The administration contends that even delaying ratification will reduce Russia’s helpfulness regarding Iran’s nuclear weapons program. This suggests, strangely, that Russia has been significantly helpful. And it assumes, implausibly, that Russia’s interest in preventing neighboring Iran from having nuclear weapons is less than its interest in modifying the strategic arms balance with an America that is no longer a strategic adversary. […]
The administration says ratification is urgent to reinstall verification. But when the previous treaty expired last December, Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said they would continue “in the spirit of” the expired treaty. If verification is suddenly increasingly important, is Russia decreasingly trustworthy?
When nations are enemies, they use arms negotiations less to mutually limit arms than to channel arms competition in strategically advantageous directions. So real arms control is impossible until it is unimportant. Until, that is, dangers disappear. So, ratification of New START is possible. But to call it urgent is silly; to call it advisable would be premature, pending completion of the Senate’s advise-and-consent role, which should include clarifying stipulations in any ratifying resolution.
At Russia’s insistence, the treaty contains language that some Republicans think does – and the Obama administration insists does not – couple limits on offensive and defensive systems. If it does, Republicans should oppose New START; if the language is, as the administration says, without force, it should be deleted. The Senate made ratification of the Jay Treaty (1795) and the Panama Canal Treaty (1978) contingent on modifying some language.
The impertinence of mere senators modifying their handiwork will scandalize the Cold War arms control clerisy, who are still with us. These custodians of humanity’s salvation, these speakers of an argot (SLBMs, ICBMs, MIRVs, etc.) more arcane to the laity than Latin was to 14th-century peasants, are marvelously unimpressed by the events of 1991. If, when the Soviet Union disappeared, Russia had disintegrated until only the Moscow metropolitan area remained, the clerisy would be earnestly negotiating arms agreements with that city’s police force.
In this era of astonishing emerging markets such as China, India and Brazil, Russia is a perverse miracle of arrested development. It is receding because it still has an essentially hunter-gatherer economy, based on extraction industries (oil, gas, minerals). Aside from vodka, what Russian-manufactured export matters? Don’t say caviar; it is extracted from sturgeon.
America’s domestic policy is bedeviled by reactionary liberalism, whose adherents resist any diminution of any entitlement. Barack Obama’s tumble into a time warp – his overinvestment in an arms agreement with the emaciated Russian bear – proves that reactionary liberalism does not end at the water’s edge.
Recall that Obama’s earliest “foreign policy” writings, dating from the early 80s, focused on nuclear disarmament.
And like everything else Obama does, this is just another push to put into action the ideas he formed in those heady college days when he became most politically aware — and when he began to recognize that his personal biography, along with his training in stealth socialism, was a pathway to real political power.
Obama is still fighting Reagan.
Is it any surprise, then, that he’s bringing in a dust-farting disco anarchronism like Jimmy freakin’ Carter to consult on this plank of his foreign policy?
maybe bumblefuck thinks his stupid little treaty will somehow justify his silly Nobel Peace Prize thingy
I bet it’s starting to dawn on him that he hasn’t done shit to make the world more peaceful-like unless you count ass-raping the American economy.
That Obama pays as little attention to the State Dept as the public is apparent; you’d think he’d at least notice wikileaks, specifically the one which revealed how throwing away the missile shield to get the Russians to lean on Iran didn’t go according to plan.
Not only is the ear-cupped lalalalala from Obama getting ever more maddening, I’m kinda starting to root for Julian Asshat.
The USSR invades Afghanistan and Carter says “Oh my, this isn’t the Soviet Union I knew.”
Iran kills its own citizens in the streets and Obama says “Now that’s more like it. Get ’em boys.”
maybe bumblefuck thinks his stupid little treaty will somehow justify his silly Nobel Peace Prize thingy
I doubt very much Obama’s head remotely thinks his stupid little treaty, or anything else including his stupid little self, is needed to justify his entirely merited yet insufficiently affirming silly Nobel Peace Prize thingy.
