State of the Union analysis from the awesome @J.e. Dyer on Liberty Unyielding: His remarks about Russia were a gem of blinkered arrogance: Second, we are demonstrating the power of American strength and diplomacy. We’re upholding the principle that bigger nations can’t bully the small — by opposing Russian aggression, supporting Ukraine’s democracy, and reassuring our NATO allies. Last year, as we were doing the hard work of imposing sanctions along with our allies, some suggested that Mr. Putin’s aggression was a masterful display of strategy and strength. Well, today, it is America that stands strong and united with our allies, while Russia is isolated, with its economy in tatters. This is so juvenile, it’s hard to find a way to critique it seriously. Callow ridicule and cheap triumphalism are a way to talk about Russia? It reminds me forcibly of boys getting together and pretending to fight wars, calling taunts to each other before the “battle” starts. The most important feature of this passage is that it comes off as making America’s purposes about destroying Russia’s economy. The wrongness of that can’t be overstated. Nor can the egotistical peevishness of the snipe about Putin’s “masterful display of strategy and strength.” It’s a window into the void of this administration, to see that no one in it prevented that awful passage from being included in the speech. Where is the compunction, the sense of proportion, the firewall of maturity against sophomoric snark?
Posted on: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 03:31:48 +0000
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