Samantha Power in Practice

Rebecca Hamilton | Samantha Power in Practice | Foreign Affairs.

Try as you may and must, you still cannot sugarcoat betrayal and hypocrisy. Samantha Powers agreed to join the ranks of an administration that was clearly dead-set on betraying the very ideals which she preached, and she did so with her eyes wide open. Now she and her her supporters are trying to find ways to distance her from the mess. But not even a trip to the Moon will put enough distance at the stage. She might still remain politically viable, (after all if Assad can why can’t she?), but in the realm of ideals she advocated, chalk her as a hypocrite, with little possibility for self-redemption, if any.

Zarif Messages to the US on Syria in Munich

Zarif Messages to the US on Syria in Munich « LobeLog.com.

Farideh Farhi says: “If Iran is influential in sustaining the Assad regime, then turning it into a stakeholder in the political process makes eminent sense — but not behind closed doors or on a seat in the back of the room.” … In other words, supporting genocide earns a seat in the front rows and full light of day. Why not? It worked for Russia. The message to all in the world is this: the willingness to perpetrate heinous crimes and mass murders against your own people is the key to making yourself politically relevant and will get you international legitimacy, recognition and often even respect. This is the foundation of the New World Order, which makes it no different than the Old Order. Humanity has taken a major leap backwards, and has thus earned the shame and pains of the chaos and turmoil that lies ahead.

Giving names to failure

Giving names to failure.

Such methodical incompetence might hide within its fold an element of intention if not a full-fledged plan, a plan to shrink America’s footprint in the world, no matter what the cost. My problem is indeed with this cavalier way in which the cost of it all is being dismissed.

Why Is Nobody Saying The Obvious: Putin Destabilized Ukraine

Why Is Nobody Saying The Obvious: Putin Destabilized Ukraine – Forbes.

President Obama did indeed manage to hit the reset button on US-Russian relations, though I am not sure if empowering Putin and return to Cold War politics was the intended result. We have already seen how this situation played out in Syria. Now let’s see what’s in store for the Ukraine. It may not get as ugly, but it won’t be nice.