Watching the media wriggle uncomfortably as President Obama spoke much the same words as his predecessor last night, it became clear that the President has a daunting task ahead of him in dealing with ISIS. He came into office with a public that was fed up with American interventionism, and one of his proudest accomplishments has been the withdrawal of American forces from the Iraqi war. So his first obstacle in this new fight will be his own ego. For over a year hes resisted calls from his national security team to hit ISIS while they were still nascent and vulnerable. To do so would have undermined his claim to victory in Iraq and exposed him to criticism that he was wrong. And if theres one this weve learned about President Obama, its that hes never wrong. This isnt a character flaw isolated to the president alone. Absolutism afflicts much of America today. Many who oppose (or support) intervention do so completely, blindly, and without exception. Its antithetical to a real world in which absolutes are sparse. All courses of action (or inaction) should be considered regardless of ideology. Because sometimes the best option exists outside of our accepted narrative. Otherwise wed be infallible. Finally laying out his strategy on the eve of the 9/11 anniversary was like turning in a hastily completed report just minutes before the deadline. He wanted no part of admitting failure. Yet every day that has passed since his we have no strategy comment has left him politically vulnerable to an ISIS terror attack. Now it remains to be seen whether President Obama embraces his strategy, or retreats to politically expedient half measures, which in some ways would be worse than doing nothing as all. Because every moment that ISIS survives from here forward it can now claim victory in standing up to the mightiest power in the world.
Posted on: Thu, 11 Sep 2014 15:04:30 +0000
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