A GRAPHIC YOU'LL SEE ON EVERY SUNDAY SHOW -- Cover of The Economist, "What would America fight for? The question haunting its allies ... The weakened West": "[O]n his Asian tour, Mr Obama has had to reassure Japan that it can count on America if China seizes the disputed Senkaku islands ... After his tepid backing for intervention in Libya and Mali and his Syrian climbdown, Israel, Saudi Arabia and a string of Gulf emirates wonder whether America will police the Middle East. As Vladimir Putin ... disrupts Ukraine, eastern Europeans fret that they are next. Each situation is different, but in the echo-chamber of global politics they reinforce each other. ... Together, these retreats plant a nagging suspicion among friends and foes that on the big day America simply might not turn up. ...
"Obama ... made a difficult situation worse in two ways. First, he has broken the cardinal rule of superpower deterrence: you must keep your word. In Syria he drew 'a red line' ... In response to Russia's aggression, he threatened fierce sanctions, only to unveil underwhelming ones. He had his reasons: Britain let him down on Syria, Europe needs Russian gas, Congress is nervous. But the cumulative message is weakness. Second, Mr Obama has been an inattentive friend." See the cover.
http://goo.gl/fDTn10 Read the editorial.
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Posted By: Jen Fad
Friday, May 2nd 2014 at 9:34AM
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