The Obama Administration dithers again — while China rubs our nose in impotence

© 2016 Peter Free

 

21 December 2016

 

 

Top dogs need to encourage competitors to respect them

 

Days after the People's Republic of China seized an American water drone in the vicinity of its US Navy oceanographic crew, the Obama Administration has not visibly done "jack" about it.

 

China's bullshit explanation for its piracy is unreasonable — meaning that its drone seizure was an intentionally delivered provocation:

 

 

Chinese officials have said that their military had a right to pull the drone from the sea more than 50 miles northwest of Subic Bay in the Philippines.

 

They said the Chinese ship had done so out of safety concerns for passing vessels. Many foreign experts in international law have scoffed at that explanation.

 

© 2016 Chris Buckley, Chinese Navy Returns Seized Underwater Drone to U.S., New York Times (20 December 2016) (paragraph split)

 

 

While President Obama has previously made it clear that he considers brash posturing to be beneath his (and our) dignity, he probably should reconsider what a major role "face" plays in the Eastern Hemisphere.

 

With China understandably asserting its power, its neighbors are wondering whether the United States is capable of intelligently counterbalancing the PRC's new aggressiveness.

 

 

President Obama has never learned how one effectively plays this respect game

 

His ignored red line in Syria was one such example.

 

When push comes to shove, the Obama Administration consistently dithers. Because of this, the Chinese situation has the potential to develop into a much more dangerous mess.

 

World Wars have started over misperceptions regarding where final straws lie.

 

 

 

The moral? — Inappropriate American wimpishness invites potentially dangerous aggressiveness from rivals

 

Intentional international provocations have to be met with unmistakable push backs. The rest of the world needs to see the American response. Otherwise international signals become confused, and dangerous situations get worse.