The end of the decade is a good time for “best of” and “worst of” lists and at The National Interest Daniel R. DePetris provides his list of the worst U. S. foreign policy disasters of the last decade. His picks are
- Regime-change in Libya
- Withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal
- Giving Saudi Arabia a pass
IMO that’s a pretty good list. Since President Obama himself acknowledged that the first was an error, it’s darned hard to argue with it. It’s hard to think of anyone who actually benefited from it. Maybe a few Libyan warlords.
I was never particularly enthusiastic about President Obama’s executive agreement with Iran on tactical, strategic, and legal grounds but the fact is we had already borne the costs of the agreement. They’re sunk costs. Withdrawing at this point was mostly virtue-signalling.
And I find the cozy relationship with Saudi Arabia completely baffling, whether you’re talking about our support for its war against Yemen or our acceptance of the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. I don’t actually see what we’re getting for our aid and goodwill.
What are your candidates for worst foreign policy disaster of the last decade? There’s no lack of candidates.
Even though the decision was made over a decade ago, I’d say the Afghan surge is a candidate for the list since it primarily occurred in 2010 & 2011.
How about not leaving Afghanistan? A couple of years from now we might be putting sending more troops into Saudi Arabia on the list also. Agree with Andy on the surge.
Steve
We haven’t seen the worst yet. Iran, Venezuela, and North Korea are still on the Deep State/Cabal back burner. And then there is Mexico. Today there is a shootout between Mexican troops and drug gangs in Nuevo Laredo.
Clinton pay for play. Just like Pegs very foreign movie that was very foreign policy.
The Bidens in China. Joe denies that he has been bought, but Xi has been doing this with leaders throughout Africa, and to believe that we are not vulnerable to his tactics is naive.
I thought the topic was foreign policy disasters not idiot talking points. I clearly misunderstood. In that case let me nominate Trump pissing on Russian hookers. The return of the Golden Whore in Russia.
Steve
It was supposedly the hookers doing the pissing. Get your fantasy right.
It is so difficult to keep up with you guy’s crazy, conspiracy, crap (CCC). It takes some extra effort and creativity. It kind of hurts my feelings that you dont appreciate the extra effort.
Steve
I don’t know if I don’t type loud enough or what, I don’t think the Biden’s broke any laws. It’s just that working in through favors and gifts is how China does it. Joe should be smarter, or less avaricious.
It’s not a theory, it’s a fact.
Don’t get in bed with the Chinese.
https://quillette.com/2020/01/03/bloody-harvest-how-everyone-ignored-the-crime-of-the-century/