George Will is just seeing this? I’ve long maintained that Obama’s START obsession was the realization of his hookah-fed, all night fuck-fest with hippy chicks dream from his NO-NUKES! days; just see here for my last rant on this a few weeks ago ( http://tiny.cc/ostart ).
For him it’s a win no matter what. He gets to be the man “who he’s been waiting for” as well as, once again, personally see to taking down American power a few notches…
In my way of thinking, when a military commander knowingly, and wilfully, surrenders the strategic advantage to our adversaries, and I’m using that term globally and not just with respect to the Russians, well that’s just treasonous; like a coach throwing a game where he’s bet against his whole team.
And, you know, regrettably, Obama’s the C-in-C.
Q.E.D.
That is exactly what he means. It’s not fair that we had the most vibrant economy. Unfairness leads to war!!!1111! Make us poorer = make word more peaceful in his calculus.
What you’re saying is that Obama is worse than Pete Rose.
I managed to let go of my fear of impending nuclear doom. I don’t see why Teh Won can’t. After all, he’s much smarter than I am.
Given His promises about reversing global warming, I suppose I should be happy that He hasn’t caused a nuclear winter already.
Also, ‘anarchronism’ is my new favorite word.
Damnit, I posted about anarchronism and the blog ate it.
See also: my musings on iconoplastic and demagogglery.
Seeing the words “Obama” and “nuclear” in the same article just gave me one of those holy-shit-this-guy-is-actually-president douchechill moments that I get from time to time over the past couple years.
I hate when that happens.
“Obama is still fighting Reagan.”
– When your erstwhile president spends his political chips on irrelevant out of time strategies, and argues with dead guys, you know your country is in deep shit.
I, for one, am relieved that matters involving the strategic component of our national defense is percieved in its proper priority among our populace; you know, as opposed to worrying about tasteless agitprop masqerading as art.
Like one day recently when I looked at the front page at Cap’n Ed’s, where a thread about the psycho North Korean brinkmanship had around 70 comments, but the Dancing With The Stars open thread had more than 600.
Priorities…
“. . . Russia is a perverse miracle of arrested development.”
Because Obama was convinced during his college years–by himself and with the help of his fawning professors–that he was exceptional beyond explanation, Will’s line equally applies not only to Obama’s sense of self, but his sense of history.
It’s not Obama who is wrong about the world; It wasn’t even Reagan who was wrong (according to Obama). It’s History that is wrong–and Obama believes even now that he’s the only one who can rectify the errors of History. Indeed, Barack Obama is a ‘perverse miracle of arrested development.’
What Senior Prom Queen, on the night of her coronation, did not believe as Obama believes?
“What Senior Prom Queen, on the night of her coronation, did not believe as Obama believes?”
– Right up to the moment when she gets nailed by the Captain of the football team in the back seat of his Chevy.
– Problem is Bummblefucks therapy sessions are costing us an arm and a leg.
So THAT’s why you’re called “Big Bang Hunter.”
Good on ya.
Hey! Maybe he could invite Pootie Poot over for a vodka summit?!
Umm, no.. On second thought, any pussy who needed 12 stitches for a silly split lip is definitely not ready to trade shots with the former head of the KGB. He’d wake up next morning with a sore ass and a rubble in his hand.
But come to think of it, better him than us, hmm?
Incidentally one Russian ruble (with one “L” [sigh]) = 3.20 US cents. So I’d hope Teh One would have the appropriate change.
You mean the appropriate Hope and Change (TM).
– I think you’re referring to “Hopie – Changy”™
– Which seems to have lost almost all it’s resale value.
Well sure. But how much Hope and Change can you buy for 75 kopeks? About two years-worth at the going rate, or so it would seem….
Heh. Great Minds do think alike, eh? [And me too, obviously!]
[…] REAGAN-BASHING– “Obama’s time-warp focus on the New START treaty” …. […]