Libya and Al Megrahi: about those words and that big stick
The White House came through with some stronger words on Al Megrahi today:
Asked after issuing a statement on Afghanistan’s elections for his thoughts on the jubilant crowd that greeted Abdel Baset al-Megrahi in Tripoli on Thursday, Obama said: “I think it was highly objectionable.”
His chief spokesman, Robert Gibbs, earlier had denounced the homecoming scene as “outrageous and disgusting.”
Note, however, that the stronger statement came from the Press Secretary rather than the President.
The topic in this case is not the release of Al Megrahi itself, but his reception in Tripoli as a hero, despite earlier White House pleas that he not be given a hero’s welcome and should be put under house arrest.
I use the word “pleas” purposely rather than another and stronger word such as “demands.” Teddy Roosevelt’s old adage about speaking softly and carrying a big stick seems to have gone unappreciated by Obama. Although it’s possible that there have been some behind-the-scenes threats from Obama to the Libyan government, it’s hard to believe that they carry any weight.
The stick not only has to be big, but the person being admonished by it has to believe that it will actually be wielded. That’s where Obama falls down. Our enemies have sized him up, and found that even if the “stick” he carries—the might and influence of the US, including its weaponry—is large, the intent to use it is lacking.
That was one of the good things about the Bush presidency. His threats were credible and gave other countries pause, because they believed him to be fully capable of following through. Obama not only speaks softly most of the time, and in a conciliatory and even apologetic manner, but our enemies know that he’s very reluctant to wield that stick.
If you read the AP article to the end, you’ll note that State Department spokesman Ian Kelly offered little other information despite Gibbs’ strong condemnation of Libya’s hero’s welcome for Al Megrahi. In careful diplomatese, Kelly said:
…he would not say that “single event at an airport” will cause the U.S. to “totally reconsider our relationship with Libya, but we will be watching as they go forward how this man is treated.”
Kelly said he understood that al-Megrahi has been taken to his home, but that Libya has yet to tell the U.S. what his status is.
Unless there are some big sticks being waved about behind the scenes, it’s hard to see how statements such as that have any effect whatsoever, except to put Libya in the driver’s seat.
[ADDENDUM: This piece says that the Libyan reception was unusually restrained, and represents Libya’s desire not to harm relations with the US and the West. But it seems to me that Libya is taking the measure of the US and the West and finding that it can get away with more than in the recent past, and that it will pay no price for its defiance.]
I think it is becoming clear that, absent some world changing event, Obama will go down in history as a “small swinging stick.”
But Neo, this discussion takes the focus off of how badly America needs health care. Sounds fishy to me.
How often do you ask yourself these days regarding Obama, his minions, and his worshipers – “How far is this going? Can they be serious?”
In fact, Obama is practically asking for abuse from the Arab world. He’ll get it, too.
Obama = one very small, very limp willy. And the world knows it.
/sigh
Hmmm….I think we should have put him on a plane alone with two pilots, a bomb, and two parachutes…..And give the pilots each one gun.
At least he didn’t say the Libyan response was all wee-wee’d up. We should be grateful for small favors.
There’s a reckoning coming from all of Obama’s shilly-shallying.
Though perhaps we are enjoying a respite for now because our adversaries are following Napoleon’s maxim: Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.
Mrs Whatsit: Not Libya. But we all know the Scots’ proclivity for the use of the word “wee.”
To demonstrate, here’s a reading of one of my very favorite poems (love that accent!—and here’s an annotated version of the text):
1st grade girl to friend: (snicker) the president said wee weed.
“It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both,” said Niccolo Machiavelli. Ah, but what would he know?
“It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both…”
Best of all is to be respected. If not that, then feared will do. Worst of all is to be despised. If that’s not where we’re at, then we’re well on the way.
Dust off a couple of old F-111’s and we could clear up this misunderstanding very quickly.
This is the face of my political alliance with the Right.
http://tinyurl.com/nvkmro
Great image!
Best of all is to be respected. If not that, then feared will do.
Honor is based on respect. Respect is based on fear. America cannot act honorably in the world if it is not first feared.
You can only expect kindness from the strong and cruelty from the weak. It was cruel to the families of Pan Am 103, and an affront to justice, to release Megrahi to a hero’s welcome.
The Left’s power is based on its self-proclaimed victimhood. Its weakness. They are capable of any act of cruelty.
“If you carry a small stick, you cannot speak softly enough.”–Vanderleun
Nyomythus This is the face of my political alliance with the Right.
She would have more time to spent with her grandchildren if her own government wasn’t scaring her; if her president wasn’t trying to be “partners with God” in her life and death, as Obama said.
No one knows what happens next. We’ve never f’ed up this bad.
Perhaps he was punished enough.
During the Hundred Years War there was a Scottish-French plan to invade England from the north and a bunch of French knights with their retinues came over to Scotland to prepare for the victorious engagement.
The French couldn’t believe how the Scots lived. They were staying with the nobility and said that the food and accommodations weren’t as good as their peasants had it. After a little while the French knights had had enough Scottish hospitality, went home, and that was the end of the Franco-Gaelic Alliance.
The defeat of nationalization shows there is something left of a healthy democracy, for it’s means and for the cause of the means. — broadly speaking.
“But it seems to me that Libya is taking the measure of the US and the West and finding that it can get away with more than in the recent past, and that it will pay no price for its defiance.”
It’s undeniably in our face now, though Obungler may throw out some occasional moderated criticizm or comments (crumbs) loyal to traditional American interests, the Libyans and their friends now have a well identified moslem-communist (posing as a Christian Democrat) representing their interests the White House.
