lifestyle leader

One link, actually. To an article which, after a lovely introduction, provides the 12 lessons for becoming "a super serious chin stroking elder statesman foreign policy elite [in America]."

Without further delay, lesson #1:

"Being “strong” on a given foreign policy subject is directly proportional to your willingness to blow people/things up, with as little hesitation as possible. Considering any other option betrays your weakness, indecision and inner Frenchman. Further, refusing to bomb a given country is always the equivalent of Chamberlain appeasing Hitler and such reticence will have similar results. Always."

And so it continues. Happy reading.

The US has reportedly decided to scrap its controversial missile-defense plans in Europe. This is a really big deal.

Despite the incredibly unfortunate timing of making the announcement on the 70th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Poland (you always wonder why officials don't know these things, and cant wait ONE EXTRA DAY to make such a sensitive announcement; after all, isnt this what public relations/communications officials are paid to do, know these kind of things?).

Anyway, the implications of this decision are immense, positive and negative, but I for one applaud the US president. This is a really bold move that hits the 'reset' button with full force. But, more urgently, it is all about Iran, and I cannot imagine this decision was reached without some concrete assurances from Moscow that they will squeeze Iran in return.

These are the kind of major shifts in foreign policy we have been waiting for from the Obama administration. The ball is now is Moscow's court, and the Obama administration may come to find that the destiny of its foreign policy is now controlled less by itself, and more by the Kremlin.