My latest op-ed in the Daily Beast on the perils of Obama’s policy of “diplomacy at any cost”. It’s longer than my usual article, but these are important arguments in the face of the “peacemonger” promotion of making concession after concession to some of the world’s most brutal regimes. Some highlights follow, but please read the whole thing before calling me, or anyone, a “warmonger” again!
There has never been a better time in history to be an enemy of the United States. The brutal dictatorships in Cuba, Russia, and Iran have been rewarded with deals and concessions, making the world less safe while their people continue to be among the most repressed in the world. Diplomacy only works if both parties agree, and Iran and Russia have lied, cheated, and broken every deal so far.
It is dangerously easy to paint any opposition to diplomacy with dictators as “warmongering”. But history shows that there have been far more casualties resulting from an unwillingness to stand up to aggressive dictatorships. Negotiating with terror sponsors like Iran and Putin’s Russia just gives them more confidence and more time and resources to spread their malign influence.
The alternative to this charade of diplomacy isn’t war, it’s the deterrence and isolation of evil and terror in order to *prevent* more war. Putin wouldn’t be invading Ukraine now had the free world stood up to him after he invaded Georgia in 2008. Cutting off Iran’s ability to fund Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis in Yemen would save more lives than handing them $100 billion in frozen assets and optimistically hoping they change their murderous behavior toward Israel and in the region.
Springtime for America’s Enemies
Dangerous and short-sighted U.S. diplomacy has empowered no one except state sponsors of terrorism and fascistic regimes.
There has never been a better time in history to be an enemy of the United States of America. While America’s traditional allies in Europe and the Middle East express confusion and frustration, Obama’s White House delivers compliments and concessions to some of the most brutal dictatorships in the world. In the span of a single week, the U.S. has restored diplomatic relations with Cuba, pressured Ukraine to accept Vladimir Putin’s butchering of its eastern region, and brokered a deal to liberate Iran from sanctions.
