By: Charles Ortel
The Washington Times


President Obama, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit on Nov. 11, 2014, in Beijing. (AP Photo/RIA Novosti, Presidential Press Service)

As Americans distract ourselves absorbing deeply troubling domestic implications of President Obama’s defiantly extra-Constitutional and economically illiterate actions on illegal immigrants, Russia and China may move swiftly in coming days to support Iran and then redraw spheres of influence over minimally-defended, energy-rich nations throughout the Middle East.

Backing Iran openly and aggressively now against America’s naive and feckless foreign policy team would, at minimum, strike justifiable fear into monarchs in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, and Bahrain.

At worst, Russia and China might enable and facilitate the overthrow of these and other backward-looking states, all of which offer rich economic prizes that seem ripe for the plucking.

Looming trouble over Iran

This time of year, we remember that miracles do happen as we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving and contemplate Christmas and Hanukkah. Is it reasonable to expect a miracle in America’s tortured relationship with Iran?

In a word, no.

For reasons we dumb American citizens cannot possibly fathom, the Obama administration presses theoretically tougher and tougher sanctions against Russia while it also relies upon the good offices of Russian counterparts to make progress with Iran — an implacable and unrepentent enemy of ally Israel — and with Syria, which descends toward the chaos America created in Libya.

However negotiations are described especially by Mr. Obama’s misnamed press spokesman Josh Earnest, utterly discredited National Security Adviser Susan Rice or other members of the surrender wing of the Democratic Party, you are not even smart enough to be “Grubered,” if you believe what you hear without checking the complete file on whatever historic deal may be coming into view.

Does our team truly know what is going on inside Iran with its nuclear program?

Of course not.

Why, then, did we cave in and lift sanctions this year, letting Iran spread money, military weapons and influence many places in ways that certainly are detrimental to America’s long-held national security interests?

Unless interminable negotiations with Iran are extended beyond Nov. 24, Mr. Obama and his shamelessly humiliated negotiating team will soon find themselves fumbling to explain why any outline agreement truly protects national security interests of America, Israel and our fraying Western alliance.

When harsh lights shine on bold lies

Starting Jan. 20, 2009, Americans too charitably and too willingly suspended our natural disbelief, so Mr. Obama benefited as Prince Hippolyte did in Leo Tolstoy’s “War and Peace”: “Because of the self-confidence with which he had spoken, no one could tell whether what he said was very clever or very stupid.”

Interestingly, until scant days ago, the media and the incurious general public surrendered to an unelected “clerisy” that ardently believes only they know best, despite widespread and wholly contradictory evidence.

Sadly today, Team Obama cannot even recognize cold truth when it stands alone in an empty room.

Mr. Obama never will corrupt America’s system of governance fast enough to gain absolute power at home, but he certainly may diminish our country’s stature and geopolitical influence abroad for decades if left unchecked for much longer.

And right now a gigantic power vacuum presents itself to Russia and to China as each wrestles at home with differing sets of vexing and unresolved economic and political problems.

Watching Mr. Obama repeatedly flout domestic and international law, energy-starved China and pugnacious Russia now have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reign in America while redrawing the global balance of power decidedly in their favor.

Protracted and inevitable domestic unrest caused first by Mr. Obama’s lawless catering to non-voters and non-citizens against the clear will of the American electorate, and second by fomenting discord over events in Ferguson, Missouri, certainly could push off front pages any further aggressive moves by Vladimir Putin and new best friend Xi Jinping to wrest erstwhile American allies into the Russo-Sino orbit.

As Mr. Obama flies above Earth with his entourage, concentrating on a reality that only he can appreciate, Americans must consider how different our lives will become should we permanently lose access to the energy resources upon which this economy still relies.

Do we truly wish to let a dwindling minority of progressives in the Democratic Party “date-rape” citizens in this country who deserve to inherit the American Dream?

Or should an endemic and unrepentant pattern of willful lying by too many who control levers of power inside the Obama administration finally and swiftly have meaningful consequences?

Russia and China must be sorely tempted now in America’s gathering weakness.

Will you go silently into the night or speak up and help push America back from the brink?