Ron Fournier
Days before Vladimir Putin’s troops invaded Ukraine, National Security Adviser Susan Rice dismissed suggestions that Russia was about to pounce. “It’s in nobody’s interest,” she said. Days later, President Obama declared the invasion to be illegal. “In 2014,” he said, “we are well beyond the days when borders can be drawn over the heads of democratic leaders.”
Two things strike me about those quotes. First, they were right. From the viewpoint of the United States and its allies, invading Crimea made no sense, legally or strategically. Second, it didn’t matter: Putin plays by his own set of rules, and it’s dangerously naive not to realize that.
Ukraine is illustrative of a flaw in Obama’s worldview that consistently undermines his agenda, both foreign and domestic. He thinks being right is good enough. From fights with Congress over the federal budget and his nominations, to gun control, immigration reform, health care, and Syria, the president displays tunnel-vision conviction, an almost blinding righteousness. I’m right. They’re wrong. Why isn’t that enough?
With such certitude, Obama finds it hard to see why anybody would oppose him, which makes it almost impossible to earn new allies. He’s also slow to realize when some fault lies with him. The result is Obama’s legacy of “Right, but …” moments.
Americans don’t favor military action in Syria and can’t stomach genocide. That may be right, but wavering on a “red line” and dithering on a decision projected weakness. Months later, Syria is flouting chemical-weapons deadlines imposed in the deal that Obama cut via Russia.
Punishing a lawyer for the crimes committed by a client defies sacred constitutional principles. That may be right, but perhaps there was another qualified candidate to be the nation’s top civil-rights enforcer beside Debo Adegbile, who years ago represented a cop killer. If Adegbile was the most qualified candidate, the White House didn’t work hard enough and long enough to stiffen the spine of Democratic senators. Insisting on a Senate vote and then losing sets a precedent that defense lawyers can be disqualified for their client’s actions. Obama was right on the merits, wrong on the rest.
For some reason Ron’s essay reminded me of Obama promising to be more flexible after his re-election.
He might have reminded Putin of that in his Guess Jeans 90 minute phone call.
He might have said, ”but you promised you were in the tank for me!”
And Putin might have replied, “But I AM in a tank!”
No, she didn’t dismiss the possibility. She recognized the possibility, and made the following comment about it on Meet the Press on Sunday, February 23rd:
I disagree with the first part of that statement. It clearly is in the interest of Russia to retain control of Crimea. Given that Ukraine has become unstable, has overthrown its own constitutionally elected government, has expressed preference for closer relations with the West, and passed a law eliminating Russian as an official language in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea where Russian is the primary language spoken, a split has probably become the best option. It’s in Russia’s best interest. It’s probably in the best interest of the U.S. too, because the situation will remain potentially dangerous so long as Russia is insecure about retaining access to its only warm-water port. It might not be in Ukraine’s best interest, but it was Ukraine’s disregard for its own constitutional processes that brought the whole thing about in the first place.
There’s no arguing with the second part of Rice’s statement. Violent confrontation would be a disaster for everyone concerned.
@Greg: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo9AH4vG2wA
There, fixed that for ya.
@Greg: And Rice blamed Benghazi on a Video and O-blama told America on numerous occasions you can keep your health insurance and/or doctor “period” and you can’t admit he lied when he said it!! Reid also said Romney cheated on his tax returns, of course you have NEVER provided any proof!!
@Greg: Uh, Ukraine became “unstable” after Russia destabilized it by massing forces on its borders and occupying Crimea.
Rice and the rest of the administration miss the point; the point is not that Putin wants to protect ethnic Russians. The point is Putin WANTS Ukraine. THAT is his interest and Obama, Rice, et al would simply want to wish it not so. If they had foreseen such a threat they (possibly) would not have announced cuts to the military and would have had some sort of plan of action, as a contingency.
@Common Sense, #5:
Romney wouldn’t release his tax records for the years everyone was the most suspicious about. He could have done so as candidates have generally done and made Harry Reid a liar.
@Bill, #6:
Actually, the Ukrainians ousted their own constitutionally elected government by unconstitutional means. They had a revolution.
Putin wants to guarantee permanent Russian access to their only year-round, warm water port. The Ukrainian government—which arguably isn’t even constitutionally legitimate at this point—appeared to represent a threat to that access. Consequently Russia occupied the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. A majority of the Crimean population appears to want to be aligned with Russia and are preparing to vote on it. I’d guess Ukraine is out of luck with regard to retaining control of Crimea.
I see no indication that Russia has designs on the rest of Ukraine.
@Greg: Well, guess what, Greg? Reid said Romney had not paid income taxes for 10 years and Romney released the records for the years pertinent to the campaign, which showed he indeed HAD paid income taxes (a LOT of income taxes), proving that Reid is, indeed, beyond any doubt a liar. Not to mention that Reid himself does not release his tax records. Proving Reid is a lying hypocrite.
This, of course, makes him no particular stand-out among his liberal peers.
“Actually, the Ukrainians ousted their own constitutionally elected government by unconstitutional means. They had a revolution.” Ousted (by vote) AFTER the Russians massed on the Ukrainian border and their lackey, Quisling President tried to turn the government over to the Russians.
“Putin wants to guarantee permanent Russian access to their only year-round, warm water port. ” They already have the bases in Crimea. They have access and use of them. No one has denied or hinted at denying the Russians Black Sea ports. Every excuse Putin has (and Obama and his followers use to excuse his inaction) is bogus. A complete lie, just like Hitler’s premise for taking control of the Sudetenland.
@Bill Burris, #9:
They passed a law that would have eliminated Russian as an official language in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, where a majority of the population are ethnically Russian. There were clear indications of Ukrainian intentions to align with the West. taking Crimea along with them. That would be to the serious disadvantage of Russia. What did they expect would happen?
@Greg: “they passed a law”. Legally? What does Russia have to do with that? If Ukraine wants closer ties to the west, all that does is make Putin’s desire to reassemble the Soviet Union more distant but poses no strategic threat to Russia.
Why wouldn’t Russia bring its concerns up before the UN instead of invading a sovereign nation? Answer: because they lust for territory and power.