We Carry, & Use, A Big Stick Abroad, But Not Here

I saw the great new movie Avatar today, and kept thinking of the travesties that are the Wars in the Middle East.

This came up between stunning displays of CGI that, in the past, have made various movies look comical and completely fake. Both good movies (Minority Report) and bad movies (Armageddon) looked absurd when they tried to show a fantastical image, and Avatar finally found a way to blend technological advancements and film. Nevertheless, the overt theme was the futility of force when placed against a resilient, steadfast society.

It is a fairly explicit theme throughout the movie that outsiders (humans) have no business meddling in another society's civilization. The planet Pandora's Na'vi people share a Native American fondness for beads and loincloths, as well as an ethereal pantheistic understanding. As the big, bad Americans (it's strange to root against America so vociferously) attempt to dominate the society, I was reminded of the violent, ugly plight of Indians. When they were forced to fight for their different civilization, though, in the face of brash American military force, I shifted gears and aligned the Na'vis with Iraqis.

Many people have expressed disgust with the brash entitlement of America, and, therefore, with its politicians. President Bush was perhaps the perfect archetype of an "Ugly American." It never occurred to him to try to empathize with the countries he baited. I am the first person to deride the hypocrisies perpetuated by rulers of a "theocracy," but I also am a staunch proponent of American isolationism. I go as far back as "Common Sense" by Thomas Paine, not merely the Monroe Doctrine that first explicitly advocated a non-interventionist strategy when considering international affairs. Saddam Hussein may have been bad, but it was hardly our concern that he oppressed his own countrymen.

This gave Bush an adequate excuse to invade the country, even though he really wanted to avenge his slighted, but still rich, father. We forgot that Bush, Sr. was a dick, much like Hamlet's father was a violent brute. Both probably deserved the acrimony that came their way, but we could not have surmised that Bush, Jr. could have emulated the vengeful Hamlet. It was a terrible impression that W. put on for our display, and due to his ineptitude thousands of men marched to their deaths.

Now, it is equally discomfiting, in a different way, that Barack Obama insists on throwing more troops into Afghanistan. He has done all of the doleful motions that a President who supports war must do, like honoring dead soldiers' coffins when they land. However, these gestures come across as vacuous, maudlin crocodile tears when he approves an escalation of troop presence in a country whose populace poses a scant threat. Evidently, he has no problem brandishing Theodore Roosevelt's "big stick" when it comes to the Middle East.

What's baffling is that he refuses to engage his own countrymen when it comes to crucial domestic policy. His reticence when it comes to healthcare is frustrating. His attitude of silence when it comes to Congress may be strategic. After all, he doesn't want to do anything that would jeopardize his reelection in 2012. Screw career politicians--by doing everything to cover their own backs, they ironically end up doing nothing. I've got news for Obama, though: treading water may ensure reelection when the opposition looks crazy, but it ultimately puts nothing in your "Win" column. Refusing to play may appear intelligent pragmatically, but it solves nothing.

Legacies of presidents are judged, in retrospect, by what they did. Bush did horrible things--some that are just now coming to light, and doubtless more will surface still--but he DID things. Obama hasn't really done anything. His administration would disagree, I'm sure, and could cite several examples of piecemeal legislation. These are tiny, and everyone craves something substantial when it comes to his mode of laissez-faire governance.

His ardent supporters--myself included--get constantly slapped in the face with his seemingly aloof attitude toward important issues. On the other hand, he has made up his mind to continue fighting a boondoggle of a war whose progress is as unrewarding as someone trapped in quicksand. The US thrashes about in panic and ire, but somehow has forgotten that the primary objective is to leave, and not to get further enmeshed in a suffocating nation-building endeavor that neglects the main target: Osama bin Laden. We hear his name now almost as a trump card that is supposed to nullify any scrutiny.

If we have to hear this load of bullshit when it comes to Afghanistan, Obama should be as fearless when discussing healthcare. Even better still, he should apply the same attitude of determination when it comes to domestic policy. I understand that the President is the "Commander-in-Chief," but this appellation does not apply only to foreign policy.

Obama should step up to the plate and bravely command Congress, and not just the military.

R