Obama's idealistic geopolitics

As this column goes to press, rapid developments in both Ukraine and Venezuela have made an unfortunate shamble of the Obama Administration’s foreign policy, which has a hopelessly idealistic tint.

That is not to say it is wrong to have ideals and to cherish them above the murky abyss of geopolitical wheeling and dealing.

But the president and his advisers, unfortunately, look increasingly feckless against the likes of Vladimir Putin, Nicolas Maduro, Kim Jong Un, Bashar al-Assad and Ayatollah Khamenei.

As much as we might like to pretend otherwise, these men find words much less persuasive than this administration believes.

Obama has been scared of the repercussions of his political base should he move to confront these strongmen.

Obama has scored a couple of wins, such as the 2011 raid that killed Osama Bin Laden and the drone campaign in Pakistan.

But dealing with the machinations of nations still stuck in the mentality of Cold War politics has been far less
successful.

A gradual weakening of American power and prestige abroad has sent our global allies scrambling for cover and encouraged the tin-pot tyrants of the world like never before.
Nowhere was this drift towards isolationism more apparent than when the pipe dream of George W. Bush’s “freedom agenda” came true in 2009 and in 2011.

The Arab Spring provided an opportunity for the United States to lead and be at the forefront of promoting concepts like rule of law  and free and fair elections in one of the least free regions of the world, but devolved into bitter cynicism and a political stalemate.

The Obama Administration saw the collapse of the old regimes, yet failed to lead with the new.

Egypt remains smoldering after the collapse of a Muslim Brotherhood government. Syria has developed into a crucible for the region’s most dangerous powers and for our supposed allies acting to create a sectarian war. Iraq is seemingly splitting once again, and the less said about Libya, the better.

While these situations seem grim, it is not too late in other parts of the world. Protestors in Ukraine and Venezuela are defying oppressive governments and invasive military action.

But they cannot do so alone. Thankfully, sanctions have finally begun, but my belief is these sanctions might come too late.

Even more potent economic restrictions against Russian oligarchs, along with a firm show of support diplomatically and militarily for the people of Ukraine, would go a long way toward convincing Putin to back off.

Keep up the pressure on Maduro, lest we see a repeat of the antics of Hugo Chavez for the next decade. The time for words is long passed. It is time for action.

mjsu@indiana.edu