Where's the foreign policy Obama promised?

It's not an uncommon practice for politicians to not live up to their promises.  And I admit, I've been reluctant to give up the hope that I had for President Obama.  However, of the eve of mid-term elections, things have started to look pretty grim for the Democrats.

Foreign Policy has published a scorecard of the Obama administration's foreign policy.  And while he has two years before he is put to the test of the voters once more (and two years is admittedly a long time), the article above is a very good account of how things sit on the ground right now, albeit not entirely a measure of how the next Presidential election is slated to go.  As he points out, Obama may not be the best, but the GOP has yet to field a better candidate.

"The End of Military History"

          As much as I hate to post anything from the American Conservative, this seems to be written from a true conservative perspective rather than the Neo-Con.  I suppose it's a common sense article, but it's really the first time that I've heard a professional voice the truth that most of us are already well aware of.  Food for thought.

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://www.amconmag.com/blog/the-end-of-military-history/

The page behind the link sucks, but I only encountered a cached version of the article.

A.Q. Khan network may be active again

This is why Global Zero won't end the threat of nuclear weapons.

Handing Israel a Deservedly Large Slice of STUF Cake

Or:  When Friends No Longer Act Like Friends

Here you go

          Historically, the United States and Israel (especially Israel) have enjoyed a very close relationship. Harry Truman stuck his neck out in the international system to make the US the first country to recognize Israel (against the advice of most of his cabinet departments), and ever since, Israel has been treated like our kid brother in a school full of Arab/Persian/Muslim bullies. Whenever they attack Israel, we're outraged, and whenever Israel attacks them, we turn a blind eye. This was all well and good when we could count on Israel to support us and follow our guidance in an equally loyal way, but Israel increasingly goes against us. Well, I say, “No more!”.

Eight problems with Romney's eight problems, or an open letter to Mitt Romney

Dear Mr. Romney,

Your efforts to restart the Cold War are valiant, but when Henry Kissinger is siding with the Democrats on national security, you can solidly be assured that you are in the wrong.  I hate to tell you, but Secretary of Defense Robert Gates also disagrees with you.  At this point, you should just try to save your rapport, instead of making waves.  But that’s just my advice, who am I to judge?

Russia to resume military cooperation with NATO

New START, a hands-off response in Kyrgyzstan, and now Russia's ready to provide logistical support for the war in Afghanistan.There are plenty of factors at play in this move, not least of which is the fact that Georgian and Ukrainian efforts to join NATO have stalled.

But it looks like Russia is finally starting to see relations with the West in something other than zero-sum terms, and you can't tell me the "Reset" hasn't had something to do with that.

Global Zero vs Global Nine

Last week, I received an email from my school alerting me to an upcoming program run by "Global Zero" on our campus. Global Zero is an organization that promotes the total elimination of all nuclear weapons the world over by 2030.

I have serious doubts about whether a world without nuclear weapons would be a universally good thing. But whether or not "Global Zero" is a desirable goal, I don't think it's really possible. I can't see many of the nine current nuclear powers being ready to dismantle their weapons in the near or intermediate future.

Here's why.

Honduras: One Year Later

          A little over a year out from the coup of June 2009, Honduras remains in turmoil, the US's interests in the area remain unserved, and violent oppression is the order of the day. The US appears to be without an attractive foreign policy option. Our ham-handed attempts to have Manuel Zelaya reinstated gained us nothing, and lost us political capital in the region. However, the status quo under President Porfirio “Pepe” Lobo is unacceptable; human rights are trampled on a regular basis, and the government is, at best, unconcerned, and at worst, responsible. What the US needs to do is take a far subtler approach to our intervention in Latin American politics, and make the best of a government in Honduras that we may well be stuck with.

Where in the world is Turkey?

Or Who Lost Turkey? or Three-Level Games

Everyone just calm down, take a deep breath. Turkey is still in the same place it has always been (geographically at least). It has not been lost. It has not gone over to the dark side.

I’ve read my fair share of articles since the May 30th flotilla incident, and trust me, there have been quite a few. For a while in there, it seemed like watching a tennis game. One day Turkey was lost to the West and was trying to reestablish the Ottoman Empire or become the new champion of the Arab world, the next day its new found ties with Iran are unraveling and Turkish officials are having secret meetings with Israeli officials in Switzerland. Just a quick stroll down Real Clear World’s page on Turkey reveals the uncertainty, and it’s almost comic. But what is obvious is that Turkey wants to be just what it is: Turkey, no longer the “sick man of Europe” or America’s puppet in the Middle East, but a country with a rapidly growing economy, a strategic location, and a sovereign government.