“I truly believe that the day I’m inaugurated, not only does the country look at itself differently, but the world looks at America differently.” Those were President Obama’s comments in 2007, when he was still a U.S. senator seeking the Democratic nomination for president. He spoke specifically of his own appeal to the Islamic world, given his family ties to it.
Today, screaming mobs are attacking our embassies in Muslim countries, burning Obama in effigy, and even taunting him with chants supportive of the al Qaeda boss he killed over a year ago. Much of the world hated America before Obama was elected, and it continues to do so — apparently to his great surprise.
On Tuesday, Russia’s government joined the anti-American chorus. In a major snub, it expelled the U.S. Agency for International Development — the foreign aid arm of the United States government. USAID’s expulsion comes after American protests over the Vladimir Putin has rigged elections and ruled his nation with an iron fist.
“While USAID’s physical presence in Russia will come to an end, we remain committed to supporting democracy, human rights, and the development of a more robust civil society in Russia,” said State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland.
This is a snub that Obama should be able to wear as a badge of honor. But it also highlights the naivete with which he has approached world affairs. Just as he promised in that old interview he could ease tensions with a hostile Muslim world through the power of his winning personality and his personal life story, Obama famously promised a “reset” with Putin’s Russia, whose human rights record is atrocious and whose intentions toward the U.S. have never been good.
Russia’s pique should teach Obama a valuable lesson. Having brought a rosy foreign policy outlook into office, he failed to understand what every one of his predecessors had previously encountered. When U.S. foreign policy looks out for Americans’ interests — no matter how broadly or narrowly construed — it necessarily offends bad actors. At times, it even offends people who have legitimate but incompatible interests. That is why large swathes of the world must always hate America, even when it has a Nobel Laureate president with a great personal story to share.
