The pictures are jarring. A Mideast on fire. The body of our fallen ambassador met by the president and secretary of state. Egyptian anger. Libyan violence. International hate. And if you listen to our UN Ambassador and White House press secretary seeing is not believing.
How did this happen? Not because of foreign policy failure. Not because the smooth apology about how 9/11 led us to act contrary to our traditions and ideals didn’t calm the Arab street. Not because the president promised in a speech called “A New Beginning” that he would fight against the negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear failed to win hearts and minds.
The Obama White House glibly offered these explanations for the violence: It’s about the Arab spring. About infighting. About societies experimenting with freedom. About You Tube. No, it’s not about America. Not about the president’s policies. Not his effectiveness in winning over the Mideast.
And don’t you dare say that an execution of four American officials by platoons of heavily armed extremists was terrorism. Don’t you dare say it was planned or anticipated or coordinated. And don’t you dare say it could have been prevented.
Even though our consulate was bombed months before and the British Ambassador almost assassinated. Even though there was warning.
You just don’t understand the culture, the religion, the region, the people. And if you really don’t understand it the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff will explain the First Amendment to you.
We know there’s a big election in about 49 days.
We know the president is raising money between here and Las Vegas. We know from the establishment media that the only person in America who is not allowed to comment on our foreign policy is the man who is challenging the incumbent president.
A lot of Americans are worried and the worry is turning to frustration as each new American flag is burned. Hezbollah and Al Qaeda threaten. Iran mixes its nuclear brew. Syria percolates and protesters in two dozen countries rage as State Department Officials shred documents and mourn their fallen brothers.
Death to America? Where is our president? How did a new beginning get so old so quickly?