Barack Obama’s scattershot approach to foreign policy has already provoked a certain amount of consternation among our international friends. But the Brandenburg Gate episode is proving to be a telling instance in which egotism and inexperience collide with international diplomacy. From Politico:

Barack Obama’s planned visit to Europe later this month has thrust him into a diplomatic kerfuffle that threatens to undercut one of the cornerstones of his foreign policy—the notion that, unlike President Bush, he will listen to and work harmoniously with governments allied with the United States.

And then there is this unintentional confirmation from within Obama’s camp that his cluelessness has created a problem:

“Obviously Brandenburg is the sexiest option,” the official said, but it would “undermine the message that Obama can work with U.S. allies and offers McCain evidence of Obama’s diplomatic inexperience.”

Well, that’s sort of what happened, right?

There is an unmistakable irony here. George W. Bush’s second term has been characterized by a determination to embrace multilateralism — deferring to the Europeans on Iranian negotiations, insisting on Six Party (rather than bilateral) talks with North Korea, trying to push through free trade agreements and a nuclear agreement with India. Many, if not all of these, were opposed by Congressional Democrats and/or Obama. One can debate the efficacy and wisdom of some of these moves, but they certainly were not evidence of a go-it-alone, “cowboy” approach to foreign affairs.

Obama, by contrast, seems intent on doing in foreign policy what he has done in the domestic political campaign — painting a picture of disarray and failure while elevating himself as the one person to set us (in this case, the world) on a better footing through the sheer force of his brilliance and empathy. He has assured us “I know more and understand the world better” than his opponent and that he possesses superior judgment based, in large part, on his vast experience overseas as a child. And, of course, we are assured by Obama supporters that his racial identity will bring international approval and acclaim. Perhaps that is why he places inordinate faith in unilateral discussion with our adversaries: he’s convinced they can’t help but be bowled over by the sheer wonderfulness of the Great Man.

But back in the real world, success in foreign affairs usually requires discipline, knowledge (of history and “code words” for example), respect for allies and for existing agreements, consistency, and strength of purpose. As he has bounced around from protectionism to free trade, from withdrawal in Iraq to (maybe) something else, and from multilateralism to disparagement of our allies, he has broken nearly every guideline for successfully managing our international relationships.

So maybe the trip abroad will be a useful learning experience for him. For starters, he might come to appreciate that sometimes it is not and should not be about him.

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This entry was posted on Friday, July 11th, 2008 at 1:58 PM and is filed under Contentions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.