Obamas Foreign Policy

Since Obama has been in office for close to 6 months now I feel it is finally O.K. to say that his foreign policy is coming into form. Before his foreign policy was just a bunch of words but with the number of trips Secretary of State Clinton has made and after Obamas recent trip to the Middle East and Europe I believe now is an appropriate time to comment on his foreign policy as we have started to see action. I believe that this, after the economy is the most important issue facing the United States.
Today we face, in my time, unprecedented hostilities from around the world. As those around the world believe that our standing and resolve is weakening, they have begun to ramp up their rhetoric against us and also their willingness to defy some commonly held beliefs between democratic freedom loving nations. These countries include most notoriously North Korea and Iran but more covertly Russia, China, Venezuela and the renegades in Mexico not associated with the government. Obviously there are more examples especially in South Eastern Asia and Southern and Central America but these are the countries that come to mind.
On the issue of North Korea they have consistently tried to provoke the international community. Most recently they have directly challenged the United States by detaining and subjecting American citizens to a concentration camp style labor camp. What has been Obamas response? Diplomacy...how can this be? The headlines in the paper are "Obama urges North Korea to release prisoners" "Secretary Clinton threatens putting North Korea back on the state sponsors of terror list". Why was this carrot even offered in the first place by the last administration, it is not like they suddenly stopped sponsoring terror or even terrorizing their neighbor Japan constantly. Democrats and Republicans policies alike have all failed on North Korea. From day one we have not known how to deal with this "rougue regime". Carrots have failed and force has failed with China backing them up on most occasions. My solution, extradite the prisoners anyway possible, i.e. special ops, navy seals and isolate the regime more. See who blinks first the South Koreans and our thousands of troops will continue to live in fear unless something is done. If they decide they want a fight let them be the ones to start it and then do what we do best...bring freedom to an oppressed people.
Iran is part of a bigger problem. The Middle East is a mess predicated on racism and age old hates. Actually Iran, like Lebanon just did seems to be close to sorting itself out. The nation has allowed for limited democratic freedoms which were heartwarmingly displayed a couple days ago in the streets of Tehran with freedom of speech and demonstration. The scary reports are though that Ahmadinejad has told his directors of elections that they have the go-ahead to rig the elections in his favor. Commenting on this situation until the elections are over is pointless but heres the deal. If Ahmadinejad wins Obamas plan of diplomacy will not work as his and others idea of a Uranium database. He is too unstable and loves his populist image as much as his own image in the mirror to ever lower himself to negotiating away his largest bargaining piece. If his opponent, the reformist wins all bets are off and Obama and Secretary Clinton just might succeed. He seems willing and embarrassed by the past couple years of relations between our two nations and he is a ray of hope. In terms of the larger Middle East no movement will be made until Netenyahu and the Israeli people feel completely secure. 3 Hamas horses marching toward the Gaza border this week loaded with explosives will not expedite this process. Yet Lebanons democratic victory this week will lessen the pressure Israel feels from its norther border and will allow their government to focus more on the Palestinian issue. The only resolution lies in a two state solution, which was first rejected by the Palestinians when they had the chance and now is less hopefull with a Netenyahu led government. The crux of the problem is the Palestinians accepting that ultimately Israel has the right to exist, without this there will be no more peace and no more bloodshed.
Obamas stance on the Palestinian Israeli conflict has been confusing at best. He seems, just as most things do with our current President, to be comepletely politically motivated. First he makes a some would say controvertial speech in Egypt, citing what he called our overreaction to the tragic events of 9/11 and then likening the Palestinians plight to that of African slaves. Too rectify this he visited Buchenwald concentration camp after which his controvertial comments seemed to melt away. Either way harping on this is no use, he confirmed the US's unwavering committment to the state of Israel and also reaffirmed that we have common interests. Yet he demanded that Israel stop settlements and agree to a two state solution. He also criticized the Palestinians citing some of their and their Arab counterparts accusations and comments as racist and that they had no place in todays world. He spoke in generalities and offered no real concrete solutions just the same as past presidents. Thank God he didnt try and pull a Jimmy Carter on us. Here his foreign policy seems to be muddled other than trying to reign in the hawkish new Netenyahu government while denouncing the Palestinians but also supporting their wishes for a state. Israel for the time being can still feel safe in the fact that the United States will not stop supporting their biggest ally in the region but the rhetoric seems to have softened. I have no solution just like the rest of the world other than cooperation on both sides. Yet the violence must stop against innocent civilians and the Israelis must feel secure enough to embark on the path towards peace.
That is all for now, more on the rest of his foreign policy soon.

P.S. David Ortiz may just be coming back into form....Go Sox!