Island Dweller writes in, and the Czar will comment along.

Dread and Awful Majesty:

Your humble subject has mentioned in the past the possible consequences of incompetence in foreign policy. He has also mentioned how the US government at the highest decision-making levels seems to be stocked with inexperienced 30-something products of left-leaning universities who can not separate the factual from the theoretical.

They are supervised by an individual with a massive ego and over-the-top narcissistic tendencies who apparently can commit no wrong, either in his own mind or the minds of his followers.

Indeed, ID. Most of the Obama appointees seem to think their job consists of being handsomely paid to give speeches, interviews, and take scenic trips in between frequent vacations. From the top down, they seem annoyed when the public expects them to do some heavy lifting like attend a meeting or make a decision that affects lives.

The problem with people like this, leaders who think they are infallible and followers who are not critical or objective thinkers, is they forget dealing with other nations in this world is not a pillow fight, and they tend to frequently get bitch-slapped by reality—reality usually being George Foreman-sized. I refer to the recent volte-face by Britain and France that left the prez embarassingly alone in the spotlight about an armed response to Syria that will now—if it happens—be unilateral vice multilateral. It almost has to happen due to the previously-mentioned massively inflated ego.

Dear Leader has neatly painted himself and our only serious ally in the region—Israel—into a most precarious corner. If he elects to do nothing, his word in international relations and treaty enforcement and compliance is now worth nothing. If he elects to do something&#151whatever it is—any number of very unpleasant things can happen.

• Iran views Syria as a close, although not entirely savory, ally. It adjoins Lebanon, which is heavily infiltrated by Lebanese Hezbollah—which is controlled and infiltrated by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Q‘uds Force. Syria serves as the supply base for Iran’s Lebanese effort. Attack that supply base and you seriously threaten Iran’s effort against Israel in Lebanon.
• Besides threatening that effort, Dear Leader will incite Lebanese Hezbollah to retaliate against Israel. It’s much easier to hit Israel than it is to strike at the US. Israel has vigorously defended herself in the past and doesn’t look set to break the mould.
• Iran will not stand idly by and watch its proxies in Syria (directly) and Lebanon (indirectly) be set upon from two directions—the West (US 6th Fleet) and South (Israel). They have already announced any attack on Syria will be a causus belli for an attack on Israel. Now Israel has to guard against an attack from the East as well.
• If the US defends Israel against Iran, it is ipso facto a cause for war between America and Iran. That opens us up to Iranian retaliation—either in the region of the Persian Gulf, or here at home. Since we will be the only out-of-region power involved in this fracas it simplifies target selection for Iran, doesn’t it?
• If the US does not defend Israel, Israel will quite rightly consider itself on its own and will retaliate against Iran, Syria and Lebanon using whatever means necessary to ensure national survival—and quite possibly without notifying us beforehand. That phrase “whatever means necessary” can cover all sorts of unpleasant possibilities. Wars can escalate, y’know. Chemicals and nukes are both viewed as WMDs. As we used to say back home, “What’s the diff?”
• Mr. Putin has rediscovered the usefulness of a blue-water navy and has sent Russian warships to the Syrian port of Tarsus, and the Eastern Mediterranean—vastly complicating the situation. He has also served notice in so many words the relationship between the US and a resurgent Russia will get downright chilly should Dear Leader make any violent move against Assad.
• Putin has a business relationship with Iran—though he conducts it one-handed, as the other is holding his nose. We need to remember that relationship.

Do you think those 30-something whiz kids in the administration are beginning to regret they skipped those history or international relations lectures in school?

My point is, thanks to Dear Leader and his flying monkey minions we have inserted ourselves into a situation where they can’t maintain even a three-nation coalition, and there can be no clean and quick withdrawal. No matter what we do there will be an unpalatable price to pay, and lasting consequences. Remember too, all this is occurring with a US military that is depleted, underfunded, and low in morale.

ID

Your points are all excellent, and we believe underscore what a lot of the Mainstream Media is missing abot Syria. Okay, they report, the President seems to have to deal with Syria alone, and yes, he should never have shot his mouth off about red lines. But the real story is what you highlight here: the President is so horribly bad at foreign policy that every decision he makes will have gravely negative consequences for friends and allies. The fact he has to stand alone is not a byproduct of his testy relationship with Congress—it is the sole product of his complete collapse in credibility. No one, from Russia to Iran to even old friends like Britain, want to have anything to do with this putz because they openly mock him as a joke.

There simply is no country in the world who wants anything more to do with Obama as they him as a short trip into ruin. He started it himself, long ago, during his US apology tour. He now reaps the benefit of his incredibly myopic vision.

The Czar of Muscovy

Божію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. The Czar was born in the steppes of Russia in 1267, and was cheated out of total control of all Russia upon the death of Boris Mikhailovich, who replaced Alexander Yaroslav Nevsky in 1263. However, in 1283, our Czar was passed over due to a clerical error and the rule of all Russia went to his second cousin Daniil (Даниил Александрович), whom Czar still resents. As a half-hearted apology, the Czar was awarded control over Muscovy, inconveniently located 5,000 miles away just outside Chicago. He now spends his time seething about this and writing about other stuff that bothers him.