FOD 2014.02.17

America's foreign policy under barack obama can best be described as a shambles. He has managed to insult our allies (Google obama insults allies for numerous examples) and embolden our enemies. Take the Middle East, for example.

Iran is closer than ever to building nukes. Iraq is a lost cause, and Afghanistan is circling the drain. Four Americans were killed in that fiasco in Libya. Civil war is raging in Syria, with Egypt not far behind. Israel has been cast adrift by barry. Even the liberal Washington Post has noticed.

...But in seeing the worst and most clumsy foreign policy apparatus in American history, maybe we can find a smarter, bipartisan policy that can repair American stature and undo the damage of the last 4 1/2 years.

The ineptitude extends to obama's choices for ambassadorships.

A century-old debate over whether presidents should reward political donors and allies by making them ambassadors has flared again after a string of embarrassing gaffes by President Obama’s picks.

The nominee for ambassador to Norway, for example, prompted outrage in Oslo by characterizing one of the nation’s ruling parties as extremist. A soap-opera producer slated for Hungary appeared to have little knowledge of the country she would be living in. A prominent Obama bundler nominated to be ambassador to Argentina acknowledged that he had never set foot in the country and isn’t fluent in Spanish.

Even former senator Max Baucus (D-Mont.), the new U.S. ambassador in Beijing, managed to raise eyebrows during his confirmation hearing by acknowledging, “I’m no real expert on China.”

...During Obama’s first term, political appointees in Malta, Luxembourg, Kenya and the Bahamas all resigned after inspectors general exposed management problems.

And then there's the Dominican Republic. Ambassadors are supposed to improve, or at least maintain, cordial relations with the country they are posted to. But obama, in his zeal to be politically correct, appointed a gay ambassador to the largely Catholic Dominican Republic, with predictable results.

The Catholic-dominated Dominican Republic is in an uproar over President Obama’s selection of openly gay James “Wally” Brewster as ambassador, and religious leaders are calling for a national protest, “Black Monday.”

Please note that I have nothing against gay people. What I do find troubling is the total lack of sensitivity shown by obama in making a choice that is perceived by the host country as an insult.

“It’s an insult to good Dominican customs,” said Rev. Critobal Cardozo, who leads the Dominican Evangelical Fraternity, in The Christian Post.

And from Vicar Pablo Cedano, the archbishop of the nation’s capital, Santo Domingo: The nomination of Mr. Brewster shows “a lack of respect, of consideration,” and “if he arrives, he’ll suffer and will be forced to leave.”

obama's bungled foreign policy has weakened American influence around the world. Enemies are heartened and allies confused. Ask yourself this: What does America stand for today? What principles do we advocate in dealing with other nations? I can't figure out answers to those questions, and I doubt if other countries can either.

Similar to obamacare, we'll be dealing with the disastrous fallout from barry's time in office for many, many years to come...