The President spoke recently about the kinetic military action in Libya. He proceeded to use 3,300 words to give a speech that gave – at first glance – no understanding for the use of force. No regard for military might. No strategy for the pursuit of Freedom and Liberty.
As I stated in a previous article, the President’s worldview is predicated on a multi-culturaist view point, and a desire for rapid government growth. Obama waited for the United Nations to act, and spoke with the Arab League, but not Congress. In Obama’s mind, the world must act, and the US can not be the leader. We don’t deserve to be the leader, and if we lead, we do more harm than good. Better that we just provide the majority of the intelligence, weaponry, manpower and money to make the project work, then give the credit to other nations.
Let me tell you how it’s going to be…
The President made much of handing over command and control to NATO. Yet, as former United Nations Ambassador John Bolton told PJTV in Iowa recently, giving control to NATO is like the US moving control from the right hand to the left hand. 25% of the NATO budget comes from the United States. Germany has already pulled out of the NATO mission, and Italy is not far behind. In the latest reporting, and undermining the statements of Obama, NATO is not in command. An announcement today states that the transition will take more time. President Obama went to great lengths to praise the swift NATO take over of operations.
But in this speech – at second glance – the President came clean. The Obama Doctrine was not hidden; rather, it was laid bare, and made clear last night. Simply, the Obama Doctrine is – What I want, When I want, Where I want and How I want; No One Can Do It Better Than Me.
To prove the Obama Doctrine, as believed by President Obama, I use the words from his speech. In regards to What I want, When I want, Where I want and How I want, the President stated clearly:
There will be times, though, when our safety is not directly threatened, but our interests and values are. Sometimes, the course of history poses challenges that threaten our common humanity and common security – responding to natural disasters, for example; or preventing genocide and keeping the peace; ensuring regional security, and maintaining the flow of commerce….
This is not a war doctrine, or a blueprint for the US to pattern action against. Interests and values are not set in stone with this President, as his own body of work would place his values and interests in sharp contrast with the vast majority of Americans. Obama’s interests and values include the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) which is opposed by a majority of citizens. Obama’s interests and values include ceasing space exploration in NASA, but utilizing NASA to reach out to Muslim communities to make them feel good. Obama’s interests and values are predicated on the teachings of Saul Alinsky, Bill Ayres, Rev. Wright and the far left professors he – based on his own admission – sought out in college.
Earlier in the speech, he gave a moment of foreshadowing to his Doctrine:
Let me close by addressing what this action says about the use of America’s military power, and America’s broader leadership in the world, under my presidency.
Each President has a way of doing things, and not every view matches up. However, everything with President Obama is personal. The use of the term “under my presidency” pushes the continued notion that, for him, it is his presidency (his values and interests) that is more important than the nation (our values and interests.) It furthers the understanding of the Obama Doctrine. Values and interests will be based on Obama’s ideological upbringing, and admitted desire to do away with the belief in American Exceptionalism. They will not have, nor do they need to have, any relation to the will of the people or Congressional authority. As Obama himself stated, “I am convinced that a failure to act in Libya would have carried a far greater price for America.” He is convinced, but did not bother to share the proof of that with the American people.
The Obama Doctrine of What I want, When I want, Where I want and How I want also goes to explain how the President determines the values and interests of the United States in relation to all world conflicts. There are uprisings in Bahrain, Yemen, and Syria. However, the President has made no mention of establishing No Fly Zones in these nations, nor has he moved to freeze the assets of the leadership in those nations. Yet the people are dying in those nations. So, when President Obama talks about how he, “…refused to wait for the images of slaughter and mass graves before taking action,” he only means this if it reaches the level of his values and interests. The death of innocent people is not in his interests on its face. The Obama Doctrine is not about innocent people, or brutal regimes. It is about Obama, and Obama alone.
The other half of the Obama Doctrine (No One Can Do It Better Than Me) is inline with his pedigree, as it is based on ridicule and attack methodologies (which he learned from those who shared his values and interests!) Obama made mention of both Bosnia and Iraq. And, without saying their names, slammed both Presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush. Obama showed how much more of a humanitarian he was than Clinton by giving a timeline between established coalitions to deal with their respective wars. Obama bathed in the belief that his coalition was the strongest and the best, and only took 31 days as opposed to the beaurecratic nightmare that was Clinton’s coalition, which took over a year to put together.
With Bush, Obama went after the costs, the lives lost and the length of the war. He argued that we can not afford, “…to repeat in Libya” what was done in Iraq. Oddly enough, and in a departure for him, he was not attacking the rationale of going into Iraq, he was attacking the methodology. He had to. How else could he fit things to work within his Doctrine?
Obama’s speech on Libya may have left America, and the world, still confused on what constitutes the need for military action, who is in charge of the military action and what bodies will be consulted before using military action. However, no one should be confused about the unveiling of the Obama Doctrine for the world to see. He will make decisions as he sees fit, based on his world view, and he will consult if he feels like it with those he deems acceptable to consult with, and he will then tear down anyone who dares try to objectively question his decisions.
[NOTE – The final proof of Obama’s Doctrine (What I want, When I want, Where I want and How I want; No One Can Do It Better Than Me) comes from Obama’s own text. Obama stated:
Born, as we are, out of a revolution by those who longed to be free, we welcome the fact that history is on the move in the Middle East and North Africa, and that young people are leading the way. Because wherever people long to be free, they will find a friend in the United States. Ultimately, it is that faith – those ideals – that are the true measure of American leadership.
I could not agree more with the above statement, and one might use this paragraph to show that my understanding of the Obama Doctrine is wrong – that Obama loves his country, loves freedom and is showing true leadership.
However, it was a paragraph that should have been said over a year ago, in relationship to the attacks by Ahmendinejad on the Iranian people, when those who wanted the right to vote were being shot in the streets. Young people leading the way. People who longed to be free. People who looked to find a friend in the United States…and found nothing. The Obama Doctrine was in effect then as well. The deaths of innocent people, and the oppression of the people did not rise to the level of his interests, nor to the core of his values.
You will only find a “friend,” as Obama puts it, if HE should decide to grant you his friendship. Here’s to hoping that those who yearn to be free catch Obama on a good day.]
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