self determination of a tiny bit of it - East Timor.

As for Malasia, read the rankings of the ruling party.