A blog about politics.

Krauthammer Desperately Seeking Nail

Charles Krauthammer, the ultimate bleating-heart neoconservative, is all atwitter over Barack Obama's foreign trip. Where most rational observers saw a significant U.S. triumph, the beginning of our reconciliation with the rest of the world after eight years of stupid bellicosity, destructive threats and empty bluster, Krauthammer sees decline and weakness. Obama admitted past U.S. misbehavior! That is surely a sign of weakness...or maybe, perhaps, a sign of renewed strength? Or maybe, it's just being honest, a quality the Bush Administration eschewed. The Euros chose not to play on Afghanistan? Perhaps that had something to do with the Bush Administration's myopic avoidance of that theater of battle for the past seven years--the Euros, not the heartiest of allies when it comes to warmaking, were left to fend for themselves without any U.S. leadership or much U.S. support and they are aching to leave now. Over the next year, we'll see what effect a renewed US good-faith effort in  Afghanistan has when it comes to stiffening the spines of our allies. The Euros didn't buy Obama's plea for a stimulus plan? Perhaps that has something to do with the rampant corruption that has marked US-style capitalism during the Reagan-Bush era. Oh--and uh-oh--another sign of Obama's embrace of weakness: he actually admitted that the US finance-thieves had been part of the problem.

And there was--oh. my. God.--the failed North Korean rocket launch. The Gates Defense budget is cutting anti-missile defense systems in Alaska. More Obama wimposity! Except that Gates has decided not to spend tens of billions on an anti-missile system (that doesn't work) to counter a North Korean rockets (that don't work) carrying North Korean atomic bombs (that have, so far, fizzled when tested). The real North Korean threat, created by George W. Bush's first-term ineptness, is the nuclear fuel that was produced in the past six years--fuel that the wildly impoverished North Koreans could sell to terrorists or rogue states (as they sold their nuclear plant design to the Syrians). That is a threat that doesn't yield easily to the empty bluster of neocons--indeed, it was accelerated by US bluster.

The point is that Krauthammer's nonsense--the whole neoconservative project--proved an utter failure during the Bush years and now exists well outside a vast, stable, liberal-moderate consensus on foreign policy that includes most Democrats, the Bush 41 realists and the leading strategists of the U.S. military. Rectifying the Bush 43 embarrassment will not be easy and it will not come quickly. There are no Krauthammers and nails when it comes to diplomacy. But Obama's effort to show the rest of the world that the US can be trusted to lead once more is precisely what is needed right now.

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  • 1

    Joe: welcome back. I dismissed Krauthammer a while back as a fatuous gasbag - is there another kind? (watch SGW coming in with a rejoinder!). Yet this man, Gerson, Kristol, Kagan and others get to belabour us with puff pieces at the WashPo. Tells one something about the quality of the discourse in the Village.

  • 2

    bitterpill8 - Don't forget George Will and good ol' Fred Hiatt himself, as well as Robert Novak until fairly recently.
    -
    Not to mention the horrid reporting of one Ms. Shailagh Murray. And to think the paper is still considered some kind of horrible lefty screed paper by most right-wingers.

  • 3

    I had a bit different take on his trip, Joe, but I do agree with you. It won't be an overnight success, the effort to rebuild America's image in the wake of Bush's serial fiascos.
    .
    On Afghanistan, didn't they promise some 8,000 troops (including 3,000 police)? While not a lot, and I'm not sure they are going to put them in harms' way, like we are, this move relieves us of having to police the domestic side of things as well. Not a bad thing, by any means.
    .
    On the economic policies, his approach is to manage globalization, not just accept it as "inevitable" and do nothing - which was why Europe was happy with the old arrangements.
    .
    Like China, they thrive on those massive trade deficits, and any sane individual would want to see that money pipeline stay open.
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    And, of course, with only 37,500 troops in South Korea (along with our current entanglements) war over a missile launch is even less sensible than it was before.
    .
    Those neocons are just puffing smoke in your face, Joe. They want to be noticed!

  • 4

    Klein I have one and only one comment. You could only wish to hold a candle to Krauthammer's intelligence and journalistic abilities. Go play in the Daily Kos sandbox, that is where you belong.

  • 5

    "Obama admitted past U.S. misbehavior!"
    .
    How many republican columns were written complaining about President Clinton apologizing? 1000? The one form of conservation they seem to believe in is recycling.

  • 6

    Rusty,
    Go play in the Stormfront sandbox. We all know its where you belong.

  • 7

    A more tedious, predictable and wrong-headed Zionist ideologue than Krauthamer? There certainly aren't many, though bitterpill mentions a handful who are in contention on the roster of the liberal leftist socialist Washington Post (On an aside- after 10 years of subscription I am finally done with the Washington Post. Liberals are ascendent, Democrats control the White House, Congress and the majority of state houses, and you take this time to hire of all people Bill freakin' Kristol who has never been right about anything in his entire life? Feh.)

  • 8

    How is the recruiting going for you at NAMBLA, Dirks? Getting many boys to play with?

  • 9

    I think Rusty should hitch his horses to Krauthammers' wagon.
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    It's already sinking, so, in effect we kill two birds with one stone.
    .
    Hmmm. Wait a second. Now just how many metaphors did I slaughter here?

  • 10

    I wouldn't know Rusty, I don't link to such places.....

  • 11

    when will krauthammer get the position at Mickey D's he deserves?

