Obama’s Middle East Is in Tatters, Utter Tatters

The New Republic ^ | 9/20/2011 | Martin Peretz

[mojito]

It is not actually his region. Still, with the arrogance that is so characteristic of his behavior in matters he knows little about (which is a lot of matters), he entered the region as if in a triumphal march. But it wasn’t the power and sway of America that he was representing in Turkey and in Egypt. For the fact is that he has not much respect for these representations of the United States. In the mind of President Obama, in fact, these are what have wreaked havoc with our country’s standing in the world. So what—or, rather, who—does he exemplify in his contacts with foreign countries and their leaders? His exultancy gives the answer away. It is he himself, lui-mème. Alas, he is a president disconnected from his nation, without enthusiasts for his style, without loyalists to his policies, without a true friend unless that’s what you can call his top aide de camp,Valerie Jarrett, which probably you can. Obama is lucky, but it’s the only luck he has, that there are nutsy Republican enemies who aspire to his job. Maybe Rick Perry can save him from … well, yes, himself. I wouldn’t take bets on that, though.

[mojito]

The angst of the last of the old-school Jewish Democrats.

Pretty good analysis though. If Marty Peretz were not the emeritus editor of TNR, this would never get published.

[samtheman]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BjQYQ5p2Ko

[married21]

It’s in tatters while Obama titters. Time for tut-tutters to send their Twitters.

[Red Badger]

Let’s see......
Camp David Accords out the window
Egypt in the hands of the Muslim Brotherhood
Libya under Al-Queda control
Turkey gone off the deep end of the Mediterranean
Iran fires up their nuke plant
Yemen in civil war
Bahrain in turmoil
Somalia under Al-Queda control
Iraq still unfinished
Afghanistan tottering
Israel under constant fire

Is there more?............Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Tunisia,.....

[tgusa]

All according to plan.

[Paine in the Neck]

"...with the arrogance that is so characteristic of his behavior in matters he knows little about ..."

Heh! Obama's worn out his welcome with the kibbutzniks.

[Colonel Kangaroo]

Clinton, George W Bush and now Obama have all made the Middle East more unstable and dangerous. Bring back James Baker and the George HW Bush team. It's time to put the adults back in charge.

[Eastbound]

Dibs on "Utter Tatters" for my new screen name.

[MestaMachine]

“Alas, he is a president disconnected from his nation”

On the contrary. He is well connected to HIS nation. It is OUR nation he is disconnected from.

[driftless2]

I’ve read where fifty percent of Egyptians are illiterate. That’s an astonishing number, and if the other Arab states have similar percentages, the region will never be Democratic or leave Israel alone.

[hinckley buzzard]

Considering how moslems feel about educating their women, I'd say 50% illiterate is a conservative rock-bottom estimate for the ummah as a whole.

[SJackson]

Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume

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