Obama is what you might call a roundabout Jeffersonian. Jeffersonians, to borrow Walter Russell Mead’s phrase, believe that preserving America’s economic and political solvency requires reining in American empire. Presidents usually become Jeffersonian in times of economic crisis, public exhaustion, and unpopular war. The problem is that Jeffersonianism—which in different ways both Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter embraced as a result of Vietnam—is perilous politics. Retrenchment can look a lot like cynicism, if not defeatism.
So Obama is trying to do it on the sly, to reduce the costs of American foreign policy without reining in our ambition. In Afghanistan, he’s moving inexorably toward greater reliance on drones—just as Nixon turned to air power in the latter stages of Vietnam—because it’s cheaper in blood and treasure. And he’s trying to burden-share, just as Nixon tried to get regional allies like South Vietnam and the shah’s Iran to do more of the work of containing the USSR. The Libya operation is a good example of this. The White House’s humanitarian hawks don’t want a Srebrenica on their watch, but they know they need other countries to bear more of the load. Enter Nicolas Sarkozy.
Will it work? Beats me. But it’s an illusion to believe we could have done this the old way. One of the crucial questions of our age is whether America’s liberal ideals can flourish despite the decline of American power. Libya will be one of the places we find out.
I got $20 says he wrote this while wearing a sweater and deciding whether or not referencing “malaise” might not be a smidge too derivative.
Designed decline.
Patriotism.
Yeah, “burden sharing” worked out sooooo well for the Shah of Iran and the South Vietnamese…and this is supposed to be an example of brilliance?
This socialist utopia stuff is expensive. Cheaper to outsource our foreign policy to the U.N.
It’s Jeffersonian, Seth.
So. If you tally it all up, Obama is Lincoln, FDR, JFK, Reagan, and now Jefferson — all rolled up into a brilliant, polished, post-partisan post-racial package of historicalness.
We’re blessed to have him, frankly.
Bow.
Actually Seth, as I understand it, the Burden Sharing was more or less working out for South Vietnam until the Democrats in Congress decided it was too much of a burden for us to do our share and defunded the war.
Bow.
Lower.
Which one is heir apparent, Sasha or Malia? I keep forgetting.
Created in a secret Berkley lab with DNA scrounged from presidential artifacts, I suppose, Jeff.
Ernst, I’m afraid that view is too nuanced. Let’s just spin a narrative instead…if feels so much better.
I REJECT THE SOFT TYRANNY OF YOUR FACTS!!!!11!
It really is amusing to watch the moments when the left’s narrative stalls. They feverishly plug away like elves in a workshop until an emotionally satisfying consensus emerges, and then you can almost hear the collective sigh of relief when they’re once again on the same page.
“So. If you tally it all up, Obama is Lincoln, FDR, JFK, Reagan, and now Jefferson “
You forgot Barry.
I believe that Obama is also a tall glass Sparticus, with just a splash of Jesus. With a side of Lenny Bruce, only not really funny.
Question for Beinart: If Obama is so damned concerned with America’s economic and political solvency, why is he so damn busy undermining the Full Faith and Credit of the United States?
They made up one version of Obama when they elected him, so they need to make up other versions of Obama when he disappoints them.
Nuance.
I wonder about Barry Sorento. I mean George Soros/Barry Sor[ent]o? No birth certificate?
Could Barry’s mom be the secret love child of Soros?!
AAGHHH! Conspiracy theory!
Just kidding.
It’s Jeffersonian, Ernst. He’s just trying to make sure we finally have a piece of the pie. If it seems messy, it’s because fish don’t fry in the kitchen, and beans don’t burn on the grill, it’s gonna take a whole lot of trying to get up that hill. Rest assured, we’re moving on up.
What? Not that kind of Jeffersonian?
I’m pretty sure Seth was being racist in his comment.
OT, but I find this disturbing, “Three states considering taxing electric cars to compensate for lost gas taxes”
It’s not the tax so much as this:
Why don’t they just stick a computer chip in our ass and be done with it?
Well, that’s precisely backwards.
Damn it, I kind of set myself up for that comment, Cranky-d.
This is why I usually lurk and leave the commenting to the smart kids.
I’m surprised Texas is in on the electric car tax. There are no places left to go.
Also OT, but it may have been too early to rule out Godzilla after all.
If they start in on golf cart taxes, well, kiss that Florida vote good-bye.
Yes, I’ve read this articulated here, there, and elsewhere for much time, but it is truly starting to hit home as more and more of the not-only-active but also apathetic Left shed the facade: As they no longer pretend to be guided by reason, facts, and consistent thinking but by their sheer emotive altruism, they are beginning to out-loud insist, at even the most local levels, that they aren’t wrong, haven’t been wrong, can not be wrong, because they always act out of good intentions.
Is it time to wonder about the only feasibility being a two-state solution, and beginning work towards it?
I bet the EPA would love the possibilities inherent in that.
I’m confused.
Who’s Sally Hemming in all this?
I’d hit electric cars with a higher registration fee and maybe a luxury tax (hey, who’s buying these things?) then sit back and enjoy the irony sure to unfold.
MIght as well tack on a battery disposal fee up front too.
Orson Scott Card, in Heartfire:
Dunno if that exactly covers our Thomas Jefferson, but it does ring familiar, doesn’t it?
Oh damn, I just know I’m going bald soon.
What else do you expect them to do? Tell the truth? These are democratic pragmatists. I will give the lefty libtards credit on that front, they may be insane and smell bad, but at least they are willing to attack Obama over this.
Am I the only one who, after every new Obama fuck-up, immediately wonders how the GOP will fail to capitalize on it come 2012?
What utter nonsense. The French, Germans and Italians have absolutely no shame whatsoever about it. The Dutch were a little bit embarrassed their Marines let Srebrenice happen, but the British have no reason to be ashamed at all, considering troops were on the ground risking their lives to stop the slaughter.
Bordo, the Republicans are geniuses — they’ll find a way to fail.
…whether America’s liberal ideals can flourish despite the decline of American power
No. We’ve power because of our free market economy; power that’s provided our higher standards of living and set the bar higher for other nations to emulate. Our current crop of LeftLibProggs want us pulled down, for ‘fairness’ and ‘equality of outcomes’. They’ll be the first ones hitched to a plow.
(You have any idea how difficult it is to use HTML on a stupid Droid?)
“We’ve power because of our free market economy; power that’s provided our higher standards of living and set the bar higher for other nations to emulate”
To be fair, we also have been blessed with an abundance of natural resources, too.
You know, the ones we can’t drill/mine for…
This isn’t the droid you were looking for?
For 200+ years, the common wisdom was “Fuck with America, get your ass kicked. Hard.”
Now it’s “Oh, please don’t call us names!”
@McGehee 1.09pm. Fortunately, I didn’t have anything in my mouth when you wrote that. I’d have taken out a monitor, keyboard and shirt.
And I just bought this shirt.
Curses. Foiled again. I’ll just have to time my next attempt a little better.
Holy shit, Batman!
We are too stupid to read the constitution and understaND WHAT IT MEANS…
And I am apparently too stupid to work withn “Caps”.
I guess I deserve to have spoiled children running my life…
Whooo! Whooo!
Another one who wears his skivvies on his head!
Because that way, you don’t have to worry about bacon stains, and no one can see that you have a sphincter where your mouth should be.
Uh-oh! There goes the skidmark argument.
If they start in on golf cart taxes, well, kiss that Florida vote good-bye.
In Michigan, Jenny on the block floated the idea of an entertainment tax. Golf was exempted. It’s like Obama was a Michigan legislator.