  • 12

    The Washington Post is now the ghetto of op ed contributors. Its great to see somebody of Joe's stature call the Kraut out for his neocon hawkish bullsh*t after all these years. He is held up as some kind of gold standard of conservative thought when the truth is he is just another war cheerleader coward who has probably never been in let alone won a fight in his life. If you want to know what the people think about such fatuous gasbags (thanks bitter) check out this clip from CSPAN of a caller straight PWNING them for continuing to have neocons on to push nothing but war. Rich Lowery gets the gas face and so does the Kraut
    .

  • 13

    Neo-conservatism is based on a foundation of false fear and projecting or posturing competence. Reality doesn't play a role in their world. If you pretend to know what you are talking about, and appeal to emotion, there is a possibility of getting away with it, irrespective of the facts. That hope is all they have left to cling too.

  • 15

    Our local daily (yes, we still have one) recently started carrying K-Hammer (his street name) regularly. The local reaction was "It's garbage, but at least it fills that vast ideological gulf between George Will and Cal Thomas."

  • 16

    I've come to the conclusion that there's only two modes of Joe Klein: general, yet grandiose, statements heavily flavored with ideology and hit-and-run pieces on random "neocons," coincidentally also weighted with heavy ideology. If you keep going long enough, you might turn into a parody of yourself.
    -
    1: You imply that endless apology is somehow a sign of renewed strength. Not so. Asking Iran to return to the state of relations we "enjoyed" thirty years ago...e.g. a couple of hostage crises? Right.
    -
    2: You tell us that the Euros are unwilling to help in Afghanistan because they were left to "fend for themselves?" HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAAA...ahh...that's not funny. Leaving aside the fact that Americans have always been the majority presence in the country, since it kind of IS an American war, or that they had to cope with milquetoast "troops" who refused missions obviously beyond their capacity, such as fighting at night, the Euros left Iraq too. I would guess that's not for a lack of American leadership or support. I would guess that's because the Euros are JERKS.
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    3: Rampant capitalist corruption during the Reagan-Bush era (shouldn't that be Reagan-Bush-Clinton?? After all, he WAS in between those two) is now a reason to oppose an act of socialism by a lefty administration? You really are rich.
    -
    4: Yes, those idiots in North Korea are totally harmless even as they continue to kidnap and hold Japanese citizens and build ICBMs. Just like the winbags in Iran who want us to believe they're building a peaceful nuclear reactor totally unrelated to a nuclear bomb of any sort to provide energy even though their country is oil rich. Yes, continue apologizing for them, by all means. No, that'll never be a cause for concern.
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    Actually, I may or may not cross to your side on the missile defense system, but what I can't stand is your endless torrent of apologetic ramblings for practically any jerk on the world stage who possesses some or all of the following qualities - nuke-desiring, dictatorial, extremist, communist, or an enemy of America. Just saying.

  • 17

    yoshi:
    .
    I don't think you are even old enough to know what a real communist or socialist is.
    .
    In addition, maybe you need to wake up and acknowledge that the last eight years actually did happen. After all, the "gambit" of blaming Clinton is starting to get old.

  • 18

    yoshi
    .
    From Joe Klein's piece re your #4
    .
    The real North Korean threat, created by George W. Bush's first-term ineptness, is the nuclear fuel that was produced in the past six years--fuel that the wildly impoverished North Koreans could sell to terrorists or rogue states (as they sold their nuclear plant design to the Syrians).
    .
    How you got out of that that Joe thinks the North Koreans are harmless is beyond me.

  • 19

    An act of socialism......
    .
    Hmmm, the mind reels. What could that mean?
    .
    I find it fascinating to watch words get utterly drained of meaning by their overuse.

  • 20

    53_3
    .
    Most "conservatives" wouldn't know socialism if it bit them on the ass.

  • 21

    Hell, Yoshi, I don't think you even know what you mean when, and if, you were to mouth the word 'liberal'...

  • 22

    Dirks go shove it where the sun don't shine buddy. You simply prove how stupid you are when you post former links, and then they follow to the article and see that your comments are totally made up.
    .
    But this is the new democrat strategy to feebly attempt to discredit someone using MoveOn.org tactics of smear and lies, when in fact nothing of the sort is true.
    .
    Talking about GPS again Dirks?
    .
    http://phd9.blogspot.com/

  • 23

    Canada now has a Conservative leader who hasn't even attempted to dismantle their "socialist" healthcare and wouldn't.
    .
    Europe which has had Conservative leadership in Tony Blair still has socialized medicine.
    .
    Just what "socialist" acts are being attempted by the Obama administration? Really inquiring minds want to know. And we have all day to wait for a response.

  • 24

    It is actually quite simple, the 2nd American Revolution. Be very afraid little liberals.

    .
    Definitely sounds like a threat to me Paul Dirks. I can imagine what us "little liberals" should be afraid of in the context of the 2nd amendment, can't you?

  • 25

    sg
    .
    I've been around since the missile crisis. I was old enough to hear about it, but not enough to really embrace it. Saw the rise and fall of the 'domino theary'. I saw Russia rise as a serious threat, I saw the Prague 'spring'. Saw the rise of the 'solidarity movement' in the '70s and how it eventually became the first brick to fall in the Soviet empire.
    .
    Reagan was just a baffoon with a loud mouth taking advantage of a situaion developing long, looooong before him. Gorbechev knew his empire wasn't tenable and he took enormous risks - and lost control.
    .
    But these 'conservatives' (as you put it), only know the Cold War from the School of Reagan, and what they hear from some would-be historian bent on revising history.

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