Sept. 23, 2013. In recent weeks it has become a prevailing orthodoxy on both sides of the Atlantic to call Barack Obama a spent force. The argument goes like this: in screwing up over Syria, a President who was always weak and ineffective and who foolishly inflated expectations ahead of his first term has accelerated America’s decline and exhausted his own authority. History will thereby judge him a failure. It’s White House Down.
Like most prevailing orthodoxy, this is bunkum. We’ll come on to the
Syrian mess in a moment. First, a brief review of the wider critique.
I guess it’s true that Obama has done nothing very useful; except achieving, in public healthcare, something that presidents going back a century or more have wanted but failed to get. Then there are the small matters of substantial Wall Street reform, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act — which did so much to reduce the pay gap between men and women — repeal of the vile “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” rule for gays in the military and the exceptionally competent response to Hurricane Sandy. Then there are his radical moves towards energy independence through investment in shale, and his personal supervision of the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, and the scheduled withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Finally, when he took over as President, the world was on the brink of depression and America was losing 700,000 jobs per month — but since 2010 it has grown an average of 2.3 per cent per quarter.
So apart from healthcare, Wall Street and social reforms, getting Bin Laden, green investment and smart stewardship of the world’s biggest economy, what the hell has Obama done for the US?
Not much, I guess; though note that his detractors think his predecessor is sorely missed and often champion Britain’s economic recovery, where quarterly growth since 2010 has averaged 0.28 per cent and is fuelled by a disgraceful housing bubble.
It’s true that Obama screwed up over Syria. His error wasn’t breaking the pledge about crossing a red line but making it in the first place — something he did on his diplomats’ advice. The hesitancy he and Secretary of State John Kerry showed has energised his critics, who see international affairs as a contest over who can put the biggest willy onto the negotiating table.
That’s not how it works. Diplomacy is a combination of patience, strategy and luck. Obama has all three. On Syria, he has been given an exit strategy, by the Russians of all people. And tomorrow, at the UN in New York, almost unthinkably, Iran’s new leader will shake Obama’s hand.
Though the Israelis are — justifiably — sceptical, there has been an astonishing thawing of relations between Iran and America of late. Iran’s leaders released political prisoners, sent Rosh Hashana greetings to Jews via Twitter, and exchanged letters with the White House via the Swiss. The Americans reciprocated.
If Obama is chastised over his handling of Syria, so he should be applauded over his handling of Iran. It is far too early to tell, of course; but he could yet convert the latter from pariah to partner. That won’t convince his silly critics, but it might shut them up for a bit.
Amol Rajan is editor of The Independent (England) Twitter @amolrajan
(P3) PoeticalFrom
I guess it’s true that Obama has done nothing very useful; except achieving, in public healthcare, something that presidents going back a century or more have wanted but failed to get. Then there are the small matters of substantial Wall Street reform, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act — which did so much to reduce the pay gap between men and women — repeal of the vile “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” rule for gays in the military and the exceptionally competent response to Hurricane Sandy. Then there are his radical moves towards energy independence through investment in shale, and his personal supervision of the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, and the scheduled withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Finally, when he took over as President, the world was on the brink of depression and America was losing 700,000 jobs per month — but since 2010 it has grown an average of 2.3 per cent per quarter.
So apart from healthcare, Wall Street and social reforms, getting Bin Laden, green investment and smart stewardship of the world’s biggest economy, what the hell has Obama done for the US?
Not much, I guess; though note that his detractors think his predecessor is sorely missed and often champion Britain’s economic recovery, where quarterly growth since 2010 has averaged 0.28 per cent and is fuelled by a disgraceful housing bubble.
It’s true that Obama screwed up over Syria. His error wasn’t breaking the pledge about crossing a red line but making it in the first place — something he did on his diplomats’ advice. The hesitancy he and Secretary of State John Kerry showed has energised his critics, who see international affairs as a contest over who can put the biggest willy onto the negotiating table.
That’s not how it works. Diplomacy is a combination of patience, strategy and luck. Obama has all three. On Syria, he has been given an exit strategy, by the Russians of all people. And tomorrow, at the UN in New York, almost unthinkably, Iran’s new leader will shake Obama’s hand.
Though the Israelis are — justifiably — sceptical, there has been an astonishing thawing of relations between Iran and America of late. Iran’s leaders released political prisoners, sent Rosh Hashana greetings to Jews via Twitter, and exchanged letters with the White House via the Swiss. The Americans reciprocated.
If Obama is chastised over his handling of Syria, so he should be applauded over his handling of Iran. It is far too early to tell, of course; but he could yet convert the latter from pariah to partner. That won’t convince his silly critics, but it might shut them up for a bit.
Amol Rajan is editor of The Independent (England) Twitter @amolrajan
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