Oh No, Not Again! 'Smart Power' Is Back

President Bush’s foreign policy has often been reduced to unkind terms by his detractors. He was considered a reckless cowboy, a hick, an idiot that lucked his way into office and benefited from his father’s life time in politics. His foreign policy has simplistically been defined as one of preemptive attacks. Like some shootem’ up western movie he may have watched on TV. The fact of the matter is America was preemptively attacked and the only countries that Bush sent the military into was one that harbored terrorists responsible for murder on a global scale, not to mention also in retaliation of the 9/11 attacks. The other, Saddam’s Iraq, was a continual threat to everyone around it.

President Obama’s foreign policy, in contrast, was termed “Smart” Power. It had to be for all the reasons listed above. If Bush formulated “Dumb” Power and Cowboy Diplomacy, then President Obama must offer the very opposite. Thus, it was called Smart Power. Throw in an eagerness to apologize for America’s sins committed by his predecessors, in grand venues, on foreign land, and we are on our way to reconciliation with the world. President Obama has done nothing accept give a sort of Shakespearian message, “Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears, I came to bury America’s history and past not praise it…” My apologies to Shakespeare.

President George Bush issued a monumental declaration five years ago that the United States was at war with “Islamic fascists” — a term that encompasses the scale of the threat from Al Qaeda’s call to violent Jihad to the Muslim Brotherhood’s ideology of stealth Jihad. Bush’s declaration amounted to a summons for democratic allies to unite in this global war to protect American interests and that of other freedom loving Western nations. Although a global overview paints a troubling picture of advances being made by Islamist regimes in their growing ties, nonetheless during his presidency, Obama has alienated traditional American allies while placating America’s worst foes, as he demonstrated in an early self-deprecating speech in Cairo when he asserted Islam’s and the Koranic common principles of justice, progress, tolerance, the dignity of all human beings, and truth, without apparent knowledge of the fundamental importance of the Islamic doctrine of “taqiyya,” or dissimulation. (Hudson New York)

To capture the magic of 2008, the Obama administration is wheeling out “Smart” power again. Hilary Clinton at the National Defense University in Washington.

We don’t have very much going on with Syria because of a long history of challenging problems with them. So I think this is smart power, and I talk a lot about smart power, where it’s not just brute force, it’s not just unilateralism, it’s being smart enough to say, “You know what? We want a bunch of people singing out of the same hymn book, and we want them singing a song of universal freedom, human rights, democracy, everything that we have stood for and pioneered over 235 years.” That’s what I’m looking for us to be able to achieve.

Here is John Hinderaker response from Power Line.

Clinton contrasts “smart power” with “brute force” and “unilateralism.” Being “smart” means “a bunch of people singing out of the same hymn book.” But singing is the easy part; much easier than acting. On Syria, the Obama administration has done nothing. Unlike Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain, it hasn’t even taken the symbolic step of recalling our ambassador. And Clinton’s statement that Assad can’t ignore world leaders telling him he “needs to go” is ridiculous. He has ignored them, and he will continue to do so, even as his troops mow down thousands of Syrians who are getting no help-not even symbolic encouragement-from the Obama administration.

Obama’s self adulation from his campaign has made him reluctant to let go of it. The problem, of course, lies in his failure to see that his “engagement” policy is only an opportunity for America’s enemies to gain more time while driving a wedge between us and Israel. His “open” hand approach has been irrelevant, and instead looks more like a limp wrist or a soft handshake. He offers carrots; mostly in the form of respectful discourse — and possibly a chance to see him in person! As if his carrots are somehow better than all the others. His conversation so congenial it is disarming and life changing. His personality so magically spellbinding and his character too unassailable, it renders those present powerless against its onslaught.

Nile Gardiner points out the obvious.

The Zogby poll overwhelmingly demonstrates that weakness and a markedly softer approach to the projection of American global power do not make the US president more popular abroad. In fact they simply strengthen the position of America’s enemies, undermine her effectiveness as a global power, and draw contempt and derision from both friend and foe alike.

Smart Power had no strategic quality at the beginning of his administration and it has none now; just a bombardment of Obama Engagement. And because his image, ego, and rhetoric are at the center of it, he’s sees victory in being perpetually involved in negotiations, discussions and dialogue even if America’s interests aren’t necessarily advanced.