Foreign Policy, anyone?

I know, it's been a while. Sorry, I'll do better in the future.

I meant to write a whole lot sooner. After all, I've been fuming with anger over the past week or so. Please let me explain:

Our county is having some problems with the War on Terror. Oops, can I still say that? (Oh yeah, 1st Amendment- that's still in effect, right?) Our problems: the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan and the growing nuclear threat in Iran.

We are losing our battle in Afghanistan. Our young soldiers are dying. The reason- we do not have enough troops on the ground to combat the ever-present Taliban forces. We know this because a few weeks ago a report was leaked to the press that Stanley A. McChrystal, Commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan, expressed the need for more troops or we will fail in Afghanistan. McChrystal later told 60 Minutes that since he was appointed to his current position, June 10, 2009, he had met with the president (his boss) only once. That's once in 70 days.

Well you know, President Obama has been very busy. He had to make an appearance on Letterman. His presence was crucial in Copenhagen, where the president lobbied for the 2016 Summer Olympics to be held in Chicago. That didn't work out so well, did it? Chicago was eliminated in the first round. First, Obama had no business going to Copenhagen. That's not his job! Send the mayor. It was enough that the First Lady and Oprah were there. Second, how could Obama's staff let him be embarrassed like that?

I could just imagine the phone call to the White House:

McChrystal: I need more troops- is the President there?
White House: I'm sorry, he's not here right now. He's on Letterman.
McChrystal: Ok, I'll call back later.

(Week later)
McChrystal: Hi, it's me again. I still need more troops- is the President there?
White House: No, I'm sorry. He's in Denmark telling the Olympic Committee how great he is, I mean, how great it would be if Chicago hosted the Olympics.
McChrystal: Ok. Well he really needs to call me back because we will lose this war unless he sends me more troops.

Obama finally met with McChrystal. First by video conference, then in person in Air Force One (we came to find out the purpose of this meeting was to reprimand the General because he went outside the chain of command), and now he is having meetings to discuss our strategy. General Pelosi and Admiral Biden are there, and it would seem that the president favors sending more troops. After all, he did say that Afghanistan was the war of necessity. It was major point in his campaign.

Yet, he's done nothing! Everyday that he stalls, another soldier (or more) is killed. Mr. President, send more troops or get them out of there! Do not continue this half-assed attempt at counterinsurgency!

As far as Iran goes, he just doesn't get it. Every bit of evidence points to Iran having a nuclear weapons program, and he's done nothing except for a weak request for Iran to allow their secret nuclear facility to be inspected. Meanwhile, Israel, suspecting that Iran wishes to attack them, is considering a preemptive strike. Obama says, "No, no, please don't do anything. We must keep talks going. We plan to invite Ahmadinejad over for dinner and we will make him promise that he is not pursuing nuclear weapons. Oh, by the way, I've decided to scrap our European missile defense program. The Russian president told me he didn't like that very much. Bye now!"

This president is failing. He thought he could come in with his soaring rhetoric and bring about "hope and change." Instead, he is out of touch with reality. He just doesn't have a clue and he is way in over his head.

This guy does not have the experience necessary to be called "Commander-in-Chief." Who is this guy? He was a trial lawyer and a college professor. He served a short period of time in the Illinois State Senate and a relatively short term in the U.S. Senate, and all of a sudden he is in charge of the most powerful military in the world? This does not make any sense!


Anyway, don't mind me, I'm just Rambling.