The First Two Months

As we approach the
three
two month mark, a quick tally of the Obama administration’s foreign policy accomplishments: Mexico now has sanctions against the US for NAFTA violations, the Colombia FTA is on ice, the EU is outraged at trade protectionist, buy-America provisions signed into law by Obama, Africa is despondent about the Obama budget’s cuts in Bush HIV/AIDs programs, Darfur is worsening by the day with no US reaction (except an ICC indictment which, like the International Criminal Tribunal in Yugoslavia, in effect tells a genocidal leader that once he is done killing everybody there is going to be a lawsuit), Central and Eastern Europe feels sold down the river on efforts to defend against a growing nuclear and missile threat in Iran, the Chinese have reminded the US that they hold $1 trillion in US debt and don’t much like our ships in the South China Sea or back talk on human rights, and the North Koreans are preparing a “space launch” — over Japan. Only 46 months left to go. *This post was initially titled “The First Three Months.” It’s only been two months — but it feels like forever.