“… representing their interests in the White House.”
As long as these are only news stories that people read or hear from a comfortable personal distance, like Hollywood productions, there will be no significant ramifications; Not until people feel the pinch in their taxes, at the gas pump, and when we’re hit by the hyper-inflation which has yet to take off, as well as when their own close family and friends are victims of a mid-air mass murder, or a 9-11, will people admit the obvious….
the captain of the vincennes gets a medal
megrahi guilty or not is dying
let him die at home
god will judge
“…god will judge”.
Indeed He will. For anyone who ever deliberately planted a bomb on an airliner, I imagine that judgment will be a harsh one. Megrahi will know soon enough.
If the many investigations into the U.S.S. Vincennes’ actions are to be believed, there’s a fair case to be made that Capt. Rogers behaved irresponsibly and recklessly in taking the steps that culminated in his ship shooting down Iran Air 655. Nevertheless, his culpability is far less than that of a man who deliberately plots to murder innocents. That’s why, under the criminal code, first-degree murder and manslaughter have different sentencing guidelines. Intentions matter.
Perfected Dem, Spot on!
How our toddler-in-chief responds when the US takes a true physical hit, and not just a humiliating street demonstration of Yanqui hatred is the question.
The community organizer has been there in the street himself denouncing America’s imperfections. He understands where these people are coming from.
The Kadafi’s, Ahmadinejad’s’, Il’s, and Chavez’s are taking the measure of Obama and how he will respond when the inevitable occurs. Will he respond ala Kennedy/Bush, or will he wee-wee, scuze me, bed wet himself?
Speak softly, and carry a limp dick. (Sorry.)
Look for the Messiah to release Khaddaffi’s divorce records, his usual modus operandi.
Gonna a long, lonnnnnnnng four years.
From Gateway Pundit today:
“Libyan leader Gaddafi hugged Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi when he arrived home in Tripoli.”
Meanwhile, having made his token critical comment about this event, Obungler can now get back to his more serious priority of promoting Judenrein, screwing the Jews in Israel; Not that even Jewish Democrat’s give a damn…
Look on the bright side: at least he hasn’t apologized. Yet.
The problem with the stick thing is that, if you have one big enough and the obvious will to use it, you won’t have to.
Then the manipulators can tell the gullible that we haven’t had any problem in idunamany years and so why do we have this big stick which is horrible and scary.
Thing is, a small stick invites, which is to say, makes more likely, an attack. Ditto the perceived will to use it.
I guess the question is what is the smallest attack on us that will change O’s way of viewing the proper stick/will quantity.
Considering his buds like Ayers, and his clear disdain for American power and standing (we might deserve it) and his clear reluctance to actually do anything about anything at any time, it will have to be a pretty severe hit on us to change anything.
Scary.
“I guess the question is what is the smallest attack on us that will change O’s way of viewing the proper stick/will quantity.”
That kind of question presupposes that Obungler is only incompetent, but basically an otherwise loyal American. An objective observation of the conduct of the Democrat’s domestic agenda and foreign policy clearly illustrates a well orchestrated campaign to undermine the longstanding values and traditions of American policy in favor of Islamist and Communist foreign interests. Obama himself is the ultimate Un-American player, the ultimate jihadi revolutionary. We’re not getting hit with a single afternoon truck bomb attack, we’re being undermined very carefully, and in the long-term more significantly. The “redistribution” deficit spending ponzi game, alone, makes anything perpetrated by Wall Street criminals pale by comparison, and we will pay dearly in the long run. It weakens America and our traditional allies in a myriad of ways. Obama himself personifies no less than a dedicated stealth jihadist revolutionary, wielding his “stick” now for, not against, America’s enemies.
Perfected:
I do not presuppose zero is a loyal American. I presume that he will, under certain circumstances, decide that hammering our enemies due to an attack on us is the best thing FOR HIM to do. Emphasis deliberate.
If Obungler was operating in good faith he would have produced that birth certificate a long time ago. Whether there is or isn’t a legitimate certificate is not even the point, the point is a clear demonstration of respect for the 40% of the constituancy which are not ready to concede very much more power to the left-wing idealogues and demagogues now dominating the Democratic Party. As others have noted, sticks and respect are implicitly related… The “party” is turning it’s “stick” on the people, don’t think for a minute that the Democrat’s are some more benign variety of left-wing political idealists.
Richard, I understand what you’re saying, no doubt he will do whatever preserves his position for as long as possible, even betray his own agenda; But which I believe is not only personal ambition, but also idealogical.
Richard, Perfected:
Governments of all stripes, but especially despotic ones, love to focus citizens’ attention on foreign enemies in order to distract them from domestic problems.
One scenario I’ve been thinking about involves Obama inviting an attack on the U.S. The resulting wave of outrage and patriotism could then be used to demonize and isolate the domestic political opposition.
I’m not too sure about that, though. Obama seems profoundly ignorant of military matters, and whipping up a wave of righteous pro-American fury doesn’t seem to be his style. To say the least.
Hmm… Re-reading my above comment, my scenario bears an eerie resemblance to the Truthers’ accusations leveled at the Bush administration about 9/11.
Yet another example of Leftist projection?
rickl.
Yeah. Occurred to me, too. Diff is that Bush wasn’t in any kind of trouble regarding massive domestic initiatives. Didn’t need the grief.
I suppose you could say that the Brits and French invited attack with their intelligentsia professing pacifism in the Thirties.
Besides zero making his thinking clear to our enemies, what else in our society is doing the same sort of thing?