Posted by
Boris Tiraspolsky on Monday, April 20, 2009 2:24:49 AM
“I hereby accuse the North American empire of being the biggest menace to our planet. They make us slaves. We must be ready for an aggression,” -
President Obama shakes hand with Hugo Chavez
President Obama said: "Reaching out to enemies strengthens our [US] hand. The whole notion was that if we showed courtesy or opened up dialogue with governments that had previously been hostile to us, that somehow would be a sign of weakness. The American people didn't buy it. And there's a good reason the American people didn't buy it — because it doesn't make sense.
It's unlikely that as a consequence of me shaking hands or having a polite conversation with Mr. Chavez that we are endangering the strategic interests of the United States.
If we are practicing what we preach, and if we occasionally confess to having strayed from our values and our ideals, that strengthens our hand. That allows us to speak with greater moral force and clarity around these issues. Our doctrine for engagement: We're not simply going to lecture you, but we're rather going to show through how we operate the benefits of these values and ideals.
Comment by Sen. John Ensign, R-Nevada: "I think it was irresponsible for the president to be seen kind of laughing and joking with Hugo Chavez."
Comment by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich: "What I find distressing is that the administration opposes opening up oil explorationbut yet Obama has bowed to the king of Saudi Arabia and now reached out to Chavez, who has been conducting a vicious anti-American campaign. How do you mend relationships with someone who actively hates your country. ... Cuba releases zero prisoners, yet we make nice with Cuba. I'm for doing things methodically and calmly ... things that will work, but I'm not for deluding myself about smiles and words."
Comment by Boris Tiraspolsky: There are three rules of engagement one must follow in dealing with ideological enemies of the Nation: 1. Never reach out to them. Otherwise, it is called appeasement. 2. Never trust their "good intentions". Otherwise, it is called political naivete and blindness. 3. Never allow them to set a stage and dominate it. Otherwise, it is called ideological immaturity.
President Obama did it all wrong. I want to remind my readers that denying these rules was always harmful to any Nation trying to "reinvent a wheel" in the past. I do not know how reaching out to enemies can strengthen US. But I know this does strengthen US enemies. How deeply it will be "endangering the strategic interests of the United States" remains to be seen.